Barcode Generator
EAN, UPC, Code 128 and more, as PNG.
- Nothing is sent to a server
- Instant results
- Free, no sign-up
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Which barcode type should I use?
Code 128 for anything internal — asset tags, warehouse bins, tickets — because it accepts any ASCII at any length. EAN-13 for retail products outside North America and UPC-A inside it. EAN-8 for packages too small for a full EAN-13, and ITF-14 for shipping cartons rather than retail units. Code 39 only if a legacy system requires it.
Can I make up my own EAN or UPC number?
You can generate one here, but retailers will reject it. Retail codes are built on a company prefix issued by GS1, and the number identifies the company that registered it — an invented one either fails to resolve or resolves to somebody else's product. For internal use none of that applies: use Code 128 and any numbering scheme you like.
What is the check digit and do I need to include it?
It is a final digit computed from the preceding ones to catch mis-scans. Enter 12 digits for an EAN-13 and the thirteenth is calculated for you; enter all 13 and it is validated, and rejected if wrong. That rejection is a feature — a code with a bad check digit is not a barcode, it is a picture of one, and it fails at the scanner rather than at your desk.
Why won't my printed barcode scan?
Usually the quiet zone — the blank margin either side is part of the specification and cropping it is the most common cause of failure. After that: contrast, since scanners read in the red end of the spectrum so red bars are effectively invisible; size, since below about 80% of nominal the bars get too fine; and resolution, so print at 300 dpi rather than scaling a small image up.
Should I use a barcode or a QR code?
A linear barcode holds an identifier — a number that means something in a database. A QR code holds the data itself: a URL, contact details, Wi-Fi credentials. If a phone camera is the reader you almost certainly want a QR code; if a retail or warehouse scanner is, you want one of the linear formats here.
About barcode generator
Choosing a symbology
“Barcode” is a family, not a format, and picking the wrong member is the usual reason a code will not scan at the till.
| Type | Accepts | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Code 128 | Any ASCII, any length | Logistics, internal labels, asset tags |
| EAN-13 | 12–13 digits | Retail products outside North America |
| UPC-A | 11–12 digits | Retail products in Canada and the US |
| EAN-8 | 7–8 digits | Packages too small for EAN-13 |
| Code 39 | Uppercase, digits, a few symbols | Industrial and military legacy systems |
| ITF-14 | 13–14 digits | Shipping cartons, not retail units |
Retail barcodes have to be bought
This tool renders whatever number you give it, correctly and to spec. What it cannot do is make that number yours. Retail EAN and UPC codes are built on a company prefix issued by GS1, and the number identifies the company that registered it. Making one up produces a scannable barcode that either fails to resolve or resolves to somebody else’s product — which is why retailers reject them.
For internal use — asset tags, warehouse bins, library stock, event tickets — none of that applies. Use Code 128 and any numbering scheme you like.
The check digit
EAN, UPC and ITF end in a check digit computed from the preceding digits. Enter 12 digits for an EAN-13 and the thirteenth is calculated for you; enter all 13 and it is validated, and rejected if it is wrong. That validation is a feature — a code with a bad check digit is not a barcode, it is a picture of one, and it will fail at the scanner rather than at your desk.
Printing so it actually scans
- Quiet zones. The blank margin either side is part of the specification, not decoration. Cropping it is the single most common cause of a failed scan.
- Size. An EAN-13 at nominal size is about 37 × 26 mm. Most scanners tolerate 80–200% of that; below 80% the bars get too fine for the optics.
- Contrast. Black on white. Scanners read in the red end of the spectrum, so red bars on white are effectively invisible to them, and light-on-dark fails on many readers.
- Resolution. Print at 300 dpi or better. Increasing the size setting above gives you more pixels; a small barcode scaled up in Word will have soft, unreliable edges.
- Orientation.Bars perpendicular to the direction of travel on a conveyor — the “ladder” versus “picket fence” distinction that warehouses care about.
Barcode or QR code?
A linear barcode holds an identifier — a number that means something in a database. A QR code holds the data itself: a URL, contact details, Wi-Fi credentials. If a phone camera is the reader, you almost certainly want a QR code. If a retail or warehouse scanner is, you want one of the linear formats here.
Related
Browse the rest of the generators, or create a QR code instead.