`^BK` ANSI Codabar

Codabar barcode, used by libraries, blood banks and some couriers.

^BK prints an ANSI Codabar barcode for digits and - $ : / . +, framed by start and stop characters A to D that you set in the command, not in the data.

Barcodes · Updated 2026-10-20

Syntax

^BKo,e,h,f,g,k,l

Parameters

Parameter	What it does	Values
`o`	Rotation.	N, R, I, B
`e`	Check digit.	N (fixed)
`h`	Bar height, in dots.	default: ^BY's
`f`	Human-readable line.	Y or N; default Y
`g`	Put that line above the code.	Y or N; default N
`k`	Start character.	A, B, C or D; default A
`l`	Stop character.	A, B, C or D; default A

Common mistakes

The start and stop characters come from k and l, not from the data: ^FDA1234B is refused.

Example

Edit the code and the label redraws. This is the same engine as the API.

Preview

100%

^BK example rendered by the OpenZPL engine — Output of this example

Questions

What does ^BK do in ZPL?

^BK prints an ANSI Codabar barcode for digits and - $ : / . +, framed by start and stop characters A to D that you set in the command, not in the data.

What is the syntax of ^BK?

^BKo,e,h,f,g,k,l

What should I watch out for with ^BK?

The start and stop characters come from k and l, not from the data: ^FDA1234B is refused.

Related commands

^BY Bar Code Field Default ^BC Code 128 ^B3 Code 39 ^B2 Interleaved 2 of 5 ^BE EAN-13 ^B8 EAN-8 ^BU UPC-A ^B9 UPC-E

^BK ANSI Codabar