How to Generate QR Codes, Barcodes & 2D Codes Free
A complete guide to generating QR codes, barcodes (Code 128) and 2D codes (PDF417) using Labelist — a free offline desktop app for Windows and macOS. Covers single generation and bulk generation from a file.
Part 1 — Generate a Single Code
Get Labelist free from the Microsoft Store. Click the button below, then click Get in the Store. It installs in under a minute. No sign-up or account required.
Launch Labelist. The app opens on the Single Gen tab by default — this is where you generate one code at a time.
Type the text, URL, number, email address or any data you want to encode in the Value / Text field. Examples:
- A website URL:
https://example.com - A product SKU:
SKU-00123 - Any plain text or number
Choose from the Code Type dropdown:
- QR Code — best for URLs, contact details, Wi-Fi credentials, general text
- Barcode (Code 128) — best for product labels, shipping, inventory (alphanumeric)
- 2D Code (PDF417) — best when you need to encode large amounts of text or data
Use the Code Color picker to choose a custom foreground color — useful if you want codes that match your brand colors. Click Reset to black to go back to standard black.
Click the Generate button. Your code appears in the preview area below. Click PNG, JPG or PDF to download it. That's it!
Part 2 — Bulk Code Generation
Need to generate tens or hundreds of codes at once? Labelist's Bulk Gen mode lets you do it from a simple text file.
Create a plain text file (.txt) with one value per line. For example:
https://thehobbyist.in SKU-00101 SKU-00102 SKU-00103 Contact: John +91 98765 43210
Tip: You can export a column from Excel or Google Sheets as a .txt file and use it directly.
Click the Bulk Gen tab at the top of the Labelist window.
Drag and drop your .txt file onto the drop zone, or click it to browse. Labelist shows a preview of all values it detected.
Select the code type (QR Code, Barcode or 2D Code) and optionally set a custom color — this applies to all codes in the batch.
Click Generate PDF. Labelist generates all codes instantly and saves them into a single multi-page PDF — one code per page — ready to print or share.
💡 Tips & Best Practices
- For product labels, use Barcode (Code 128) — it is the most widely supported format by handheld scanners.
- For sharing URLs, contact info or Wi-Fi details, use QR Code — any smartphone camera can scan it.
- Keep QR code colors high-contrast. Very light colors on white backgrounds may fail to scan.
- For bulk generation, keep each value on its own line with no extra spaces at the start or end.
- Export as PNG for digital use (websites, presentations). Export as PDF for printing.
- Labelist works completely offline — you can use it on planes, in factories, or anywhere without Wi-Fi.
Try Labelist — It's Free
No sign-up. No subscription. Works offline. Available free on Windows via Microsoft Store.