Free Tool
Barcode Generator
Make a Code 128, EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, Code 39 or ITF-14 barcode with its check digit handled for you, then download it as a PNG or SVG. Free, no signup, and no watermark.
Private by design: the barcode is built in your browser. What you type is never uploaded or stored.
Which barcode do I need?
Six formats, one tool
The right barcode depends on what it is for and who will scan it. If you can choose the content yourself, use Code 128. If a retailer or shipper tells you which format to use, use that one. Each format has its own page with the rules for its numbers.
Letters, digits and punctuation, up to 80 characters. The flexible choice for labels, inventory and shipping.
Twelve or thirteen digits for retail products and books, with the check digit added or verified.
A short seven or eight digit code for packs that are too small for an EAN-13.
The twelve-digit retail barcode used across North America.
Capitals, digits and a few symbols, readable by almost any scanner ever made.
Fourteen digits for the cartons and cases that hold retail items.
How to use it
Three simple steps
1. Choose a format and enter your number
Pick a format above, then type or paste the digits or text. Spaces and hyphens in a number are ignored.
2. Set the size and colors
Choose a bar width and height. The tool warns you if a choice could make the barcode hard to scan, and switches downloads off if it would fail outright.
3. Download and test
Save a PNG or SVG, print it at the size you will actually use, and scan the printout before you print a run.
Check digits
What the check digit is for
Most retail barcodes end in a check digit: one extra digit calculated from all the others. A scanner recalculates it as it reads, and if the result does not match, it knows it misread a bar and tries again instead of reporting a wrong number.
Here is how the generator handles it. Enter the number without the check digit and it is calculated and added, and the preview tells you what it was. Enter the full number and the last digit is verified. If it is wrong, you are told what it should be, and the barcode is not drawn until you decide. Nothing is silently corrected, because a mistyped number is something you want to know about.
For example, 590123412345 becomes 5901234123457 as an EAN-13, and 03600029145 becomes 036000291452 as a UPC-A.
The number under the bars
Show the number in any font
The digits printed beneath the bars are the human-readable version, used when a scan fails or a person needs to type the number. Turn them on or off, change their size, and choose their typeface from the ProFont font library with the font box under the style options.
The PNG download and the copied image use the font you pick. The SVG download uses a standard font so the file looks the same on every device, because a web font cannot travel inside a plain SVG.
Before you print
How to get a barcode that scans
Use dark bars on a light background. Black on white is the safest. Light bars on a dark background are not read by most scanners, so the tool switches downloads off if you try it.
Keep the blank margins. The empty space on each side shows the scanner where the code starts and ends. The generator sets it from your bar width automatically.
Do not shrink the bars too far. Thin bars blur when they are printed small. Keep them at 2 pixels or more on screen and scale evenly when you print.
Test the real printout. A barcode that scans on screen can fail on a rough label or a glossy wrapper. Scan a sample with the scanner that will read it.
Retail numbers
A valid barcode is not a registered number
This tool draws a correctly formed barcode for any number that passes the format’s rules. It does not issue or register numbers. Products sold through retailers and online marketplaces normally need numbers allocated by GS1, the organisation that manages them, so that no two products share a number.
That makes the generator ideal for packaging mock-ups, training, scanner testing, internal labels and anything where the number comes from you or from your GS1 allocation. If you are unsure which applies to your product, ask the retailer or marketplace you are selling through.
Another kind of code
Barcode or QR code?
A barcode holds a short number or a line of text that a scanner reads across the bars. A square code holds far more, such as a link, WiFi details or a contact card, and phones read it with the camera. If you want people to scan with a phone and land somewhere, make a QR code instead.
Questions
Barcode generator FAQ
Is this barcode generator really free?
Yes. There is no signup, no watermark and no limit on downloads.
Do you store the numbers I enter?
No. The barcode is drawn by your browser and nothing you type leaves your device. The one exception is the font picker, which fetches the font you choose by name.
What is the difference between a barcode and a QR code?
A barcode is a row of bars that carries a short number or text. A QR code is a square pattern that holds much more, and phones read it with the camera.
Which format should I pick for products I sell?
Use the format the retailer or marketplace asks for. In most of the world that is EAN-13, and in North America UPC-A. Cartons use ITF-14.
Why will my barcode not scan?
The usual causes are low contrast, inverted colors, bars that are too thin or too short, a missing blank margin, or a blurry print. Fix those and test again.
PNG or SVG?
Use PNG for screens and documents. Use SVG when a printer needs a file that scales to any size without going soft.
Number font ideas
Pick a font for the number
The number under the bars is easiest to read in a clear, even-width face. Three to try:
Guides worth reading
Type guides to go with your barcode
Numbers carry most of the meaning on a barcode label. These guides help you set them well:
Explore ProFont
Find the right font for anything
Search more than 2,000 fonts, see them in use and read the type guides.