^BD — UPS MaxiCode
Plain English
A fixed-size circular 2D barcode used by UPS for shipping labels. Looks like a hexagonal pattern of dots inside a circle (very different from DataMatrix or QR). Always 1.11" × 1.054" — the size is fixed by the spec, not user-controlled.
When to use
When producing UPS-format shipping labels. Outside UPS shipping, use DataMatrix (^BX) or QR (^BQ) instead — MaxiCode is not a general-purpose 2D barcode.
Syntax
^BDmode,symbol number,total number of symbols
Parameters
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
mode | Encoding mode: 2 (US structured carrier), 3 (international structured carrier), 4 (standard symbol), 6 (reader programming). Default 4. |
symbol number | Symbol position when used in a multi-symbol structured-append set (1-based). |
total number of symbols | Total number of symbols in the structured-append set. |
Example
^XA ^FO50,50^BD4,1,1 ^FDUPS shipping payload^FS ^XZ
A standalone MaxiCode (mode 4, single symbol). Currently rendered as a labelled placeholder until a MaxiCode encoder is added.