ITF-14 Barcode: Complete Guide to Outer Case and Shipping Identification

Every product on a retail shelf arrived in a shipping carton, and that carton almost certainly carried an ITF-14 barcode. While consumers interact with UPC-A and EAN-13 at checkout, ITF-14 operates behind the scenes in warehouses, distribution centers, and loading docks — identifying cases, cartons, and pallets as they move through the supply chain.

What is an ITF-14 Barcode?

ITF-14 is a linear barcode that encodes a 14-digit Global Trade Item Number (GTIN-14). The "ITF" stands for Interleaved Two of Five, describing the encoding method. The "14" refers to the number of digits encoded. This barcode identifies trade items at packaging levels above the individual consumer unit — cases of products, bundles, pallets, and other shipping configurations.

The barcode is built on the Interleaved 2 of 5 (ITF) symbology, a numeric-only format that interleaves pairs of digits: one digit is encoded in the bars, the next in the spaces between them. This interleaved structure produces a compact barcode well suited to printing on corrugated cardboard and other rough packaging materials.

ITF-14 is part of the GS1 system, the same global standards organization that manages UPC and EAN codes. The 14-digit number follows GS1's GTIN structure, making it compatible with supply chain databases and electronic data interchange (EDI) systems worldwide.

The 14-Digit GTIN Structure

A GTIN-14 encoded in ITF-14 contains four components:

Packaging Indicator (1 digit): The leading digit (1-8) identifies the packaging level. This is what distinguishes ITF-14 from the EAN-13 or UPC-A on the individual product inside:

• 1 = Lowest packaging level above consumer unit (e.g., inner pack of 6)
• 2 = Next level up (e.g., case of 24)
• 3-8 = Higher packaging configurations as defined by the manufacturer
• 0 = Not a valid packaging indicator for ITF-14 (0 prefix means the contained GTIN itself)
• 9 = Variable measure trade item

GS1 Company Prefix (variable length): Your company's unique prefix, assigned by your local GS1 organization. The same prefix appears in your UPC-A or EAN-13 codes.

Item Reference (variable length): Combined with the company prefix, this identifies the specific product being packaged. The item reference plus company prefix mirrors the product's EAN-13 or UPC-A identification.

Check Digit (1 digit): Calculated using the standard GS1 modulo 10 algorithm applied to all 13 preceding digits. The check digit is recalculated for GTIN-14 — you cannot reuse the check digit from the contained product's EAN-13 because the packaging indicator digit changes the calculation.

For example, if a product's EAN-13 is 5901234123457, a case of 12 units might carry the GTIN-14 15901234123451 — with "1" as the packaging indicator and a recalculated check digit.

Interleaved 2 of 5 Encoding

The ITF encoding method is distinctly different from UPC or EAN. Instead of encoding each digit independently, ITF pairs digits together. The first digit of each pair is encoded in five bars (two wide, three narrow), and the second digit is encoded in the five spaces between those bars (two wide, three narrow).

This interleaving means ITF barcodes can only encode an even number of digits. GTIN-14's 14 digits pair neatly into 7 interleaved pairs. If the data had an odd number of digits, a leading zero would be required — but GS1 structured GTIN-14 to avoid this issue.

The wide-to-narrow ratio in ITF encoding typically ranges from 2.0:1 to 3.0:1, with 2.5:1 being common. Each pair of digits occupies a consistent width, making the total barcode length predictable and proportional to the data length.

Start and stop patterns frame the barcode. The start pattern is a narrow bar, narrow space, narrow bar, narrow space. The stop pattern is a wide bar, narrow space, narrow bar. These simple patterns keep the overhead minimal.

Bearer Bars and Print Tolerance

The most visually distinctive feature of ITF-14 is its bearer bars — thick black borders surrounding the barcode. These aren't decorative; they solve a real printing problem.

ITF-14 barcodes are typically printed directly onto corrugated cardboard using flexographic printing. This printing method, combined with the uneven surface of corrugated board, causes ink to spread unevenly. Bars at the edges of the barcode tend to absorb more ink and print wider than intended, which changes the bar-to-space ratios and causes scanning failures.

Bearer bars absorb this excess ink spread uniformly around the entire barcode perimeter. By framing the barcode with thick bars, the edge effects happen on the bearer bars instead of on the data bars. The data bars inside the frame print with more consistent widths.

Bearer bar specifications:

• Minimum thickness: 4.8mm (for standard ITF-14)
• Must completely surround the barcode on all four sides
• The bearer bars are part of the symbol specification, not optional decoration

Some implementations use only top and bottom bearer bars (ladder orientation) without side bars, but full-frame bearer bars provide the best protection against ink spread effects.

