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Barcode Generator

Generate industry-standard 1D and 2D barcodes for product packaging, shipping, logistics, and postal services. 45+ symbologies including UPC, EAN, Code 128, GS1 DataBar, QR, Datamatrix, postal codes, and more.

Barcode Settings

Standard US/Canada retail product barcode

Expected: 12 digits

Display Options

Choose a symbology, enter data, and click Generate

Barcode types

BarcodeExampleInfo
Retail & Product
UPC-A012345678905Standard US/Canada retail product barcode · 12 digits
UPC-E01234565Compressed UPC for small retail items with limited space · 8 digits
EAN-135901234123457International retail product barcode · 13 digits
EAN-896385074Compact barcode for small packages · 8 digits
EAN-5 Add-on52495Supplemental barcode for book pricing and periodicals · 5 digits
EAN-2 Add-on05Supplemental barcode for magazine and newspaper issue numbers · 2 digits
ITF-1410012345678902Outer case/carton barcode for wholesale shipping · 14 digits
ISBN978-3-16-148410-0International Standard Book Number for published books · 13 digits
ISMN979-0-060-11561-5International Standard Music Number for printed music · 13 digits
ISSN0317-8471International Standard Serial Number for periodicals · 8 digits
Industrial & Logistics
Code 128ABC-12345High-density alphanumeric barcode for shipping/logistics · Variable
Code 39HELLO-123Alphanumeric barcode used in automotive and defense · Variable
Code 39 Full ASCIIHello World!Extended Code 39 supporting full ASCII character set · Variable
Code 93TEST93Compact alternative to Code 39 with higher density · Variable
Code 93 Full ASCIITest 93!Extended Code 93 supporting full ASCII character set · Variable
Code 110123456789Numeric barcode used in telecommunications labeling · Variable
Interleaved 2 of 51234567890Numeric-only barcode for warehouse and distribution · Even digits
CodabarA12345BSelf-checking barcode used in libraries and blood banks · Variable
MSI Plessey1234567Numeric barcode for retail shelf and inventory marking · Variable
Plessey01234ABCDLegacy barcode used in UK retail and library systems · Variable
Pharmacode123456Binary barcode for pharmaceutical packaging verification · 1–6 digits
TelepenABC123Full ASCII barcode used in UK library systems · Variable
GS1 Standards
GS1-128 (SSCC)(00)006141411234567890Application Identifier 00: Serial Shipping Container Code · Variable AI
GS1-128 (GTIN)(01)00614141123452Application Identifier 01: Global Trade Item Number · Variable AI
GS1 DataBar Omni0950110153001Compact retail barcode for fresh produce and coupons · 14 digits
GS1 DataBar Stacked0950110153001Two-row stacked version for narrow or small items · 14 digits
GS1 DataBar Limited0950110153001Space-efficient barcode for small healthcare items · 14 digits
GS1 DataBar Expanded(01)90012345678908(3103)000123Variable-length GS1 barcode encoding weight, dates, and lot numbers · Variable AI
Postal
POSTNET12345US Postal Service delivery point barcode · 5, 9, or 11 digits
PLANET1234567890US Postal Service mail tracking barcode · 11 or 13 digits
USPS Intelligent Mail01234567094987654321Modern US Postal barcode replacing POSTNET and PLANET · 20–31 digits
Royal Mail 4-StateLE28HS9ZUK Royal Mail postal barcode for automated sorting · Variable
Australia Post5956439111ABA 9Australia Post 4-state customer barcode · Variable
KIX (Netherlands)2500GG30250Dutch postal barcode for automated mail sorting · Variable
Japan Post1050065101Japan Post customer barcode for postal automation · Variable
2D / Matrix
QR Codehttps://example.comPopular 2D barcode for URLs, text, and mobile scanning · Variable
Micro QR12345Compact QR variant for small items and PCB marking · Up to 35 chars
DatamatrixDMXDATA123High-density 2D barcode for electronics and healthcare · Variable
AztecAztecBarcode2D barcode used in transport tickets and government IDs · Variable
PDF-417PDF417 DATAStacked 2D barcode for IDs, boarding passes, and shipping · Variable
Compact PDF-417COMPACT DATATruncated PDF-417 variant requiring less print area · Variable
MaxiCode[)>01961Z00004951UPSN06X61015912345671/1Y634 ALPHA DRPITTSBURGHPAFixed-size 2D barcode used by UPS for package sorting · Variable
Han XinHanXin123Chinese 2D barcode standard supporting Chinese characters · Variable
DotCodeDotCode123High-speed printable 2D barcode for tobacco and pharma · Variable
Code OneCodeOne Data2D matrix barcode optimized for high-density data storage · Variable

Understanding barcodes

Barcodes encode product and shipment details into a visual pattern that machines can instantly decode. This eliminates manual data entry and dramatically reduces human error across supply chains, retail checkout, and warehouse operations.

Traditional one-dimensional (1D) barcodes store information in the varying thickness and gaps between vertical lines. Modern two-dimensional (2D) formats like QR codes and Datamatrix pack far more data into compact grids of squares, dots, or geometric shapes, enabling everything from website links to full shipping manifests in a single scan.

Early barcode systems required dedicated laser scanners, but today any smartphone camera can read most symbologies through freely available apps. This accessibility has expanded barcode usage well beyond retail into healthcare, manufacturing, event ticketing, and asset tracking.

