Barcode formats
Barcode types supported by Zint
Zint supports many barcode symbologies, including linear, matrix, stacked, and postal barcode formats. Different barcode types are designed for different use cases, ranging from retail labels to mobile QR Codes and industrial tracking systems.
How to choose a barcode type
Data size
Some barcode formats can only store small amounts of data, while others can encode large text payloads and binary data.
Scanning environment
Barcode choice often depends on whether the symbol will be scanned by phones, retail scanners, industrial readers, or postal sorting equipment.
Available space
Matrix formats such as QR Code and Data Matrix are useful when space is limited and a large amount of data must fit into a small label.
QR and matrix barcodes
Matrix barcodes store data in two dimensions, allowing large amounts of information to be encoded in a compact space. QR Codes are widely used for websites, mobile apps, tickets, product information, and digital workflows.
Common examples
Best for
Mobile scanning, compact labels, marketing, tickets, and machine-readable data.
Linear barcodes
Linear barcodes are the traditional barcode style made up of bars and spaces. They are commonly used in retail, logistics, warehousing, and inventory management systems.
Common examples
Best for
Shipping labels, stock control, retail products, and asset tracking.
Stacked barcodes
Stacked barcodes combine multiple rows of barcode data into a compact symbol. They can store much more information than standard linear formats.
Common examples
Best for
Transport, identification cards, document encoding, and large data payloads.
Postal barcodes
Postal barcode formats are designed for automated mail sorting and delivery systems used by postal organisations around the world.
Common examples
Best for
Mail processing, shipping systems, and postal automation.
Barcode comparison overview
The table below gives a simplified comparison of several commonly used barcode formats supported by Zint.
| Barcode Type | Category | Best For | Data Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| QR Code | Matrix | Mobile scanning and web links | High |
| Code 128 | Linear | Logistics and inventory | Medium |
| EAN-13 | Linear | Retail products | Low |
| Data Matrix | Matrix | Small industrial labels | High |
| PDF417 | Stacked | Large data storage | Very High |
| RM4SCC | Postal | Mail sorting | Medium |
Explore all supported symbologies
Zint supports many additional barcode formats beyond the examples shown here. The full manual includes detailed information about supported symbologies, rendering options, command-line usage, and developer integration.