Barcode generator for EAN, UPC, ISBN, GS1-128, Data Matrix and more
Pick a barcode by what it is for, type the number or text and watch it draw. Download SVG, EPS or PDF; the check digit is worked out for you.
A barcode generator turns a product number or a piece of text into bars a scanner can read. Retail products use EAN-13 in most of the world and UPC-A or UPC-E in the US and Canada; books carry ISBN, magazines ISSN, often with a 2 or 5 digit add-on for the issue or price. Cartons and pallets use ITF-14 and GS1-128, couriers MaxiCode and PDF417, and pharma packs GS1 Data Matrix. Pick the tile for your use, enter your data and download a vector SVG, EPS or PDF, free and without an account, or turn a CSV of up to 500 rows into a ZIP.
How to make a barcode
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Pick the barcode by what it is for
Retail, books, shipping, inventory and healthcare each have their tiles. Your buyer, printer or courier usually names the one they scan.
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Enter the number without the check digit, or with it
Give 12 digits for EAN-13 or 11 for UPC-A and the check digit is added. Give the full number and it is checked. Add +12 or +52495 for an add-on.
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Download SVG, EPS or PDF
Vector bars print sharp at any size. EPS and PDF come at the standard 0.33 mm bar width. Keep the white space on both sides; scanners need it.
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Test before a print run
Scan the downloaded file from a screen, then a test print, with the scanner your customer uses.
Barcode basics worth knowing
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You need registered numbers for retail
EAN and UPC numbers for products sold in shops are issued by your national barcode numbering organisation. A generator draws the bars; it cannot issue the number.
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Bars need contrast
Black bars on white scan best. Red bars are invisible to many laser scanners.
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Do not squash the height
Shortened retail barcodes may be refused at the till. Keep the proportions of the downloaded file.
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Data Matrix needs application identifiers
GS1 Data Matrix data is written as identifiers in brackets, for example (01) for the product number and (10) for the batch.
Questions and answers
Is this barcode generator free?
Yes. Every barcode downloads as SVG, EPS or PDF without an account and without a watermark, and a CSV of up to 500 rows becomes a ZIP.
What happens if my check digit is wrong?
You get a warning with the digit the number should end in. A wrong check digit means a typo somewhere in the number, so check it against the number you were issued before printing.
What is the difference between EAN-13 and UPC-A?
UPC-A has 12 digits and is used in the US and Canada; EAN-13 has 13 and is used almost everywhere else. Most till scanners read both.
Which barcodes can I make?
EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, UPC-E, the EAN-2 and EAN-5 add-ons, GS1 DataBar, ISBN-13, ISBN-10, ISSN, GS1-128, ITF-14, Code 128, Code 39, Code 93, Codabar, MaxiCode, PDF417, Data Matrix, GS1 Data Matrix, Aztec, Micro QR and rMQR.
Can I turn an ISBN-10 into a barcode?
Yes. Pick ISBN-10 and type the 10 characters, or the first 9. It becomes the ISBN-13 starting 978 that a book barcode carries, with the ISBN-10 printed above the bars.
Which barcode holds letters?
Code 128 holds letters, digits and common symbols, which makes it the usual choice for shipping labels, stock IDs and serial numbers.
Will QR codes replace product barcodes?
Retail is moving towards 2D codes that a till and a phone can both read, so many brands now print a QR code that opens the product page next to, or instead of, the barcode.
Related tools and guides
- QR code scanner: read a code from your camera or an image
- QR code size calculator
- Embed a QR code generator
- Bulk QR code generator: one file in, a ZIP out
- Free QR code generator
- QR code types
- Plans and passes
oqrely is not affiliated with any service listed here.
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