3D print barcode generator: a relief plate and a check that it will print
Enter a value and a format and get a 3D barcode: a plate with the bars raised or engraved, plus a check on whether the narrowest bar is wide enough for FDM printing. Download it as STL or 3MF; the calculation runs in your browser.
Opens without an account 3 times a day. A free account removes the limit.
- 3 formatsEAN-13, CODE 128, ITF-14
- 0.8 and 1.2 mmnarrowest-bar thresholds
- STL and 3MFsized in millimetres
- 95 modulesin one EAN-13
What a 3D printed barcode is
A 3D print barcode generator turns an EAN-13, CODE 128 or ITF-14 barcode into a 3D plate, with the bars raised or engraved. This one is a free online tool from EduFacturing, and you download STL or 3MF.
What sets it apart from a generator made for paper is the size: in printed filament the narrowest bar cannot be as thin as you like. An EAN-13 has 95 modules, so 120 mm of bar width gives a 1.26 mm bar, while 60 mm gives 0.63 mm, under the 0.8 mm FDM minimum wall.
Barcode to STL: formats, raised and engraved modes
Encodes EAN-13, CODE 128 and ITF-14
EAN-13 for retail goods, CODE 128 for ASCII text and ITF-14 for shipping cartons. The check digit is added for you: 12 digits are enough for an EAN-13.
Measures whether the bars will print
Bar width divided by the number of modules gives the narrowest bar in mm. Below 0.8 mm the warning is red, below 1.2 mm it is yellow.
Builds a plate, raised or engraved
In raised mode the dark modules rise above the base, in engraved mode the light ones do. Optional: digits under the barcode, and a frame.
Gives STL or 3MF for the slicer
A binary STL or a 3MF in millimetres. Under the preview the tool shows the module count, the narrowest bar and the triangle count.
When to 3D print a barcode instead of a sticker
A 3D barcode earns its place where a paper sticker will not do.
Inventory in a workshop or warehouse
A tag with a CODE 128 number for a shelf, bin or part, printed once instead of a sticker that tears.
A product or packaging mock-up
A plate with an EAN-13 for a display or a box mock-up, at the size you set with the slider.
A test print before a batch
Print one plate and scan it with a phone before printing two hundred.
How the tool checks that a barcode will print
Four steps: checking the input, encoding into modules, measuring the narrowest bar and building the plate.
Check the input
EAN-13 accepts 12 or 13 digits, ITF-14 13 or 14. A missing check digit is added, a wrong one is rejected. CODE 128 accepts ASCII 32 to 127.
Encode into modules
The value becomes a string of 1 (dark module) and 0 (light), one character per module. The wide element of an ITF-14 is 3 modules.
Measure the narrowest bar
The bar width W (20 to 150 mm), divided by the module count M, gives w. It is compared with 0.8 mm for FDM and with 1.2 mm, the tool's own threshold for scanning.
Build the plate
The base is W plus a quiet zone of 8 modules (never less than 2 mm) on each side. Every raised module is a box, and the digits are a 5×7 bitmap font.
| Applies to | Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Narrowest bar | w = W / M | red below 0.8 mm, yellow below 1.2 mm |
| Module count M | EAN-13: 95 · ITF-14: 135 · CODE 128: 11·n + 35 | n is the number of Set B characters; 17 characters give 222 modules |
| Check digit, EAN-13 and ITF-14 | c = (10 − S mod 10) mod 10 | S is the sum of the digits from the right with weights 3, 1, 3, 1…; for 590123412345 S is 83 and c is 7 |
| Check character, CODE 128 | c = (104 + Σ i·(code_i − 32)) mod 103 | i is the position of the character, from 1; 104 is the Start B symbol |
A barcode STL generator that checks the print: what is different
The bars are measured, not guessed
The narrowest bar is a number in mm on every change, compared with the FDM minimum wall from the EDi Brain rules.
Raised and engraved in one tool
The same code is raised bars, or recesses between raised light strips, with digits and a frame as options.
The tool does not guarantee that the barcode will scan. The 1.2 mm threshold is the tool's own measure, not a standard; the scanner, the lighting and the filament colour are not taken into account. The quiet zone is simplified and symmetric, not the asymmetric one in GS1 (11 and 7 modules), and it does not check whether the number was issued by GS1.
In engraved mode the quiet zone stays level with the plate. There is no boolean union: the boxes only touch the base, the 3MF writes them as one object, and the mesh is not checked. The file carries no colours.
Questions about 3D printing a barcode
How to 3D print a barcode?
Enter the value, choose the format and raised or engraved mode, then download an STL or 3MF for your slicer. The check digit is added for you: 12 digits are enough for an EAN-13.
Will a 3D printed barcode scan?
Not guaranteed. The tool measures the bar width but does not scan. In a single-filament print the contrast comes from the shadow under side lighting alone, so print one plate and try it.
How wide must an EAN-13 be?
An EAN-13 has 95 modules. A 0.8 mm narrowest bar (the FDM lower limit) needs 76 mm of bar width, and 1.2 mm (no warning) needs 114 mm. The default 120 mm gives 1.26 mm.
How wide are ITF-14 and CODE 128?
An ITF-14 has 135 modules: it is red below 108 mm, and at 150 mm the bars are 1.11 mm. The CODE 128 sample EDUFACTURING-2026 (222 modules) is red: 0.54 mm at 120 mm and 0.68 mm at 150 mm.
What happens if I type the wrong check digit?
The tool rejects it and shows the calculated one: for 5901234123458 it says calculated 7, entered 8. With 12 digits, the check digit is added.
Does it support Cyrillic?
No. CODE 128 in Set B encodes ASCII 32 to 127, and the tool shows a message.
Is it free, and do I need an account?
Yes, it is free. Without an account the tool opens 3 times a day. A free account removes the limit.
The 3D print barcode generators is free. Pro opens the rest
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