Build a Barcode SDK C#: Generate, Read, and Scan Barcodes with One Library

What Should a Barcode SDK Handle in .NET Projects?

A capable barcode scanner SDK needs to cover three essential operations: generating barcodes, reading barcode data from images and documents, and handling real-world scan quality issues. The best barcode reader SDK options also support a wide range of symbologies without requiring separate libraries for each one.

IronBarcode supports both linear barcodes (Code 128, Code 39, UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13, GS1 DataBar) and 2D barcodes (QR Code, Data Matrix, PDF417, Aztec, MaxiCode). This coverage means .NET developers can process everything from retail UPC-A labels to warehouse QR codes using a single barcode DLL, no additional dependencies, no platform-specific native binaries. A free trial license gives full access to every feature for 30 days.

The library runs across Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems, with support for .NET MAUI and Android app deployments. It also integrates with reporting tools like Crystal Reports for scenarios that demand embedded barcode generation inside business documents. Whether the project is a console app, a .NET MAUI mobile scanner, or a server-side barcode reader processing thousands of images, the same barcode scanner SDK API handles it all.

How Can Developers Generate Barcode Images in C#?

The BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode method generates a barcode image from a string value and a specified symbology in a single call. The returned GeneratedBarcode object can be saved as a PNG, BMP, JPEG, PDF, HTML file, or exported in vector formats like SVG.

using IronBarCode;
// Generate a Code 128 barcode image from string data
var barcode = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("PKG-2025-88421", BarcodeEncoding.Code128);
barcode.AddAnnotationTextAboveBarcode("Shipping Label");
barcode.AddBarcodeValueTextBelowBarcode();
barcode.ResizeTo(500, 150);
barcode.SaveAsPng("shipping-label.png");
// Create a styled QR code with a logo
var qrCode = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode("https://example.com/track/88421", 300);
qrCode.ChangeBarCodeColor(IronSoftware.Drawing.Color.DarkSlateGray);
qrCode.SaveAsPng("tracking-qr.png");

using IronBarCode;
// Generate a Code 128 barcode image from string data
var barcode = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("PKG-2025-88421", BarcodeEncoding.Code128);
barcode.AddAnnotationTextAboveBarcode("Shipping Label");
barcode.AddBarcodeValueTextBelowBarcode();
barcode.ResizeTo(500, 150);
barcode.SaveAsPng("shipping-label.png");
// Create a styled QR code with a logo
var qrCode = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode("https://example.com/track/88421", 300);
qrCode.ChangeBarCodeColor(IronSoftware.Drawing.Color.DarkSlateGray);
qrCode.SaveAsPng("tracking-qr.png");

Imports IronBarCode

' Generate a Code 128 barcode image from string data
Dim barcode = BarcodeWriter.CreateBarcode("PKG-2025-88421", BarcodeEncoding.Code128)
barcode.AddAnnotationTextAboveBarcode("Shipping Label")
barcode.AddBarcodeValueTextBelowBarcode()
barcode.ResizeTo(500, 150)
barcode.SaveAsPng("shipping-label.png")

' Create a styled QR code with a logo
Dim qrCode = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode("https://example.com/track/88421", 300)
qrCode.ChangeBarCodeColor(IronSoftware.Drawing.Color.DarkSlateGray)
qrCode.SaveAsPng("tracking-qr.png")

How Does the Barcode Reader Work Across Image and PDF Files?

The BarcodeReader.Read method accepts an image file path, byte array, bitmap, or stream and returns a BarcodeResults collection containing every barcode found in the input. Each BarcodeResult exposes the barcode value, encoding type, page number, binary data, and the barcode image region.

using IronBarCode;
// Use the barcode reader to decode all barcodes from an image file
var results = BarcodeReader.Read("multiple-barcodes.png");
foreach (var result in results)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Type: {result.BarcodeType} | Value: {result.Value}");
}
// The barcode reader also scans multi-page PDF documents
var pdfResults = BarcodeReader.ReadPdf("invoice-batch.pdf");
foreach (var item in pdfResults)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Page {item.PageNumber}: {item.Value}");
}

using IronBarCode;
// Use the barcode reader to decode all barcodes from an image file
var results = BarcodeReader.Read("multiple-barcodes.png");
foreach (var result in results)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Type: {result.BarcodeType} | Value: {result.Value}");
}
// The barcode reader also scans multi-page PDF documents
var pdfResults = BarcodeReader.ReadPdf("invoice-batch.pdf");
foreach (var item in pdfResults)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Page {item.PageNumber}: {item.Value}");
}

Imports IronBarCode

' Use the barcode reader to decode all barcodes from an image file
Dim results = BarcodeReader.Read("multiple-barcodes.png")
For Each result In results
    Console.WriteLine($"Type: {result.BarcodeType} | Value: {result.Value}")
Next

' The barcode reader also scans multi-page PDF documents
Dim pdfResults = BarcodeReader.ReadPdf("invoice-batch.pdf")
For Each item In pdfResults
    Console.WriteLine($"Page {item.PageNumber}: {item.Value}")
Next

How Can a Barcode Scanner SDK Handle Real-World Image Quality?

