^BA - Code 93 Bar Code

Denser successor to Code 39, with two mandatory check characters and full ASCII through shift pairs.

^BA prints a Code 93 symbol, a denser replacement for Code 39 with the same uses. It has six elements per character instead of nine, two compulsory check characters, and the same full-ASCII coverage through paired characters.

Prefer Code 93 over ^B3 Code 39 where width matters and one organization controls the printer and the scanner. Prefer ^BC Code 128 in every other case, because Code 128 has much wider deployment.

Syntax

^BAo,h,f,g,e

Support

Supportedparsed: full · state: full · rendered: full

Every documented parameter renders the same output Labelary produces.

Labelary renders this command.

Parameters

oBar code orientationoptional · one of a set

Rotation of the symbol and interpretation line.

Default: the orientation set by ^FW, which itself defaults to N
Invalid value: discarded, and the default applies. The renderer reports an unrecognized character as invalid, and uses the default.
Test coverage: Values exercised: N, R, I, B. The invalid-value rule is not pinned by a test.

N: No rotation (default)
R: Rotated 90° clockwise
I: Rotated 180°. The symbol reads upside down
B: Rotated 270° clockwise

hBar code heightoptional · dots

Height of the bars, without the interpretation line.

Default: the height set by ^BY, which itself defaults to 10 dots
Accepted range: 1 to 32000 dots
Invalid value: clamped to the nearest allowed value. We measured this against live Labelary on 2026-07-12. The renderer clamps an out-of-range value to the violated bound, and does not ignore it.
Test coverage: Bounds pinned: below the minimum (0), above the maximum (33000). No test at the minimum or maximum. The invalid-value rule is not pinned by a test.

fPrint interpretation lineoptional · Y or N

Whether the renderer prints the interpretation line.

Default: Y
Invalid value: discarded, and the default applies. The renderer reports any character except Y or N, and uses the default.
Test coverage: Values exercised: Y, N. The invalid-value rule is not pinned by a test.

Y: Print the text (default)
N: Print the symbol only

gInterpretation line aboveoptional · Y or N

Where the interpretation line sits. It has no effect without that line.

Default: N
Invalid value: discarded, and the default applies. The renderer reports any character except Y or N, and uses the default.
Test coverage: Values exercised: Y, N. The invalid-value rule is not pinned by a test.

Y: Above the symbol
N: Below the symbol (default)

eShow check digitsoptional · Y or N

Whether the two check characters appear in the interpretation line. The renderer always encodes them.

Default: N
Invalid value: discarded, and the default applies. The renderer reports any character except Y or N, and hides the check characters.
Test coverage: Values exercised: Y. Not exercised: N. The invalid-value rule is not pinned by a test.

Y: Show them
N: Hide them (default)

Behavior

Every symbol carries two check characters, C and K. The printer always encodes them, and the e argument only decides whether they also appear in the interpretation line. We measured this against Labelary on 2026-07-30. ^FDCODE 93 with e set to Y prints CODE 93E0, which is the payload and the two computed check characters.

Code 93 reaches the full 128-character ASCII set through paired characters. ZPL cannot pass the four Code 93 control codes directly, so the field data uses printable stand-ins:

Control code	Write instead
Ctrl `$`	`&`
Ctrl `%`	`'`
Ctrl `/`	`(`
Ctrl `+`	`)`

The stand-ins always occur in pairs. &A encodes SOH and (J encodes ). The interpretation line prints the character that the pair represents and not the pair in the field data.

Code 93 has a fixed print ratio, so the ^BY ratio argument has no effect and only the module width and the height apply. The width of the label limits the field data. For a rotated symbol, the length of the label limits it.

Tested behavior

Differences from the specification

zpl.tools against the ZPL II guide

Where our renderer behaves differently from the specification.

The guide takes the default orientation from ^FW. The renderer applies ^FW to text fields only. A barcode after ^FWR prints unrotated unless its own o argument rotates it. — not pinned by a test

Example

An upper-case alphanumeric payload with the two check characters shown in the interpretation line:

^XA
^FO50,50^BY3
^BAN,80,Y,N,Y
^FDCODE 93^FS
^XZ

Open in viewer

^BY Bar Code Field DefaultSets the module width, wide-to-narrow ratio and height that every later bar code inherits.
^FD Field DataSupplies the text or barcode content of the field.
^FO Field OriginSets the top-left corner of the next field.
^FT Field TypesetPositions the next field by its text baseline rather than its top edge.
^B3 Code 39 Bar CodeThe general-purpose alphanumeric symbology, readable by every scanner and the safest default for internal labeling.

^BA - Code 93 Bar Code

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