Aztec
Pick it for ticket references, serial numbers or other Latin-1 text, line breaks included; € and Cyrillic give an error.
Create Aztec ›Used by 700,000+ people
Free Aztec Code barcode generator.
Aztec Code is the square 2D code with a central bull's-eye, used on boarding passes and rail tickets. Type text or a web address to create one.
Create barcode →
No credit card required
How to create an Aztec Code
-
01
Type the data and skip Error correction
The setting has no effect on Aztec: the generator keeps at least 23% of each symbol for error correction.
-
02
Size the modules to your printer
Enter your printer's resolution under Resolution (dpi); higher resolutions come with a plan. Set Module width in Millimeter to whole dots: 0.508 mm is 6 dots at 300 dpi.
-
03
Download and place it at 100%
Use the PNG unscaled and without a margin; Aztec needs none. Scan a printed sample with your own readers.
What Aztec Code is and where it is used
This Aztec Code generator creates the square 2D symbol of ISO/IEC 24778: a bull's-eye finder in the centre, with data layers around it. It needs no quiet zone (blank margin) and can sit next to other print. Standards for printed and mobile boarding passes, rail tickets and health-care product labels provide for it.
Boarding passes, rail tickets and health-care labels
The boarding pass standard of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Resolution 792, selects Aztec for mobile and printed passes. On phones, airlines choose Aztec, Data Matrix or QR Code, and scanners should read all three.
For international rail tickets, the EU Agency for Railways (ERA) specifies Aztec for barcodes with the ticket data and a digital signature, keeping PDF417 for older ticket printers. For tickets printed only at home, ERA calls Aztec the better option. The Health Industry Business Communications Council (HIBCC) allows Aztec on health-care product labels.
How Aztec saves space on tickets and stays readable
With no quiet zone, the symbol is its whole footprint. IATA adds that the central finder suits phone screens: their centre is less likely to be affected by a lens than the edge of the code. Drawn too small on a high-resolution phone, a code may not scan, IATA warns.
Error correction is a share of each symbol: ERA requires 23% on rail tickets for reading in difficult conditions on a train. HIBCC requires print grade C or better under ISO/IEC 15415 and asks labelers to aim for B.
Image formats, ticket runs and TEC-IT software
The online Aztec barcode generator downloads GIF, PNG and JPG, and SVG vector files with a plan. Without an account it makes one code at a time; after a free sign-in, a data sheet turns many rows into codes at once.
Online, each symbol is sized to its data. TBarCode SDK can give every ticket the same symbol size and set the error correction share, in .NET, ActiveX or DLL applications. Barcode Studio exports CSV lists as Aztec series, also by command line; TBarCode Office links a code to an Excel cell.
Aztec Code at a glance
- Type
- Square 2D matrix code with a central bull's-eye
- Standard
- ISO/IEC 24778:2024
- Character set
- Latin-1 (ISO 8859-1) and bytes
- Capacity
- 3,832 digits, 3,067 capital letters or 1,914 bytes
- Symbol sizes
- Compact 15 × 15 to 27 × 27, full range to 151 × 151 modules
- Error correction
- Selectable share; TBarCode default 23%, as on ERA tickets
- Quiet zone
- None (0 modules)
- Module width (X)
- 0.59 mm (ERA small ticket code), 0.37 mm recommended (HIBCC)
How the sample Aztec Code is built
The sample is a compact symbol with a 9 × 9 bull's-eye:
- Data:
This is an Aztec Code by TEC-IT, 31 characters. - Codewords: 24 for data, 27 (53%) for error correction, 51 of 8 bits.
- Symbol: 3 layers around the core, 23 × 23 modules.
Before you print: module width
Print modules as whole printer dots; the sample is 23 modules square:
| Printer | Module width (dots) | Sample size |
|---|---|---|
| 203 dpi | 0.375 mm (3) | 8.6 mm |
| 300 dpi | 0.508 mm (6) | 11.7 mm |
| 300 dpi | 0.593 mm (7) | 13.6 mm |
| 600 dpi | 0.381 mm (9) | 8.8 mm |
ERA's small rail ticket code has 41 × 41 modules of 0.59 mm, 24 mm square, printed at 150 dpi or more.
When another 2D code fits better
QR Code ›
Three corner finders and a 4-module quiet zone; used on boarding passes, but uncommon in rail ticketing, ERA notes.
Data Matrix ›
A perimeter finder and a 1-module quiet zone: HIBCC's example symbol is 18 × 18 modules plus margin, against 19 × 19 in Aztec Code.
PDF417 ›
Stacked rows that laser scanners read; the default on printed boarding passes and the choice for older ticket printers.
Which variant to pick
URL (Aztec)
Pick it for a web address alone: one field, pre-filled with https://www.tec-it.com and encoded as typed.
Frequently asked questions
Learn more about Aztec Code.
Does an Aztec Code need a quiet zone?
No. TEC-IT's barcode reference gives Aztec Code a quiet zone of 0 modules, and IATA lists the missing margin among its advantages on phones. The generator's image ends at the symbol; text or a ticket edge may come right up to it.
How much data fits in an Aztec Code?
Up to 3,832 digits, 3,067 capital letters or 1,914 bytes, says TEC-IT's barcode reference, or about 2,500 characters of mixed text. IATA's table fits 900 text characters into 83 × 83 modules. Beyond one symbol's capacity, TBarCode SDK links several by structured append.
What error correction should an Aztec Code have?
The share your application sets: ERA prescribes 23% for rail tickets, the default of TEC-IT's TBarCode engine, which adds 3 check codewords. The online generator uses this default, whatever its Error correction setting, and fills spare room with more, 53% in the sample. TBarCode SDK sets other shares.
Is Aztec Code free to use?
Yes. IATA's boarding pass guide calls Aztec, Data Matrix and QR Code ISO standards in the public domain, free of licence fees. Only the specification, ISO/IEC 24778:2024, is sold by ISO; TEC-IT's generator creates Aztec images at no cost.
More resources
Guide
Overview 2D Barcode Symbologies
Create these barcodes with TEC-IT software: Barcode Studio – barcode maker for Windows, macOS and Linux
ProductTBarCode SDK
The developer package for Windows: .NET, OCX and DLL components generate and print 100+ barcode symbologies from your applications.
ProductBarcode Studio
100+ barcode types, a live quality check and batch export.
ProductTBarCode Office
Add compliant barcodes to documents, mail merges and spreadsheets.