Barcode Generator

This node converts text or a number into a barcode or QR code image. It returns the image as pure base64 and as a Data URL ready to use in <img src>, HTML templates, emails, or PDF files. Supports more than 12 industry-standard formats.

Function

Uses the bwip-js library to render the code as a PNG. The value to encode can be a fixed string or a dynamic payload variable ({{field}}). The result never overwrites the input payload: it always returns an object with the barcode, base64, and dataUrl properties alongside the original data.

Configuration

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
value	Text	Yes	—	Value to encode. Supports {{field}} and dot-notation.
format	Select	Yes	code128	Barcode format. See formats table below.
outputMode	Select	No	dataurl	What goes in data.barcode: Data URL or pure base64.
scale	Number	No	3	Resolution multiplier (1–10). 6 = high resolution for printing.
height	Number	No	15	Bar height in bwip units (5–100). 1D barcodes only.
includeText	Select	No	true	Show human-readable text below the barcode (1D only).
qrErrorCorrection	Select	No	M	QR error correction level: L, M, Q, H.
fgColor	Text	No	000000	Bar color as 6-digit hex without #.
bgColor	Text	No	ffffff	Background color as 6-digit hex without #.

Supported Formats

Value	Name	Dimension	Main use case
qrcode	QR Code	2D	URLs, long text, mobile apps
code128	Code 128	1D	Logistics, warehouses (most common)
code39	Code 39	1D	Automotive, defense, alphanumeric
ean13	EAN-13	1D	Retail, 13 digits
ean8	EAN-8	1D	Compact retail, 8 digits
upca	UPC-A	1D	US retail, 12 digits
itf	ITF / Interleaved 2 of 5	1D	Logistics, digit pairs
pdf417	PDF417	2D	Documents, passports
datamatrix	Data Matrix	2D	Industrial, electronic components
aztec	Aztec Code	2D	Train and plane tickets
codabar	Codabar	1D	Libraries, blood banks
code93	Code 93	1D	Canada Post

Output

{
  "barcode": "data:image/png;base64,iVBOR...",
  "base64": "iVBOR...",
  "dataUrl": "data:image/png;base64,iVBOR...",
  "format": "code128",
  "text": "1234567890"
}

Field	Description
barcode	Value based on outputMode (Data URL or pure base64)
base64	Always available: pure base64 without prefix
dataUrl	Always available: data:image/png;base64,...
format	Format used
text	Encoded value (already resolved if it was a variable)

Usage Examples

QR Code for order URL

{
  "type": "barcodeGenerator",
  "config": {
    "label": "Order QR",
    "value": "https://mystore.com/orders/{{order_id}}",
    "format": "qrcode",
    "scale": 4,
    "qrErrorCorrection": "M",
    "outputMode": "dataurl",
    "nextModule": "generate_html"
  }
}

Code 128 for serial number

{
  "type": "barcodeGenerator",
  "config": {
    "label": "Serial barcode",
    "value": "{{serial_number}}",
    "format": "code128",
    "scale": 3,
    "height": 20,
    "includeText": "true",
    "fgColor": "000000",
    "bgColor": "ffffff",
    "outputMode": "dataurl",
    "nextModule": "print_label"
  }
}

EAN-13 for retail product label

{
  "type": "barcodeGenerator",
  "config": {
    "label": "Product EAN-13",
    "value": "{{product.ean}}",
    "format": "ean13",
    "scale": 3,
    "height": 15,
    "includeText": "true",
    "outputMode": "dataurl",
    "nextModule": "attach_email"
  }
}

Embedding in an HTML template

Combining with the HTML Template node, you can embed the QR directly:

<img src="{{barcode}}" alt="Order QR" width="200" height="200" />

The flow would be: barcodeGenerator → htmlTemplate (using {{barcode}} as a variable).

QR Error Correction

Level	Capacity	When to use
L	7%	On-screen QRs with no risk of damage
M	15%	General purpose (recommended)
Q	25%	Labels that may get dirty
H	30%	QRs with overlaid logos or in harsh environments

Notes

• EAN-13: requires exactly 13 digits; EAN-8 requires 8; UPC-A requires 12. An incorrect length causes an error.
• ITF: requires an even number of digits.
• includeText has no effect on 2D formats (QR, PDF417, DataMatrix, Aztec) — by design, these do not include human-readable text.
• height only applies to 1D barcodes; it is ignored for 2D formats.
• For high print resolution use scale: 6 or higher. scale: 3 is sufficient for screen display.
• fgColor and bgColor must be 6-digit hex without the # symbol (e.g. "1976d2").
• The node never modifies the input payload; the generated image coexists with original data if a Merge node follows.

Related Nodes

• htmlTemplate — embeds data.barcode in an HTML template with <img src="{{barcode}}">
• generatepdf — converts the HTML containing the barcode into a printable PDF
• sendMail — attaches or embeds the code in the email body
• base64tofile — converts data.base64 into a downloadable PNG file