Why businesses rely on barcodes

  • •Instant inventory visibility: High-demand products are flagged for reorder the moment stock drops below threshold, preventing lost sales.
  • •Dead-stock prevention: Slow-moving SKUs are surfaced early so teams can run promotions or adjust purchasing before overstock becomes costly.
  • •Smarter shelf placement: Scan data reveals which planogram layouts drive the most revenue, letting merchandisers optimize product positioning with hard numbers.
  • •Seasonal demand forecasting: Years of scan history expose buying patterns tied to holidays, weather, and local events, enabling precise procurement planning.
  • •Dynamic pricing at scale: Markdowns, clearance events, and promotional pricing can be pushed to thousands of items simultaneously through barcode-linked POS systems.
  • •Customer behavior insights: Aggregated purchase data (collected through loyalty programs and point-of-sale scans) helps retailers understand shopping habits and tailor marketing campaigns.

How product barcodes work

The number is the product; the bars are a rendering

A retail barcode encodes a GTIN - Global Trade Item Number - and it is the number, not the bars, that identifies the product in a retailer's system. UPC-A carries 12 digits and EAN-13 carries 13. UPC-E and EAN-8 are 8-digit forms for packs too small for the full symbol, and ITF-14 carries 14 digits for outer cases.

This generator draws the symbol for a number you supply. A symbol drawn from an invented number scans perfectly well and still identifies nothing, so the number itself has to come from your GS1 allocation.

How the check digit works

The last digit of every UPC, EAN and ITF-14 is a check digit calculated from the others by the GS1 modulo-10 method. Starting from the right-hand data digit, multiply the digits alternately by 3 and 1, add the results, and the check digit is whatever brings the total up to the next multiple of 10.

For the data digits 01234567890 the weighted sum is 85, so the check digit is 5 and the full UPC-A is 012345678905. The scheme catches any single wrong digit and most swaps of two neighbouring digits, which is why a scanner rejects a corrupted read instead of returning a different number.

Let the tool verify, not invent, the check digit

For the formats that carry one - UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-13, EAN-8, ITF-14, ISBN, ISMN and ISSN - the generator handles the check digit. Enter the number without it (11 digits for UPC-A, 12 for EAN-13, 13 for ITF-14) and it is calculated and appended. Enter the full number and the check digit is verified instead: a wrong one stops generation with an error.

The second way is the one to use. A check digit computed from a mistyped number is perfectly valid for the wrong number, so it protects nothing. Typing the complete GTIN exactly as issued, check digit included, lets the tool catch the typo before it reaches the printer.

Which symbology for which job

  • Consumer units scanned at a till: UPC-A or EAN-13, or UPC-E and EAN-8 on very small packs.
  • Outer cases and cartons: ITF-14.
  • Logistics labels: GS1-128, where bracketed Application Identifiers say what each field holds - (00) for a Serial Shipping Container Code, (01) for a GTIN. GS1 DataBar Expanded can also carry weight, dates and lot numbers.
  • Internal tracking: Code 128, Code 39 and similar symbologies, which encode letters as well as digits.

The generator also covers postal formats and 2D symbols such as Data Matrix and PDF-417. For a consumer-facing link on the pack, the QR code generator gives more control over content and export.

Reading and exporting the output

Scale (1 to 10) enlarges the whole symbol. Height (5 to 100) sets the bar height, and the human-readable digits can be shown or hidden; both apply to linear barcodes only, because 2D symbols size themselves and carry no text line.

Download SVG for print. It is vector, so bar widths stay exact at any size; a PNG enlarged in layout software is resampled, and resampling alters the bar widths a scanner depends on. Keep the background white or very light, because the bars print dark and need a light field around them.

A file that scans on screen is not a verified print. Print a proof on the real substrate at the real size and scan it before committing to a run, then place it on artwork built in the label generator.

For a link to digital product information, use the QR Code Generator, and check the rest of the pack with the FDA Label Checklist.

Reference information, not legal advice. Requirements change and turn on facts specific to your product - confirm against the current regulation before relying on it.

Common questions

Where do I get a real barcode number?

From GS1, which issues the company prefix that forms the first part of every legitimate GTIN. Retailers verify prefixes, so a number generated at random or bought second-hand from a reseller can be rejected at listing. This tool renders a barcode from a number you already hold; it does not issue one.

What is the difference between UPC-A and EAN-13?

UPC-A is 12 digits and is the traditional North American form. EAN-13 is 13 digits and is used internationally. A UPC-A is effectively an EAN-13 with a leading zero, and modern scanners read both, which is why most products now carry a single international number rather than one per region.

When would I use Code 128 instead?

For internal and logistics purposes rather than retail point of sale: carton labels, pallet identifiers, lot and date information. It encodes letters as well as digits, which retail GTIN symbologies do not. It is the wrong choice for a consumer unit that has to scan at a till.

Why does my barcode not scan?

Usually one of four things: printed too small, insufficient quiet zone at each end, poor contrast (light bars on dark, or a colour pair the scanner cannot separate), or distortion from printing across a curve or a seam. Verify the printed pack rather than the artwork, and keep the magnification within the specified range for the symbology.

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Check your own jurisdiction

This tool is not tied to one country's rules. What you declare on the label is, and the requirements differ.

Regulation libraryAll 152 label formats, each cited to the paragraph it follows.Coverage by countryFind the rules that apply where you sell.

Read more

Getting into Retail · 6 minUPC vs EAN: UPC-A, EAN-13 and Code 128 GuideCompare UPC vs EAN barcodes, UPC-A vs EAN-13 and Code 128 vs UPC. Learn which barcode to use, GTIN basics and print requirements.