Labels / Barcodes
Barcode Generator
Make EAN-13, UPC-A, EAN-8, ITF-14, Code 128, and Code 39 barcodes, one or a hundred at a time, with the check digit worked out for you, and download them as SVG or PNG.
Barcode Generator: Barcodes are drawn in your browser following the published specifications: the GS1 rules for EAN, UPC, and ITF-14, and the ISO standards for Code 128 and Code 39. Check digits are calculated, and a wrong one, or a character a symbology cannot hold, is pointed out by position. Code 128 switches between its character sets to keep the barcode short, and each barcode keeps the blank margin scanners need on both sides. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero server file uploads.
- Category
- Everyday tools
- Runs
- In your browser
- Cost
- Free · no sign-up
- Availability
- Ready to use
Runs entirely in your browser
Retail products worldwide: 12 digits, the 13th is the check digit
Retail barcodes only work in shops with a number registered to your company through GS1; making up a number risks clashing with another product. Print at 100% and test with a scanner before printing a batch.
Reading the numbers
An EAN-13 number has three parts: a GS1 company prefix, which also hints at the country of the GS1 office that issued it, an item reference chosen by the company, and the check digit. UPC-A is the same system with 12 digits, and a scanner reads it as an EAN-13 with a leading 0.
ITF-14 numbers add a packaging indicator in front of the product's own number, so a carton of 12 and a pallet of the same item get different codes. Code 128 and Code 39 carry whatever text a business chooses, which is why they appear on shipping labels and asset tags.
Printing barcodes that scan
Print in black on white or a pale background, keep the blank margins either side, and do not squash or stretch the bars. Shrinking a retail barcode much below its standard size makes it harder to scan. For links, Wi-Fi details, or contact cards rather than product numbers, use a QR code; to check what a printed code contains, scan it with the QR code reader.
How to use it
- Choose the barcode type.
- Enter one number or text per line; for retail codes, leave out the check digit and it is added.
- Download each barcode as SVG or PNG, or all of them in one .zip.
Privacy & limitations
Everything is generated in your browser; the numbers are not sent anywhere.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I make up an EAN or UPC number for my product?
Not for selling in shops. Retail barcodes must use a company prefix licensed from GS1, the organisation that runs the system, so that no two products share a number; marketplaces such as Amazon check this. For internal use, such as stock in your own warehouse, Code 128 with your own codes is the usual choice.
Which barcode type should I use?
EAN-13 for retail products in most of the world and UPC-A in the US and Canada; EAN-8 for packs too small for EAN-13; ITF-14 printed on outer shipping cartons; Code 128 for anything with letters, such as shipping labels, asset tags, and serial numbers; Code 39 when an older system requires it.
What is the check digit?
The last digit of EAN, UPC, and ITF-14 codes, calculated from the others so a scanner can catch a misread. Enter the number without it and it is added; enter it with one and it is checked.
SVG or PNG?
SVG stays sharp at any size and is best for print and design software. PNG suits documents and label software that take images; it is exported at twice the screen size. Do not stretch a barcode unevenly, and print a test before a batch.
Free tool · runs in your browser · no account required