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Barcode generator

Make a Code 128, EAN-13, UPC-A, EAN-8, Code 39 or ITF-14 barcode. Check digits are worked out for you, and it downloads as PNG or SVG.

  • Runs in your browser
  • Nothing is uploaded
  • Free, no sign-up

Letters, digits and symbols on a standard keyboard (ASCII), up to 80 characters.

Your barcode will appear here

How it works

Your value is turned into bars in your browser, following the published rules for each barcode type, and nothing is sent anywhere. Check digits for EAN, UPC and ITF-14 are worked out as you type, and a number that already has one is checked.

Code 128 switches to its compact mode for runs of digits, so a value that is mostly numbers gives a shorter barcode. Every barcode includes the blank margins (quiet zones) scanners need on each side, and in the PNG each bar is a whole number of pixels wide, so its edges stay sharp.

Questions

Which barcode type should I use?

Products sold in shops use EAN-13, or UPC-A in the US and Canada, and EAN-8 on very small packs. Outer cartons of those products use ITF-14. For anything else, such as shipping labels, asset tags, stock and library numbers, Code 128 is the usual choice: it holds letters and digits and stays compact. Code 39 is for older systems that ask for it.

Can I make my own UPC or EAN number for a product?

This page will draw any number, but a UPC or EAN for selling in shops has to come from GS1, the organisation that issues them. Shops and online marketplaces check that the number belongs to your company. Made-up numbers are fine for your own use, like labelling shelves or stock.

What is a check digit?

The last digit of an EAN, UPC or ITF-14 number is worked out from the others, so a scanner can tell when it has misread one. Type the number without it and it is added for you. Type it with the check digit and the page checks it, and tells you which digit it expected if it is wrong.

Should I download PNG or SVG?

SVG for printing labels and anything that will be resized, because it stays sharp at any size. PNG for documents, spreadsheets and places that only take ordinary images. When you resize a barcode, keep its proportions: stretching it unevenly changes the bar widths a scanner reads.

Limits

Six types: Code 128 (up to 80 characters on a standard keyboard), EAN-13, UPC-A, EAN-8, Code 39 (up to 40 characters) and ITF-14. GS1-128 shipping labels with application identifiers, UPC-E, the small 2 and 5 digit add-ons, and 2D codes such as Data Matrix and PDF417 aren't supported yet. For a 2D code, use the QR code generator.

The text under the bars is set in your device's monospace font, and an SVG shows it in the font of the app that opens it. If a label must use the OCR-B font, turn the text off and add it in your label software. ITF-14 is drawn without the bearer bars (the frame around it) used when printing straight onto cardboard. It makes one barcode at a time.

Privacy

This tool runs entirely in your browser. The files you open and what you type are never sent to a server, and nothing is stored after you close the page. See the privacy page.

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