How to create a barcode
- Choose the type and enter the number. For retail codes enter the digits without the check digit; wrong check digits are flagged with the correct value.
- Adjust bar height, colour and human-readable text under Appearance and watch the live preview.
- Download SVG for packaging, PNG for spreadsheets and web pages, or switch to Label sheets to print at true size.
Which barcode should I use?
| Type | Used for | Content |
|---|---|---|
| EAN-13 | Retail products worldwide (China, Europe, Asia) | Digits, 13 including the check digit |
| UPC-A / UPC-E | US and Canadian retail; UPC-E for small packs | Digits, 12 / 8 |
| EAN-8 | Packs too small for EAN-13 | Digits, 8 |
| ISBN | Books (EAN-13 plus price add-on) | 13 digits from 978/979, optional 5-digit add-on |
| ITF-14 | Outer cartons (GTIN-14) with bearer bars | Digits, 14 |
| GS1-128 | Logistics labels: SSCC, batch, expiry, weight | GS1 Application Identifiers |
| Code 128 | Internal IDs, bin locations, Amazon FNSKU, parcels | Letters, digits and symbols |
| Code 39 | Industrial, automotive and legacy systems | Upper-case letters, digits, - . $ / + % |
| Data Matrix | Small parts, electronics, medical devices (GS1 DataMatrix) | Any text, up to about 2,000 characters |
| PDF417 | IDs, boarding passes, shipping documents | Any text, up to about 1,800 characters |
Print size and scanning requirements
X is the width of the narrowest bar. GS1 allows retail codes from 80% to 200%; codes printed smaller or with truncated bars may not scan. Use dark bars on a light background: red, orange and yellow bars are invisible to red-light scanners. Test-scan the first print.
| Type | X-dimension | Bar height | Quiet zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAN-13 / UPC-A | 0.264 – 0.660 mm（80% – 200%） | About 22.85 mm at 100% | Left 11X, right 7X (UPC-A 9X each side) |
| ITF-14 | 0.495 – 1.016 mm | At least 32 mm | 10X each side plus bearer bars |
| GS1-128 | Logistics labels 0.495 – 1.016 mm | At least 32 mm | 10X each side |
| Code 128 / FNSKU | Ideally at least 0.25 mm | At least 6 mm or 15% of the length | 10X each side |
Where do retail barcode numbers come from?
This tool draws barcodes; it does not issue numbers. To sell through supermarkets, Amazon, Walmart and other retailers, EAN/UPC numbers come from a GS1 company prefix licensed by your national GS1 office, with one number per product; cheaply resold numbers may be rejected by marketplaces. Internal, warehouse and FNSKU labels can use Code 128 with no registration.
Frequently asked questions
Code 128 vs GS1-128?
GS1-128 is Code 128 used under GS1 rules: it starts with FNC1 and holds Application Identifiers such as (00) SSCC, (01) GTIN, (10) batch and (17) expiry, so every supply-chain system can parse it. Plain Code 128 is fine for internal IDs.
Can Code 128 hold Chinese?
No; Code 128 covers ASCII only. For Chinese or long content use Data Matrix or a QR code.
Can I use the barcodes commercially? Do they expire?
Yes: free, no watermark, commercial use allowed, and they never expire. A barcode is just your number drawn as bars, created in your browser without passing through our server.
What if the printed barcode does not scan?
The usual causes are printing too small, truncated bar height, crowded quiet zones or poor contrast. Print larger following the size table, set the print scale to Actual size / 100%, and use a 203 dpi or better thermal printer.
SVG, PNG or printed labels?
Give designers SVG for packaging and print (vector, scales cleanly); use PNG in Excel, web pages and Word; use label printing for office or thermal printers, laid out at true millimetre size.