Barcode Generator

Which barcode type should I use?

Each barcode type holds a different kind of content and is expected in different places. Pick the one your scanner, store, or shipping partner asks for. Each type name opens a generator set up for that barcode, with more detail on how it works.

• ·Selling in stores? Use UPC-A in the US and Canada, or EAN-13 elsewhere, with a number from GS1.
• ·Labels only you scan? Use Code 128 for stock, bins, asset tags, and order numbers.
• ·Labeling outer boxes? Use ITF-14 with the 14 digit carton number your supplier or GS1 account gives you.

Do you need to buy a UPC or EAN barcode number?

This tool draws the barcode for whatever number you give it. It does not give you a number that is registered to your business. Whether you need one depends on who will scan the barcode.

Products sold through stores or large marketplaces usually need a UPC or EAN number from GS1, the non-profit organization that runs the system. In the US you license numbers from GS1 US, and in other countries from your local GS1 office. Each product version (size, color, flavor) gets its own number. Amazon checks these numbers against the GS1 database, and numbers bought cheaply from resellers may have been registered to another company first, so they can fail that check.

Barcodes that only your own business scans do not need GS1 numbers. Inventory labels, shelf and bin labels, asset tags, and member cards can use any numbering you like. Code 128 is the usual choice for these, since it holds letters as well as numbers.

Barcode size and printing tips

At standard (100%) size, an EAN-13 or UPC-A barcode is about 37.3 mm (1.47 in) wide, counting the blank margins, and the thinnest bar is 0.33 mm wide. GS1 allows store barcodes to be printed from 80% to 200% of that size.

• ·Use dark bars on a light background. Black on white is the safest. Most checkout scanners use red light, so red, orange, and many brown bars look blank to them. Dark blue and dark green bars work.
• ·Keep the quiet zone. Leave blank space on both sides of the bars: at least 10 bar widths for Code 128 and Code 39, 9 for UPC-A, and 11 on the left and 7 on the right for EAN-13. The tool warns you when the margin is too narrow.
• ·Do not cut the bars short. Shortening a product barcode to fit a small label makes it harder to scan at a checkout, where items pass the scanner at an angle. Make the whole barcode smaller instead.
• ·Use SVG for print, or size the PNG for your printer. An SVG stays sharp at any size. For a PNG printed at 300 DPI, each pixel is about 0.085 mm, so a bar width of 4 px gives bars about 0.34 mm wide, close to the standard EAN-13 size.
• ·Do not stretch the image. Stretching a PNG in a document or label app can blur the bars or change their widths. Change the bar width and height in the tool instead.
• ·Test before you print a batch. Print one label on the same printer and paper you will use, and scan it with the scanner that will read it.

How barcode check digits work

The last digit of a UPC, EAN, or ITF-14 number is a check digit. It is worked out from the other digits, so if a scanner misreads one bar, the math no longer adds up and the scanner rejects the read instead of ringing up the wrong product. Here is how it works for the EAN-13 number 590123412345:

1. Add the digits in the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and other odd places:5 + 0 + 2 + 4 + 2 + 4 = 17
2. Add the digits in the even places and multiply by 3:(9 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 3 + 5) × 3 = 66
3. Add the two results:17 + 66 = 83
4. The check digit is what it takes to reach the next multiple of 10:90 − 83 = 7, so the full number is 5901234123457.

UPC-A, EAN-8, and ITF-14 use the same rule: counting back from the check digit, the digits are multiplied by 3, 1, 3, 1, and so on. Code 128 also has a check character, but it is hidden in the bars and added automatically, so you never type it.

What this barcode generator does not make

• ·2D codes. This page makes regular barcodes only. For 2D codes, use the Data Matrix code generator, the PDF417 barcode generator, or the Aztec code generator. For a square code that phones can scan, use the QR code generator.
• ·GS1-128 labels. Shipping labels that use bracketed data fields, such as (01) for the product number and (17) for the expiry date, need GS1-128. This tool makes plain Code 128.
• ·Many barcodes at once. The tool makes one barcode at a time. For a long list, a label program that reads a spreadsheet will be faster.

