What This Label Maker Does
Most label tools hand you a barcode image and leave the sizing to you. This one draws the whole label at the real size of your sticker or tag and at your printer's quality, then checks whether the code will have enough printer dots to scan. If it will not, it tells you in plain words and shows what would work.
- Enter the VIN. It must be 17 characters.
- Pick the label size that matches your sticker or key tag.
- Choose what goes on it: a QR code, a barcode, or both, always with the VIN written out for people.
- Pick your printer. The number of dots your printer lays down per inch decides how sharp the squares and bars can be.
- Download the PNG or print it. The print button sets the page to the exact label size.
What Fits on Which Label
These numbers come straight from the tool. They show how many printer dots wide each square or bar will be. In our size test, 2 dots was the safe minimum for QR code squares, and we use 2 as the minimum for barcode bars too.
| Label | Printer | QR code squares | Barcode bars | QR code and barcode together |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key tag, 40 x 20 mm | 300 dpi | 6 dots | Too small | No room |
| Small, 50 x 25 mm | 300 dpi | 8 dots | Too small | No room |
| Large, 100 x 50 mm | 300 dpi | 17 dots | 3 dots | No room |
| Extra large, 150 x 75 mm | 300 dpi | 26 dots | 5 dots | Fits |
| Key tag, 40 x 20 mm | 600 dpi | 12 dots | 2 dots | No room |
| Small, 50 x 25 mm | 600 dpi | 16 dots | 3 dots | No room |
| Large, 100 x 50 mm | 600 dpi | 34 dots | 7 dots | Fits |
| Extra large, 150 x 75 mm | 600 dpi | 52 dots | 10 dots | Fits |
The pattern is simple. A QR code is about 33 squares wide, so it fits almost any label. A VIN barcode is about 324 bar widths long, roughly ten times as wide, so it needs a big label or a sharp printer. A 203 dpi thermal printer has fewer dots to work with: a QR code still fits on a small label, but a barcode needs the 100 mm label or larger.
Worked Example
We made a label for the sample VIN 4T1B61BKXNU123456, a synthetic number with a valid check digit, with the "QR code and VIN" option on the 50 x 25 mm label at 300 dpi. The tool produced a 591 x 295 dot image. The QR code has squares 8 dots wide and is about 22 mm across, and the VIN sits beside it in two short lines for easy reading. A software QR reader decoded the downloaded label back to the exact VIN.
With "Barcode and VIN" on the same small label, the tool warns that the barcode would be only 1 dot wide per bar and suggests the QR code, a bigger label or a sharper printer. That warning is the point of the tool: you find out before you print a hundred labels that will not scan.
Honest Limits
- Test one printed label first. Our checks use software readers and a screen. Your printer, paper and scanner can behave differently.
- This is not a factory or regulatory label. It is for your own tagging, such as inventory, workshop and key tags. It does not replace the labels a manufacturer fixes to a vehicle.
- Print at 100% size. If your print dialog shrinks the page to fit, the squares and bars shrink too. Choose "actual size" or 100%.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the tool say my label is too small?
A barcode for a 17-character VIN is long. At 300 dpi it needs a label about 58 mm wide to print with bars at least 2 printer dots wide. On a smaller label the tool warns you and suggests a QR code, a bigger label or a sharper printer setting.
Which printer quality should I pick?
Most office printers print at 300 dpi or more. Small thermal label printers are often 203 dpi. Choose the one that matches your printer, because the number of printer dots decides how sharp the squares and bars are.
Why a QR code as the default?
A QR code is much shorter than a barcode, reads at any angle and fits small tags. A barcode matches what some scanners expect, so the tool offers both on labels big enough to hold them.
Is my VIN stored?
No. The label is drawn in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to or stored on our servers.
Related Guides
Not sure which label goes where? Read VIN Labels for Key Tags and Window Stickers, and see how we tested the minimum sizes in How Small Can a VIN QR Code or Barcode Be and Still Scan?
Related Tools
Need only a code? Use the QR Code Generator or the Barcode Generator. To check a VIN before you print, try the VIN Validator, or make test VINs with the generator by year, make and model.