Generate EAN-13, UPC-A or Code 39 barcodes and download them as SVG, which stays sharp at any size. For EAN-13 and UPC-A you can enter the digits without the check digit and it will be added, or include it and it will be verified. The number is printed below the bars.
How to use it
- Choose the barcode type.
- Enter the number or text.
- Check the preview.
- Download the SVG.
When it helps
- Making a barcode for a product label or inventory.
- Code 39 labels with letters and digits.
- Sample barcodes for testing a scanner.
- Shelf and asset tags.
Good to know
- EAN-13 takes 12 digits and adds the thirteenth, the check digit.
- For products sold in shops, official numbers come from GS1, so use the codes assigned to you.
- Print with a white margin around the bars and good contrast.
How the barcode is built
EAN-13 encodes thirteen digits as 95 narrow bars and spaces, with guard patterns at each end and in the middle. The first digit isn't drawn directly: it picks which of two patterns each of the next six digits uses. The final digit is a check digit, worked out by weighting digits alternately by 1 and 3, adding them, and finding what's needed to reach a multiple of ten.
UPC-A is the same system with a leading zero, and Code 39 uses a different scheme where each character is nine elements, three of them wide, framed by an asterisk at both ends.
Worked example: checking a code
Enter 400638133393 as an EAN-13 and the tool adds the check digit 1, giving 4006381333931. If you enter all thirteen digits and the last doesn't match the calculation, it tells you what the digit should be. Scanning will usually fail with a wrong check digit.
For a stock label, Code 39 lets you use letters, such as ITEM-1042. Keep it short, since long codes make wide barcodes.
Printing and scanning tips
Print barcodes at a size scanners can read, usually at least 80 percent of the standard width for EAN, and leave a clear margin on both sides, called the quiet zone. Use black on white for the best contrast, and avoid printing on glossy or curved surfaces if you can.
SVG output scales without losing sharpness, so you can enlarge it for posters or shrink it for small labels. Test with the real scanner before printing a whole batch.
Barcodes and the GS1 system
The numbers on retail products are issued by GS1, a global organisation. Companies register to receive a company prefix and then assign product numbers within it. Using made-up numbers can clash with real products, so use official codes for anything sold in shops.
For internal use, such as library books or warehouse shelves, any scheme works, and Code 39 makes an easy choice because it supports letters.
Questions
What's a check digit?
The last digit, calculated from the others, which lets scanners catch misreads.
Can I use letters?
Only with Code 39.