Letters, digits and symbols (ASCII), 1โ€“80 characters

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Turn a product number into a barcode image โ€” no sign-up, no watermark, nothing uploaded

How to use it

  1. Pick a format at the top. If you are not sure, CODE128 is the safe default: it holds letters, digits and symbols and is what most shipping and inventory labels use. For a product that will be sold in stores, use UPC-A (North America) or EAN-13 (everywhere else).
  2. Type the number or text. The barcode is drawn instantly on the white preview. For EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A and ITF-14 you can leave the last check digit off and it is calculated for you; if you type the full number, it is verified and the correct one is shown when it does not match.
  3. Adjust bar width (1โ€“4 px per module), height, the quiet zone and whether the human-readable text is printed underneath. Colors are fixed to black on white on purpose โ€” colored barcodes are the number one reason scanners fail.
  4. Save as PNG (rendered at 3ร— for crisp printing) or SVG (vector, for print shops), or copy the image straight into a document or label tool.
  5. The Bulk tab takes one code per line โ€” paste a spreadsheet column โ€” and lists them all, with a single-sheet PNG download and a print view.

Which format do I need?

CODE128Any ASCII text, practically any length. Shipping labels, warehouse bins, asset tags, membership numbers. Digit-only input is packed (subset C) so the code gets shorter.
EAN-1313-digit retail code used outside North America. The number must come from GS1 โ€” the first digits identify the country and company.
EAN-88-digit version for tiny packages such as gum or lip balm.
UPC-A12-digit retail code for the US and Canada; this is the "UPC" Amazon and other marketplaces ask for. Get numbers from GS1 US.
CODE39Older industrial symbology: uppercase letters, digits and a few symbols, framed by asterisks. Still common in automotive, defense and hospital asset labels, but longer than CODE128 for the same content.
ITF-1414-digit code for shipping cartons, with thick bars that survive corrugated cardboard.

Where retail numbers come from

You cannot invent an EAN or UPC number. Retail barcodes share one global registry run by GS1; a company licenses a prefix from its national GS1 office (GS1 US, GS1 UK and so on) and assigns product numbers under it. This tool only draws the image of a number you already have โ€” it does not issue numbers, and a made-up code may collide with another company's product or be rejected at listing time. For internal use โ€” inventory, tickets, equipment tags โ€” no registration is needed; just use CODE128.

How the check digit works

The last digit of an EAN-13 or UPC-A is computed from the others: multiply the digits by 3 and 1 alternately starting from the right, add them up, and the check digit is whatever brings the total to a multiple of ten. For 03600029145 that total is 58, so the check digit is 2 and the full UPC is 036000291452. The generator applies the same rule to EAN-8 and ITF-14, and tells you the correct number if a full code you paste fails the check.

When a printed barcode will not scan

Quiet zoneLeave blank space on both sides โ€” about ten times the narrowest bar. Trimming the label right up to the bars is the most common failure.
SizeA nominal EAN-13 is 37.29 ร— 25.93 mm; scaling below 80% makes many POS scanners give up. Regenerate with a wider bar instead of shrinking the image.
ResolutionPNG is exported at 3ร—, but for professional printing use the SVG โ€” bar edges stay sharp at any size.
Color and finishBlack on white. Red bars are invisible to red-laser scanners, and glossy laminate or clear plastic causes reflections.
Printing label sheets โ€” paste your list into the Bulk tab and download All as PNG for a grid on one sheet, or use Print for a clean white page with only the barcodes. For Avery-style label sheets, insert the individual PNGs into your word processor's label template.

FAQ

My phone camera does not read it

Many camera apps read QR codes but not 1D barcodes. Use a barcode scanner app or the barcode search in a shopping app. When scanning a screen, raise the brightness and step back a little if moirรฉ appears.

Can I encode non-Latin text?

No โ€” 1D barcodes are ASCII only. For other scripts, long text or URLs, use the QR code generator. CODE39 is even stricter (uppercase only) and lowercase input is converted automatically.

Barcode or QR code?

Barcodes hold a short number in one row and are read by POS and logistics scanners; QR codes hold thousands of characters and are read by phones. Products, stock and labels want a barcode; links, Wi-Fi and contact cards want a QR.

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