What the name means
PDF stands for Portable Data File, and 417 describes each codeword: 4 bars and 4 spaces spread across 17 modules. Rows of these codewords are stacked on top of each other, with start and stop patterns on the ends and row indicators that tell the scanner which row it is reading.
PDF417 was developed at Symbol Technologies by Ynjiun Wang and introduced in 1991. It is standardized as ISO/IEC 15438.
Capacity and error correction
A PDF417 symbol has 3 to 90 rows and up to 30 data columns. Error correction is chosen from levels 0 to 8, each adding more Reed–Solomon codewords. Related forms include Truncated PDF417, which drops the right-side row indicators, and MicroPDF417 for smaller payloads.
- Rows: 3 to 90
- Maximum capacity: about 1,850 text characters, 2,710 digits or 1,108 bytes
- Error correction levels: 0 to 8
- Can be read by many linear scanners that sweep across rows
Where PDF417 is used
PDF417 is the barcode on the back of most US and Canadian driver’s licenses and ID cards, following the AAMVA card design standard. It is also a traditional format for printed airline boarding passes, and it appears on shipping labels and some government forms.