Packaging Levels and Supply Chain Use

ITF-14's packaging indicator digit creates a hierarchy that maps the physical supply chain:

Consumer Unit (scanned at retail): Individual product with UPC-A or EAN-13. Example: one can of soup.

Inner Pack (indicator digit 1): The first grouping above consumer unit. Example: a shrink-wrapped 6-pack of soup cans. The inner pack might be sold as a unit at club stores or used as an intermediate packaging level.

Case (indicator digit 2): Standard shipping case. Example: a cardboard case containing 24 cans of soup. This is the most common level for ITF-14 in warehouse operations.

Higher Levels (indicator digits 3-8): Additional packaging configurations. Example: a pallet layer, a full pallet, or a master case containing multiple inner cases. Each level gets its own GTIN-14 with a different indicator digit.

This hierarchy allows warehouse management systems to track inventory at every level. Scanning a case's ITF-14 tells the system exactly how many consumer units it contains, what product they are, and what packaging configuration to expect.

Where ITF-14 Appears

Distribution Centers: Receiving docks scan ITF-14 to log incoming shipments, verify quantities against purchase orders, and route cases to storage locations. The barcode enables automated conveyor sorting and put-away operations.

Warehouses: Pick-and-pack operations scan ITF-14 to verify case selection. Replenishment systems use the barcode to track case-level inventory across storage zones.

Transportation: Freight carriers scan ITF-14 at loading and unloading points. Cross-docking operations — where goods transfer directly from inbound to outbound trucks — rely on fast ITF-14 scanning for routing decisions.

Retail Back Rooms: Store employees scan case-level barcodes when receiving shipments and stocking shelves. ITF-14 connects the case to the store's inventory system, automatically deducting case quantities from outstanding orders.

ITF-14 is not scanned at retail checkout. Point-of-sale systems process consumer-unit barcodes (UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-13, EAN-8). If a case is sold as a unit at a wholesale or club store, it needs a consumer-unit barcode in addition to the ITF-14.

Implementation Best Practices

Barcode Size: The GS1 standard specifies a target symbol height of 32mm and a width of approximately 142mm (including quiet zones) at 100% magnification. The allowable range is 62.5% to 100% of target size. Larger barcodes scan more reliably on conveyor belt systems with fixed-mount scanners.

Print Method: Flexographic printing is most common for direct application on corrugated board. Pre-printed labels are an alternative when direct printing quality is insufficient. Thermal transfer labels provide higher quality but add material and application costs.

Quiet Zones: ITF-14 requires a minimum quiet zone of 10X (10 times the narrow element width) on each side. With bearer bars, the quiet zone is measured from the outer edge of the bearer bar, not from the outermost data bar.

Barcode Placement: Position the barcode on a flat area of the case, away from edges, seams, and areas likely to be damaged in handling. The bottom-right corner of the largest face is the standard placement for most logistics operations. Avoid placing the barcode where packing tape crosses over it.

Verification: Use a barcode verifier meeting ISO/IEC 15416 standards to grade print quality. For corrugated board applications, a minimum grade of C (2.0) is required by most retailers and distributors. Test on actual production materials — a barcode that grades A on label stock may only grade C or D when printed on corrugated board.

When you generate ITF-14 barcodes, the output includes proper bearer bars, check digit calculation, and standard sizing. Verify the generated GTIN-14 against your GS1 product catalog before printing production labels.

ITF-14 vs. GS1-128

For shipping applications, you may need to choose between ITF-14 and GS1-128. The choice depends on what information you need to encode:

Use ITF-14 when you only need to identify what product is in the case and at what packaging level. Use GS1-128 when you also need to encode batch numbers, expiration dates, serial numbers, or other traceability data. Many operations use both: ITF-14 for the product identification and GS1-128 for additional data on the same label.

Common Mistakes

Using ITF-14 at Retail Point of Sale: ITF-14 is for logistics only. If your case is sold as a consumer unit (e.g., at a wholesale club), apply a separate UPC-A or EAN-13 barcode for checkout scanning.

Omitting Bearer Bars: Printing ITF-14 without bearer bars on corrugated cardboard leads to scanning failures. Bearer bars are part of the specification, not optional.

Wrong Check Digit: The GTIN-14 check digit must be calculated from all 13 digits including the packaging indicator. Reusing the check digit from the contained product's EAN-13 is wrong — the packaging indicator changes the calculation.

Insufficient Quiet Zones: Printing graphics, text, or other barcodes too close to the ITF-14 prevents scanners from isolating the symbol. Maintain the minimum 10X quiet zone from the outer edge of bearer bars.

Barcode Placed Over Case Seams: Corrugated cases have flaps and seams that create gaps in the barcode when the case is assembled. Always position the barcode on a continuous, flat surface area.