Real-world barcode images, from warehouse cameras, mobile captures, or scanned documents, are rarely pixel-perfect. The BarcodeReaderOptions class provides granular control over scan speed, expected symbologies, image correction filters, and multithreaded batch processing to achieve highly accurate barcode recognition even on damaged or skewed input.

using IronBarCode;
// Configure the barcode reader for challenging, real-world image quality
var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions
{
    Speed = ReadingSpeed.Detailed,
    ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true,
    ExpectBarcodeTypes = BarcodeEncoding.AllOneDimensional | BarcodeEncoding.QRCode,
    Multithreaded = true,
    MaxParallelThreads = 4,
    ImageFilters = new ImageFilterCollection
    {
        new SharpenFilter(),
        new ContrastFilter()
    }
};
// Scan multiple barcodes from a noisy image with high accuracy
var results = BarcodeReader.Read("camera-capture.jpg", options);
foreach (var barcode in results)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Detected: {barcode.BarcodeType} — {barcode.Value}");
}

using IronBarCode;
// Configure the barcode reader for challenging, real-world image quality
var options = new BarcodeReaderOptions
{
    Speed = ReadingSpeed.Detailed,
    ExpectMultipleBarcodes = true,
    ExpectBarcodeTypes = BarcodeEncoding.AllOneDimensional | BarcodeEncoding.QRCode,
    Multithreaded = true,
    MaxParallelThreads = 4,
    ImageFilters = new ImageFilterCollection
    {
        new SharpenFilter(),
        new ContrastFilter()
    }
};
// Scan multiple barcodes from a noisy image with high accuracy
var results = BarcodeReader.Read("camera-capture.jpg", options);
foreach (var barcode in results)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Detected: {barcode.BarcodeType} — {barcode.Value}");
}

Imports IronBarCode

' Configure the barcode reader for challenging, real-world image quality
Dim options As New BarcodeReaderOptions With {
    .Speed = ReadingSpeed.Detailed,
    .ExpectMultipleBarcodes = True,
    .ExpectBarcodeTypes = BarcodeEncoding.AllOneDimensional Or BarcodeEncoding.QRCode,
    .Multithreaded = True,
    .MaxParallelThreads = 4,
    .ImageFilters = New ImageFilterCollection From {
        New SharpenFilter(),
        New ContrastFilter()
    }
}

' Scan multiple barcodes from a noisy image with high accuracy
Dim results = BarcodeReader.Read("camera-capture.jpg", options)
For Each barcode In results
    Console.WriteLine($"Detected: {barcode.BarcodeType} — {barcode.Value}")
Next

What Barcode Types and Platforms Are Supported?

IronBarcode covers the most widely-used barcode symbologies across retail, logistics, healthcare, and enterprise applications. The following table summarizes the supported barcode types and target platforms.

The library installs as a single NuGet package (BarCode) or as a standalone barcode DLL via direct download. No native SDK dependencies are required, the entire barcode scanner SDK ships as managed .NET code. Install it in Visual Studio through the NuGet Package Manager, or run dotnet add package BarCode from the CLI. For deployment scenarios that require DLL-level control, the IronBarcode DLL download provides a ZIP package ready for manual integration.

IronBarcode also supports Crystal Reports integration and other reporting tools where embedded barcode generation is needed. For .NET MAUI and Android app development, the barcode scanner SDK provides cross-platform barcode reading without requiring platform-specific camera SDKs — just pass an image file captured by the device's camera to the barcode reader. The .NET MAUI barcode scanner tutorial covers this .NET MAUI workflow in detail, including Android permissions and sample code for mobile scanning.

Where to Go from Here

IronBarcode gives .NET developers a complete barcode library for SDK-level projects with generation, reading, batch scanning, and export all included - without the complexity of managing multiple packages. The latest version adds ML-powered image preprocessing and the ReadPdfs method for batch PDF processing, continuing to push what a single library can do.

Start a free trial to test every feature in your own project with no watermarks or restrictions. When you're ready for production, explore IronBarcode licensing options starting at $799 for individual developers — with free support from Iron Software's engineering team included.

Get stated with IronBarcode now.

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