Barcode Generator

How to use

1. Choose the barcode type your product number belongs to.
2. Type or paste the number — spaces and dashes are ignored.
3. Leave off the last digit and it will be calculated; include it and it will be checked.
4. Download the SVG, which stays sharp at any print size.

Features

• EAN-13, EAN-8 and UPC-A, all drawn to the same standard.
• Computes the check digit, and refuses a number whose check digit is wrong.
• Encodes the first digit in the parity of the left half, as EAN-13 requires.
• SVG output with a proper quiet zone, so scanners can read it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the check digit for?

It is the last digit, calculated from the others, and it exists so a scanner can tell a misread from a real number. That also means a barcode with the wrong final digit is not slightly wrong — it will simply be rejected. Leave it off here and it is calculated; include it and any disagreement is reported rather than drawn.

Can I invent my own numbers?

For a label on your own shelf, yes. For anything sold through a retailer, no: EAN and UPC numbers are issued by GS1 and include a prefix identifying the company. A made-up number may already belong to someone else’s product. This tool draws whatever valid number you give it and makes no claim about who owns it.

Why is there white space around the bars?

That is the quiet zone, and it is part of the barcode. A scanner uses it to find where the code starts and ends, so a barcode cropped tight to the bars or placed against a busy background often will not read. Keep the white margin when you place the image.

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