Barcode generator

How it works

1. Choose the format. Code 128 accepts any text, letters included, and is what to use for your own stock numbers, shelf labels or asset tags. EAN-13 and UPC-A are retail codes and take digits only.
2. Type the text or number. For EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A and ITF-14 you can leave the final check digit off and it is calculated for you: 12 digits for EAN-13, 7 for EAN-8, 11 for UPC-A, 13 for ITF-14.
3. Choose whether to print the digits under the bars, the background and the width. 1024 px is plenty for a label; 2048 px suits a large carton.
4. Press Download barcode. The preview above is the file you get.

Frequently asked questions

Which format should I use?

For anything of your own — stock numbers, asset tags, shelf labels, a warehouse bin — use Code 128: it takes letters and digits and packs them tightly. EAN-13 is the retail barcode used worldwide, UPC-A its North American equivalent, EAN-8 the short version for small packs, ITF-14 for outer cartons, and Code 39 an older industrial code still common on parts and badges.

Can I make a barcode for selling in a shop?

You can draw the barcode, but the number has to be yours. A retail EAN or UPC number is issued to a company by GS1; printing a number you made up, or reusing someone else's, will clash with a real product at the till. For internal use — stocktaking, a library, a school's equipment — any number works and Code 128 is the easier choice.

What is the check digit?

The last digit of an EAN, UPC or ITF code, worked out from the ones before it, so a scanner can tell a misread from a real number. Leave it off and this tool calculates it. Type all the digits and it is checked instead: a number whose check digit is wrong is refused rather than quietly corrected, because a wrong code that scans is worse than none.

Will it scan?

It should: the bars are drawn on whole pixels and the clear space each side that scanners need is included. Print it large enough that the narrowest bar survives the printer, keep it on white, and never scale it in a way that stretches it sideways. As with any barcode, test one print with the scanner you will actually use before running a thousand labels.

Why can I not change the bar colour?

Because scanners read contrast, and coloured bars are the most common reason a printed code fails. Black on white is what the standards assume. The background may be transparent for placing the code on a light design.

Is anything uploaded?

No. The code is encoded and drawn in your browser, so a product number, a serial or a customer reference never leaves your device.