# Aztec Rune

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/aztec-rune
> research date 2026-06-04 · extracted at 2026-10-03
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

Specifications:
- [ISO/IEC 24778:2008 — Aztec Code bar code symbology specification](https://www.iso.org/standard/41548.html)
- [Aztec Code Rune — Aspose Documentation](https://docs.aspose.com/barcode/info-cards/aztec-rune/)
- [Aztec Runes — BWIPP wiki](https://github.com/bwipp/postscriptbarcode/wiki/Aztec-Runes)

## Overview

An **Aztec Rune** is a tiny, fixed-size machine-readable mark — **11 × 11 modules** — designed on the basis of the Aztec Code specification but carrying only a single small value <sup>[2][2]</sup>. Each rune encodes a number in the range **0 to 255** (one byte, or up to 3 decimal digits), giving exactly **256 possible runes** <sup>[2][2], [3][3]</sup>. It is defined in **Annex A of ISO/IEC 24778**, the international Aztec Code standard, and reuses the core symbol of the *compact* version of [Aztec](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/aztec) Code while replacing the variable data structure with a fixed 8-bit message <sup>[2][2]</sup>. Runes are intended for situations where the payload can be reduced to a handful of values and the mark must be as small as possible.

## History

The [Aztec](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/aztec) Code was invented by **Andrew Longacre, Jr. and Robert Hussey in 1995** and published by AIM, Inc. in 1997; the patent was released into the **public domain**, making the symbology free to implement <sup>[4][4]</sup>. The Aztec Rune was specified as part of the same family and is included as **Annex A of the ISO/IEC standard ISO/IEC 24778:2008**, *Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Aztec Code bar code symbology specification* <sup>[1][1], [2][2]</sup>. As an annex to the main Aztec Code standard, the rune shares the symbology's finder pattern and error-correction machinery rather than being a separate code <sup>[2][2]</sup>.

## Technical specification

**Fixed geometry.** Every Aztec Rune is **11 × 11 modules**, the same footprint as the smallest (compact) [Aztec](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/aztec) symbol, with no size variation <sup>[2][2], [3][3]</sup>.

**Capacity.** A rune encodes a single integer **0–255** — one byte, or up to **3 digits** <sup>[2][2], [3][3]</sup>. There are therefore exactly 256 distinct runes.

**Structure.** A rune is built from the core of the compact [Aztec](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/aztec) Code: a central **bull's-eye finder pattern** of alternating black and white concentric rings, **orientation markers** at the corners, and a single data layer carrying the 8-bit message with **Reed–Solomon error correction** <sup>[2][2], [3][3]</sup>.

**No mode message.** Unlike a full [Aztec](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/aztec) symbol, a rune omits the variable **mode message** that normally surrounds the bull's-eye to describe the symbol's size and data-layer count; the rune's geometry is fixed, so this descriptor is unnecessary <sup>[2][2]</sup>. Furthermore, the rune's data bits are arranged to be **numerically distinct** from a normal Aztec symbol, so a rune cannot be mistaken for (and will not falsely decode as) an ordinary Aztec Code, and vice versa <sup>[2][2], [3][3]</sup>.

**Error resilience.** Even at this minimal size, the Reed–Solomon coding gives the rune damage resistance and data recovery <sup>[2][2]</sup>.

## Use cases

- **Augmented reality object tracking** — the small, distinctive rune acts as a fiducial/marker whose value identifies the tracked object <sup>[2][2], [3][3]</sup>.
- **Marking very small items**, where there is not enough physical space for a full barcode or QR/Aztec symbol <sup>[2][2], [3][3]</sup>.
- **Compact tagging** of fixtures, samples, or assets that only need an 8-bit identifier <sup>[2][2]</sup>.

## Implementations

- **[zint](https://github.com/zint/zint)** (C, 771★, active 2026) — open-source library supporting [Aztec](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/aztec) Code and Aztec Runes <sup>[5][5]</sup>.
- **[delimitry/aztec_code_generator](https://github.com/delimitry/aztec_code_generator)** (Python, 25★, last active 2024) — pure-Python Aztec Code generator.
- **[dlenski/aztec_code_generator](https://github.com/dlenski/aztec_code_generator)** (Python, 11★, active 2026) — maintained fork with ZXing-compatibility fixes.
- **BWIPP** (`postscriptbarcode`) — exposes a dedicated `aztecrune` encoder that takes a value 0–255 <sup>[3][3]</sup>.

## Comparison

| Feature | Aztec Rune | Full / compact [Aztec](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/aztec) Code |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Fixed 11 × 11 modules | 15 × 15 up to 151 × 151 (compact: 15–27) |
| Capacity | 0–255 (1 byte / 3 digits) | Up to ~3000 characters |
| Mode message | None (fixed geometry) | Present (encodes size + layers) |
| Finder | Bull's-eye | Bull's-eye |
| Error correction | Reed–Solomon | Reed–Solomon (user-selectable %) |
| Distinctness | Numerically distinct from data symbols | — |

The Aztec Rune is essentially [Aztec](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/aztec) Code stripped to its smallest meaningful form: it keeps the bull's-eye finder and Reed–Solomon protection but drops the mode message and variable data layers, trading capacity for a guaranteed minimal footprint and a guarantee that it won't collide with normal Aztec symbols <sup>[2][2], [3][3]</sup>.

## Fun facts

- There are exactly **256 possible Aztec Runes** — the full set fits on a single reference chart, one per byte value <sup>[2][2], [3][3]</sup>.
- The rune's bit layout is deliberately engineered so a rune and a real [Aztec](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/aztec) data symbol are **mutually unmistakable**, preventing cross-decoding in mixed environments <sup>[2][2]</sup>.

## Status

The Aztec Rune is a **current, standardized** part of ISO/IEC 24778 (Annex A) and is supported by mainstream open-source and commercial barcode toolkits <sup>[1][1], [2][2], [5][5]</sup>.

## Sources

[1]: https://www.iso.org/standard/41548.html
[2]: https://docs.aspose.com/barcode/info-cards/aztec-rune/
[3]: https://github.com/bwipp/postscriptbarcode/wiki/Aztec-Runes
[4]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_Code
[5]: https://github.com/zint/zint

[1] [ISO/IEC 24778:2008 — Aztec Code bar code symbology specification](https://www.iso.org/standard/41548.html) — ISO, 2008
[2] [Aztec Code Rune](https://docs.aspose.com/barcode/info-cards/aztec-rune/) — Aspose Documentation
[3] [Aztec Runes](https://github.com/bwipp/postscriptbarcode/wiki/Aztec-Runes) — BWIPP wiki
[4] [Aztec Code — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_Code) — Wikipedia
[5] [zint/zint](https://github.com/zint/zint) — GitHub, 2026

## Deployments

_No country reports mention this standard by name._

## Regions / aggregations not mapped to a single country

- Universal