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Modern Laravel applications frequently require barcodes, QR codes, and PDF generation for invoices, shipment labels, inventory tracking, and verification systems. This guide provides a complete, real-world implementation of all three using production-ready practices.
Whether you are building an eCommerce platform, warehouse management system, or internal ERP, barcode and QR code generation is no longer optional. Laravel’s ecosystem provides mature, stable packages that allow you to implement these features cleanly and efficiently.
Developers commonly face the following challenges when implementing document generation:
Ensuring barcodes are compatible with real hardware scanners
Generating QR codes that work across mobile devices
Embedding barcodes and QR codes inside PDFs without rendering issues
Avoiding custom image manipulation or unreliable libraries
After evaluating ecosystem stability and long-term maintenance, the following packages are recommended:
milon/barcode – Barcode and QR code generation
barryvdh/laravel-dompdf – PDF generation
composer require milon/barcode composer require barryvdh/laravel-dompdf
The following routes demonstrate a complete working setup for all three outputs.
Route::get('/barcode', function () {
$code = 'IB-2025-000001';
return view('barcode.barcode', compact('code'));
});
Route::get('/qrcode', function () {
$data = 'https://yourdomain.com/order/IB-2025-000001';
return view('barcode.qrcode', compact('data'));
});
Route::get('/barcode-pdf', function () {
$data = [
'order_no' => 'IB-2025-000001',
'url' => 'https://yourdomain.com/order/IB-2025-000001',
];
$pdf = PDF::loadView('barcode.pdf', $data)
->setPaper('a4', 'portrait');
return $pdf->download('barcode.pdf');
});
Code 128 is the most reliable barcode format for internal systems due to its high density and universal scanner support.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Barcode</title>
</head>
<body>
<h3>Barcode (Code 128)</h3>
{!! DNS1D::getBarcodeHTML($code, 'C128', 2, 60) !!}
<p>{{ $code }}</p>
</body>
</html>
This output can be embedded directly into Blade views, emails, or PDF templates.
QR codes are best suited for URLs, tracking links, and verification data.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>QR Code</title>
</head>
<body>
<h3>QR Code</h3>
{!! DNS2D::getBarcodeHTML($data, 'QRCODE', 6, 6) !!}
<p>{{ $data }}</p>
</body>
</html>
If you need to store QR codes or return them via API, use PNG or SVG output instead of HTML.
// PNG output (Base64)
DNS2D::getBarcodePNG('https://example.com', 'QRCODE');
// SVG output
DNS2D::getBarcodeSVG('https://example.com', 'QRCODE');
PDF generation is essential for invoices, shipment labels, and official documents. DomPDF integrates seamlessly with Blade templates.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
body {
font-family: DejaVu Sans, sans-serif;
font-size: 12px;
}
.box {
border: 1px solid #000;
padding: 15px;
width: 300px;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h2>Shipment Label</h2>
<div class="box">
<strong>Order No:</strong> {{ $order_no }}
{!! DNS1D::getBarcodeHTML($order_no, 'C128', 2, 50) !!}
{!! DNS2D::getBarcodeHTML($url, 'QRCODE', 5, 5) !!}
<small>{{ $url }}</small>
</div>
</body>
</html>
Scannable Code 128 barcodes
Mobile-friendly QR codes
Printable, professional PDFs
Use Code 128 for all internal identifiers
Use QR codes only for URLs or long strings
Cache barcode output in high-traffic systems
Generate bulk PDFs using queues
With the right packages and structure, Laravel becomes a powerful document generation platform. This toolkit-style approach ensures clean code, scanner compatibility, and long-term scalability.