ITF-14 is the barcode you print on a shipping case when the only thing you need to say is "what product is inside this box." That's it. It carries a 14-digit GTIN and nothing else - no lot, no expiry, no serial number. If you need any of that, you're looking at GS1-128, not ITF-14.
What the 14 digits actually mean
A GTIN-14 is structured like this:
- Digit 1 (Indicator):
1-8= packaging level (inner pack, case, pallet - the meaning of each number is assigned by you, not GS1).9= variable-measure item. - Digits 2-13: the same GTIN-12 or GTIN-13 as the consumer unit inside, padded to 13 digits.
- Digit 14: mod-10 check digit, same algorithm as UPC/EAN.
Change the indicator digit and the check digit changes too. Our ITF-14 generator recalculates it automatically, which matters more than people realize - hand-typed GTIN-14s with stale check digits are one of the most common reasons trading partners reject ASNs.
When to use ITF-14 (and when not to)
| You need to encode... | Use this |
|---|---|
| Just the case GTIN | ITF-14 |
| GTIN + lot / expiry / weight | GS1-128 |
| A unique carton serial (SSCC-18) | GS1-128 with AI (00) |
| POS-scannable item-level code | UPC-A or EAN-13 |
| Small loose items (produce, pharmacy) | GS1 DataBar |
Grocery distributors will usually accept ITF-14 alone. Walmart, Target, Costco, Home Depot, Kroger, and anyone running automated sortation almost always require GS1-128 with an SSCC on the case label. Read the retailer's routing guide before you print anything.
ITF-14 is not SSCC-18
These get confused constantly. Both are 14-18 digit numeric carriers. They aren't the same thing.
- ITF-14 = GTIN-14 = product identity. "This is a case of 24 widgets." Same number on every identical case.
- SSCC-18 = serialized carton identity. "This is physical carton #000000123, globally unique." Different number on every physical case. Carried inside a GS1-128 under AI (00).
You don't pick one or the other - a real logistic label usually carries both. ITF-14 answers "what's inside." SSCC-18 answers "which specific carton is this."
Size rules that actually matter
GS1 publishes a magnification ladder. The short version:
- Nominal X-dimension: 1.016 mm (0.040 in) at 100% magnification.
- General distribution range: 50%-100% mag, i.e. X = 0.508-1.016 mm.
- Direct print on corrugated (plate / flexo): minimum 62.5% mag, X >= 0.635 mm. Anything smaller disintegrates on kraft cardboard.
- Quiet zone: 10X on each side. Don't skip this.
- Bearer bars: mandatory. Full rectangular frame for plate printing (4.8 mm thick). Top and bottom bars only for thermal/on-demand (1 mm thick minimum).
Bearer bars aren't decoration. They prevent partial laser scans from reading the first or last digit only, which is how you ship a case labeled as the wrong SKU.
Mistakes that get cases kicked back
- No bearer bars. Scanner reads half the symbol, reports a shorter GTIN, receiving system flags a mismatch.
- Too small on kraft corrugated. Ink bleed on uncoated cardboard swallows edges. Below 62.5% mag, your label is unscannable before it leaves the printer.
- Generic Interleaved 2 of 5 instead of ITF-14. They share a symbology but not a spec. Plain ITF accepts any even digit count with no bearers and no mandatory check - not interchangeable.
- Mismatched indicator and check digits. Flipping the indicator from 1 to 0 (consumer unit) without regenerating the check digit means the code fails to scan at all.
- Using ITF-14 where a retailer wants SSCC. You can't fit an SSCC into an ITF-14. Wrong symbology, wrong answer.
About Sunrise 2027
GS1's Sunrise 2027 push is about retail point-of-sale moving to 2D codes (QR + Digital Link, Data Matrix). It doesn't touch ITF-14. Case-level shipping labels continue with ITF-14 and GS1-128 as before. Don't let a vendor panic-sell you a "2027 migration."
Just print it
One case GTIN, nothing else, and you want a clean print-ready label: ITF-14. Printing a run? ITF-14 batch generator takes a CSV of GTIN-14s and outputs PDF. Bearer bars on by default.
If you're printing both ITF-14 and a GS1-128 SSCC on the same label, generate them independently and place the ITF-14 above the GS1-128 with at least a full quiet-zone gap between. Don't try to cram both into one symbology - they're different tools.