PDF417 barcodes in ZPL with ^B7

To print a PDF417 barcode in ZPL, set the module width with ^BY and use ^B7N with the row height and the security level: ^BY2^FO40,40^B7N,6,3,,,N^FDOpenZPL PDF417 sample^FS. PDF417 stacks rows of code words, so it holds much more than a linear barcode in a wide, short block.

Mis à jour le 2026-10-20 · Renders made with the OpenZPL engine

Generator

Data

Module width (dots)

Height (dots)

ZPL

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Rendu…

4 × 2 in label at 203 dpi. A preview shows how the printer draws the code; confirm with a scanner before printing a run.

The ^B7 command

^XA
^BY2
^FO40,40^B7N,6,3,,,N
^FDOpenZPL PDF417 sample^FS
^XZ

Size in dots

The same 21-character text, rendered by the OpenZPL engine at 203 dpi:

More columns make the code wider and shorter; a higher security level adds code words and makes it bigger. Truncated PDF417 saves width but some scanners don't accept it, so prefer the standard form unless space forces you.

^BY2, rows of 6 dots, security 3

^XA
^BY2
^FO40,40^B7N,6,3,,,N
^FDOpenZPL PDF417 sample^FS
^XZ

^BY3, rows of 10 dots, security 5

^XA
^BY3
^FO40,40^B7N,10,5,,,N
^FDOpenZPL PDF417 sample^FS
^XZ

Valid and invalid data

• Text and digits of any kind; PDF417 is used on IDs, boarding passes and shipping documents.
• Escape ^ and ~ with ^FH, as in every field.
• Very long data makes a code taller than the label; raise the column count to keep it short.

Check a barcode before printing a run

A preview shows how the printer will draw the code: bar widths, quiet zone and the human-readable line. It does not prove that every scanner reads it on your media. Print one label at the real density and scan it with the scanner your customer or carrier uses; for retail and logistics codes, a barcode verifier grades the print quality.