Barcode generator

What it does

The barcode generator turns a product number or SKU into a barcode you can print on labels and packaging. It makes six types, in your browser:

• EAN-13: the barcode on most products in shops, 13 digits.
• UPC-A: the 12-digit shop barcode used in North America.
• EAN-8: a shorter shop barcode for small packs, 8 digits.
• ITF-14: the 14-digit code on outer cartons and cases of products.
• Code 128: letters, digits and common symbols, for SKUs, shipping and stock labels.
• Code 39: capital letters, digits and a few symbols, still read by many older scanners.

The page opens with the EAN-13 barcode of 5901234123457. Type your own value and the barcode updates straight away; Download PNG saves it.

How to use it

1. Pick the barcode’s Type.
2. Type the Value: the product number, or the SKU or text for Code 128 and Code 39.
3. Leave Show the value below the bars on to print the number under the code, or turn it off.
4. Under More options, choose PNG or SVG, the Bar width and the Bar height.
5. Select Download PNG (or Download SVG) to save the file.

How it works

• Check digit: EAN, UPC and ITF-14 numbers end in a check digit. Starting from the right, the other digits are multiplied by 3, 1, 3, 1 and so on and added up; the check digit is what brings the sum up to the next multiple of 10. For 590123412345 the sum is 83, so the check digit is 7 and the full number is 5901234123457.
• Short or full numbers: type 12 digits for EAN-13, 11 for UPC-A, 7 for EAN-8 or 13 for ITF-14 and the check digit is added. Type the full length and the last digit is checked. Spaces inside a number are ignored.
• Bars: Bar width is the narrowest bar in pixels; every bar and gap is a whole number of those, so the PNG is sharp. Each side keeps a white margin 11 bars wide, the quiet zone scanners need. ITF-14 has the bearer bars, the frame round the code, that keep a scanner from misreading its edges.
• The file: a PNG in black and white, with grey edges on the digits below the bars when they are shown. An SVG draws the same bars from shapes, and its file name holds the full number, check digit included, as barcode-ean-13-5901234123457.svg.

Good to know

• EAN, UPC and ITF-14 take digits only. Code 39 takes capital letters A to Z, digits, space and - . $ / + %. Code 128 takes letters, digits, space and common symbols, but no accents or emoji.
• Code 128 and Code 39 hold 1 to 48 characters.
• Bar width runs from 1 to 6 px and Bar height from 30 to 300 px. A PNG is at most 4,096 px wide, so a long Code 39 value needs a smaller Bar width; the message at the field says which one fits.
• Wider bars scan from further away. Test a printed barcode with the scanner you’ll use before printing many.
• A retail barcode only works in shops when its number is registered with GS1; the tool draws any valid number but doesn’t check that it’s registered.

Privacy

Everything is made in your browser, on your device. The value you type isn’t uploaded, stored or sent anywhere. Only your choices, the Type, Format, Bar width, Bar height and whether the value is shown, are kept in this browser’s storage, so the page can show them again.