Who uses a barcode generator

• ·Small product brands. Turn the UPC or EAN numbers you licensed from GS1 into print-ready barcode files for packaging and labels, without paying for barcode software.
• ·Shops and online sellers. Make Code 128 labels for stock, bins, and shelves so you can count and pick items with a scanner instead of typing codes.
• ·Warehouses and shipping. Label shipping cartons with ITF-14, or print Code 128 labels for pallets, locations, and order numbers.
• ·Offices and IT teams. Print asset tags for laptops, monitors, and equipment so audits are a quick scan.
• ·Libraries and schools. Replace a damaged book or member card label with a new Codabar or Code 39 barcode that matches the old number.
• ·Developers and testers. Make sample barcodes to test a scanner, a point of sale system, or a barcode reading app.

Related tools

• QR Code GeneratorMake free QR codes for links, Wi-Fi, and contacts
• Add Image to PDFPut a logo, stamp, or photo anywhere on a PDF page
• PNG to PDF ConverterCombine PNG images and screenshots into a PDF without quality loss

Barcode generator FAQ

How do I make a barcode for free?

Pick a barcode type, such as UPC-A, EAN-13, or Code 128, and type your number or text. The barcode appears right away. Click PNG or SVG to download it. It is free, with no signup and no watermark.

How do I get a UPC barcode for my product?

The number comes from GS1, the organization that runs the UPC and EAN system. In the US you license it from GS1 US, and in other countries from your local GS1 office. Once you have the number, type it into this tool to make the barcode image.

Can I make up my own UPC or EAN number?

The tool will draw a barcode for any number with a correct check digit, and a scanner will read it. But a made-up number is not registered to you and may already belong to another product, so stores and marketplaces can reject it. Made-up numbers are fine only for barcodes that your own business scans.

What is a check digit, and do I have to type it?

The check digit is the last digit of a UPC, EAN, or ITF-14 number. It is worked out from the other digits so a scanner can catch misreads. You do not have to type it. Enter the number without it and the tool adds it. If you type the full number, the tool checks that the last digit is right.

Why does the tool say my check digit is wrong?

Usually one digit was mistyped or two digits were swapped. Copy the number again from its source. If you are sure it is right, check that you picked the right barcode type. For example, a 12 digit UPC-A number will fail as an EAN-13, because EAN-13 needs 13 digits.

What is the difference between UPC and EAN barcodes?

UPC-A has 12 digits and is used mainly in the US and Canada. EAN-13 has 13 digits and is used in most other countries. A UPC-A number is the same as an EAN-13 number that starts with 0, and most store scanners read both.

Which barcode should I use for inventory or asset labels?

Use Code 128. It holds letters, numbers, and symbols, it packs numbers tightly so the barcode stays short, and almost every scanner reads it. You do not need GS1 numbers for labels that only your own business scans.

Why won't my barcode scan?

The most common causes are bars that are too light or red, a light barcode on a dark background, a margin that is too narrow, a print that is too small or blurry, and a barcode type that is turned off in the scanner's settings. Some scanners come with less common types turned off. For example, Zebra scanners ship with Interleaved 2 of 5 (the type ITF-14 uses) turned off, so check the scanner's settings if a barcode type does not read.

Should I download a PNG or an SVG barcode?

Use SVG for print and design software, because it stays sharp at any size. Use PNG for documents, label printer software, and websites. If you need a bigger PNG, raise the bar width in the tool instead of stretching the image, since stretching can blur the edges of the bars.

Can a barcode hold a website link?

Code 128 can hold a short link as text, but a barcode scanner just types the text out. To send people to a website, make a QR code instead. Phone cameras, such as the iPhone Camera app, offer to open the link when they see one.

Is my data uploaded?

No. The barcode is made in your browser. The numbers and text you type are never sent to a server or saved.