EAN-13 Barcode Generator
EAN-13 is the barcode on nearly every product sold outside North America, and scanners everywhere read it. Enter your 12-digit number; the check digit is added and verified for you.
12 digits (the check digit is computed) or all 13 (it is verified). Spaces and dashes are ignored.
Size & options
Need a code that people scan with a phone?
Barcodes are for tills and warehouse scanners. For links, menus and posters, make a free QR code instead - or a dynamic one you can edit after printing.
SVG for print, PNG for screens. Free, no watermark, nothing uploaded.
Need a different type? All barcode types
How an EAN-13 number is built
Thirteen digits: a GS1 prefix of two or three digits, a company prefix, an item reference, and a final check digit. The prefix identifies the GS1 member organisation that issued the number (500-509 is GS1 UK, 400-440 Germany, 380 Bulgaria), not where the product was made - a common misreading. The company prefix is what you license from GS1; the item reference is yours to assign. Books use the 978 and 979 prefixes with the ISBN inside, which is why an ISBN barcode is an ordinary EAN-13.
The check digit is a mod-10 calculation over the first twelve digits with alternating weights of 1 and 3. Enter twelve digits here and the correct thirteenth is appended; enter thirteen and the tool checks it and tells you the right one if it is wrong. Retailers reject a GTIN whose check digit fails, so it is worth having the tool catch it.
Printing to spec
The nominal EAN-13 symbol is 37.29 mm wide by 25.93 mm tall, including quiet zones, with an X dimension of 0.33 mm. GS1 allows magnification from 80% to 200%; below 80% most flatbed scanners at checkouts struggle. Keep the quiet zones - 11 X on the left, 7 X on the right - clear of everything, including the edge of the label. The download includes both, and the human-readable digits sit where the standard puts them, with the guard bars extending down between the groups.
If the code has to be shorter than nominal, truncate the height rather than the width; a 15 mm tall symbol still scans on a flatbed. Never squeeze the width. Print in a dark colour on white or a light colour; red, orange and yellow bars read as blank to a red-laser scanner.
Do you need a GS1 number?
For anything sold through a retailer, marketplace or distributor: yes. They match the number to the product in GS1's registry, and Amazon in particular verifies GTINs against it. For products you sell only in your own shop, GS1 reserves the 20-29 prefixes for in-store numbering, and nobody will object to a number in that range. This generator encodes any digits you give it; the licensing is between you and GS1.
Other barcode types
- Free Barcode Generator - Type the number or text, pick the symbology, download a print-ready SVG or PNG.
- Code 128 Barcode Generator - Code 128 is the workhorse of logistics and inventory: any ASCII text, compact digits, a built-in check symbol, and readable by every scanner.
- UPC Barcode Generator - UPC-A is the 12-digit barcode on products sold in the United States and Canada.
- Code 39 Barcode Generator - Code 39 is the older alphanumeric barcode still required by badge systems, automotive and defence specs.
- Data Matrix Code Generator - Data Matrix is the tiny 2D code on electronics, medical devices and machined parts.
- ITF-14 Barcode Generator - ITF-14 is the barcode on cases and cartons: a 14-digit GTIN in interleaved 2 of 5, framed by thick bearer bars so it prints reliably on corrugated board..
FAQ
What is the difference between EAN-13 and UPC-A?
UPC-A is a 12-digit code used in the US and Canada; EAN-13 is its 13-digit superset used everywhere else. A UPC-A is exactly the EAN-13 you get by putting a 0 in front of it, and scanners on both sides of the Atlantic read both.
Can I make an ISBN barcode here?
Yes. A 13-digit ISBN is already an EAN-13 number: enter the ISBN with or without hyphens and the result is the barcode that goes on the back cover. The five-digit price add-on is not generated.
What does the check digit error mean?
The 13th digit you typed does not match the first twelve. Either a digit was mistyped or the number was copied wrongly. The error tells you what the check digit should be; if you are not sure of the source, re-check the number rather than trusting the tool's correction.
Does it generate EAN-8?
Yes - switch to EAN-8 on the main barcode generator. It is the short version for small packages, 7 digits plus a check, also licensed through GS1.