ITF-14 Barcode Generator for Excel 365

This guide will walk you through the process of generating ITF-14 barcodes directly inside your Excel spreadsheets. ITF-14 barcodes are commonly used for packaging and logistics. You have probably seen them on shipping cartons, outer boxes, and pallets in warehouses.

Think of this add-in as a specialized "barcode printer" that lives inside Excel. Instead of printing on paper, it prints accurate, logistics-ready barcode images directly into your worksheet cells. You provide the numbers, and the add-in handles the technical details. Including adding the required bearer bars and calculating the check digit automatically.

Creating an ITF-14 barcode in a selected Excel cell is quick and easy. Let's walk through it step by step.

Before we begin, it helps to know what ITF-14 expects. An ITF-14 barcode always contains 14 digits in total.

• The first 13 digits are your business data. This is often a GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) , which uniquely identifies your product.
• The 14th digit is a check digit—a mathematically calculated number that verifies the barcode was scanned correctly. Think of it as a built-in error checker for the scanner.
• The add-in can accept either 13 digits (and calculate the 14th for you) or the full 14 digits (if you already have the complete number with check digit).

1. Open Your Excel Workbook: Launch Microsoft Excel and open the document where you want to create your barcode.
2. Enter Your Data: Locate cell B2 in your worksheet. Type a 13-digit number into cell B2. For example: 1234567890123. (This is your business data. The add-in will calculate the 14th check digit for you later.)
3. Open the Barcode Add-in: Look at the ribbon menu at the top of your Excel window. Click on the tab labeled "Add-ins" . In the KeepAutomation group, click the button that says "Create Barcode" . The "Barcode Settings" pane will appear on the right side of your window.

1. Select the Target Cell: Click on cell B2 to select it. This is where your ITF-14 barcode image will appear. (Notice that cell B2 already contains your 13-digit number.)
2. Choose the Barcode Type: In the "Barcode Settings" pane, find the dropdown menu labeled "Barcode Type" . Click it and scroll down to select "ITF-14" from the list.
3. Provide Your Data: In the "Data" text box, you have two options:
   • Type the number directly from cell B2: 1234567890123.
   • Or, use the formula =LINK(B2) to create a live link between the barcode and the cell. (Using =LINK is recommended, as it allows for automatic updates later if your data changes.)
4. Generate the Barcode: At the bottom of the "Barcode Settings" pane, click the Generate button.

• Look at cell B2. You should now see an ITF-14 barcode image appear directly in that cell.
• Notice that the barcode includes bearer bars—the horizontal and vertical lines that surround the barcode. These are a required feature for ITF-14 and act as a protective frame.
• Look at the human-readable text printed below the barcode. It should show 14 digits. The first 13 should match your number 1234567890123, and the 14th is the automatically calculated check digit.

Note: If you do not see a barcode, double-check that you selected cell B2 before clicking "Generate." Also, ensure that your data contains only digits (0-9) and is either 13 or 14 digits long.

The ITF-14 Barcode Add-in for Excel comes with a range of features designed to make barcode creation simple and flexible.

• Broad Compatibility: Available for Microsoft Office 365, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and 2007.
• Quick Generation: Directly create ITF-14 barcodes in MS Excel within a few seconds.
• Single or Bulk Output: Supports generating both single ITF-14 barcode images and entire barcode lists or tables.
• Batch Conversion: You can convert all cells of an Excel document into ITF-14 barcodes with just a few clicks.
• Standards Compliant: Industry standards for ITF-14 are well configured in all barcodes generated by the plugin. You can trust that your barcodes will scan correctly.
• Fully Customizable: Barcode parameters, including barcode size, rotation, and bearer bar width, are all adjustable to meet your specific needs.
• Automatic Check Digit: Check digit calculation is fully supported. You can provide 13 digits, and the add-in will calculate the 14th for you accurately.
• No Programming Needed: No programming skills are necessary when inserting ITF-14 with this add-in. It is designed for everyday Excel users.
• High Print Quality: Even low-resolution printers can be used to print high-quality, scannable ITF-14 barcodes.

One distinctive feature of ITF-14 barcodes is the presence of bearer bars. Understanding how to customize them can help you meet specific label requirements.

• Bearer bars are the surrounding horizontal and vertical lines that frame the ITF-14 barcode.
• Think of them as a protective frame around a valuable picture. They help protect the barcode from damage and ensure reliable scanning, especially on corrugated cardboard or uneven surfaces.
• The bearer bar is mandatory for ITF-14, unless it is not technically feasible to apply it. If you cannot use them, reading reliability may be reduced. For ITF-14 barcodes printed on labels, sometimes only horizontal bearer bars along the top and bottom are printed.

Using the BarcodeLib Excel ITF-14 Barcode Generator add-in, it will automatically print all four bearer bars (top, bottom, left, and right) on your ITF-14 barcode by default. You also have the option to adjust the width of these bearer bars.

How to Customize Bearer Bar Width

Let's continue with our previous example. We have already generated one ITF-14 barcode in cell B2. Now we want to make the bearer bars thicker.

1. Select the Barcode: Click on the ITF-14 barcode image in cell B2 to select it.
2. Find the Bar Style Settings: In the "Barcode Settings" pane, click on the tab labeled "Barcode Size" . (This tab contains all settings related to the barcode's physical dimensions.)
3. Locate the Bar Style Group: Within the "Barcode Size" tab, find the group named "Bar Style" . This is where you control bar widths and bearer bars.
4. Adjust Bearer Bar Values: In the "Bar Style" group, you will see two specific fields:
   • Bearer bar (Horizontal): This controls the thickness of the top and bottom bearer bars.
   • Bearer bar (Vertical): This controls the thickness of the left and right bearer bars.
   • For this example, change both values to 2. (The default value is usually 1. You can experiment with different numbers to find the thickness that works best for your labels.)
5. Apply the Change: Click the "Update" button at the bottom of the "Barcode Settings" pane.
6. Verify the Result: Look at cell B2. The selected ITF-14 barcode image has been regenerated with new, thicker bearer bars.

The Excel Barcode Add-In allows you to generate barcode lists and tables, not just a single ITF-14 image.

Using Generate with a Pre-Selected Range)

1. First, select a range of cells (a column or a row) that already contain your ITF-14 data (e.g., B2 through B10).
2. In the "Barcode Settings" pane, set "Barcode Type" to "ITF-14" .
3. Click the "Generate" button. The add-in will attempt to create barcodes for all selected cells.