Item Lookup Codes, Descriptions, and Serial Numbers each have their own character limits and rules. This article covers what's allowed, so you can avoid issues when creating or importing items.
Item Lookup Code and Description limits
An Item Lookup Code has a character limit of 25. The Description has a character limit of 255, which will be truncated to create a barcode description with a 30 character restriction.
Long Item Lookup Codes may not print correctly
Item Lookup Codes of 16 characters and above are unlikely to print correctly on barcode labels. This is because the barcode generated from a code this long will not fit on the label.
If the barcode is too long to print, the alias will print instead. So if you have a barcode that won't print because the Item Lookup Code is too long, you can create a shorter alias, and that will print on the label instead.
Matrix parent item descriptions have a character restriction of 30 characters, leaving 225 characters for the child (component) description. This allows for a full 255 character description once the two are combined.
Characters not allowed in an Item Lookup Code or Description
The following characters cannot be used in an Item Lookup Code or Description:
! ' £ $ % ^ & * ( ) { } [ ] @ ~ # < > ?
Serial Number restrictions
There are no character restrictions on what can be used in a Serial Number, although a Serial Number cannot be longer than 20 characters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why won't my barcode label print properly?
This is usually because the item's 'Item Lookup Code' is 16 characters or longer, which produces a barcode too long to fit on the label. Try creating a shorter alias for the item — this will print on the label instead of the full code.
Do Matrix child items have their own character limit?
Yes. The 'Matrix' parent description is limited to 30 characters, and the child (component) description can use up to 225 characters, giving a combined description of up to 255 characters.
