2D · server-powered
Code 16K generator.
Code 16K is an early stacked symbology from the designer of Code 128: it folds up to 77 characters into 2 to 16 short rows instead of one long stripe. Enter your content, check the live preview, and download the result as a free PNG or vector SVG with no sign-up.
Stacked symbology, up to 77 characters.
Standards-based quiet zones are always on. For production packaging, verify a printed sample with a barcode verifier.
Preview
Sample: type to make it yours- Renders on our servers, the one Plume tool that does.
- We keep the code type and content length, never what you encode.
- Free SVG vector + up to 600 DPI PNG, commercial use allowed.
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Valid Code 16K input
The valid character set is the full ASCII range: mixed case letters, digits, punctuation, and even control characters (a tab character rendered fine in testing, and so did accented Latin text). Hyphens, as in the sample, are ordinary data characters with no special meaning.
The ceilings are exact because the symbol geometry is fixed: 77 characters of general text, or 154 digits when the payload is numeric only, since digits compress two to a codeword. The live renderer accepts the 77th character and refuses the 78th, and likewise accepts digit 154 and refuses digit 155.
Working sample: Abcd-1234567890-wxyZ The 20 character sample Abcd-1234567890-wxyZ mixes cases, digits, and hyphens, sitting about a quarter of the way to the 77 character cap.
Where Code 16K is used
- Marking small items where a long Code 128 would never fit
- Electronics and component labeling from the era before Data Matrix took over
- Laser scanner environments that still need double digit character counts in little space
Common errors and how to fix them
- Maximum length exceeded or data too large for given options
- You crossed a hard geometric limit: character 78 for general text, or digit 155 for numeric payloads. Shorten the content, convert it to pure digits if possible to double the room, or pick MicroPDF417 or PDF417 for anything longer.
- Enter the content to encode.
- The input is blank. Code 16K needs at least one character before rows can be built, so start typing and the preview follows.
Size and printing
Code 16K sizes differently from most barcodes because every row has the same fixed width: the module width setting in mm alone decides how wide the symbol prints, and additional data only adds rows. That makes height predictable, from 2 rows for a short code up to 16 at the 77 character maximum. Choose a print preset for common label stock, keep the module width within what your printer resolves, and raise DPI to 600 for small labels.
Code 16K questions
How many characters can Code 16K encode?
77 characters of full ASCII text, or 154 digits when the content is numeric only. Both limits are enforced to the exact character by this generator.
What is the difference between Code 16K and Code 128?
Both come from the same designer and share character set heritage, but Code 128 prints one long row while Code 16K stacks 2 to 16 short rows of fixed width. Code 128 grows wider with data; Code 16K grows taller.
Is Code 16K still used today?
Rarely in new designs. It appears in legacy electronics and industrial labeling, and modern projects almost always reach for Data Matrix or a PDF417 variant instead. Generate it here when an existing system or spec demands it.
Can Code 16K encode lowercase letters and special characters?
Yes. The full ASCII set is valid, including lowercase, punctuation, and control characters like tabs, and case has no effect on capacity: 77 characters is the cap either way. In live testing, 77 characters rendered whether uppercase, lowercase, or alternating case.