What is ITF-14?

ITF-14 is designed for corrugated shipping cartons. It uses 14 digits — the first digit indicates packaging level, followed by 12 product digits and a check digit. Unlike retail barcodes, ITF-14 has a heavy black bearer bar (the thick border) that prevents ink bleed on rough cardboard surfaces. Without the bearer bar, scanner reads on corrugated surfaces become unreliable. Use ITF-14 on outer cases, pallet labels, and master cartons.

FAQ

ITF-14 vs EAN-13 — what is the difference?

EAN-13 is for individual retail units on the shelf. ITF-14 is for cases and shipping cartons. Different use cases, different barcode formats.

What is the bearer bar and why does ITF-14 need it?

The thick black border surrounding the bars. It equalizes printing pressure on rough cardboard so scanners get a clean read every time.

Can I print ITF-14 directly on corrugated boxes?

Yes — that is exactly what it is designed for. Use a thermal transfer printer on matte labels for best results on rough surfaces.

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