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Barcodes.tools

EAN-13 barcode generator

Type the 12 digits of the number and the check digit is added for you, or type all 13 and it is checked. Download it as SVG, PNG or PDF.

12 digits, or 13 with the check digit.

42.57 × 32.67 mm printed size, module 0.33 mm.Encodes 5901234123457

Need many? Make a batch or a label sheet.

Size and colour

mm
mm
mod.
#000000
#FFFFFF

What is an EAN-13 barcode?

EAN-13 is the barcode on most retail products sold outside the US and Canada. It holds one thing only: a 13-digit GTIN (Global Trade Item Number), the number that identifies the product. GS1 calls this an implied (01), because EAN and UPC barcodes cannot carry any other data.

The last of the 13 digits is a check digit worked out from the other twelve. A scanner recomputes it on every scan, so a misread bar is caught instead of ringing up the wrong product.

Where it is used

  • Products sold in shops and supermarkets
  • Books (the ISBN is printed as an EAN-13)
  • Online marketplaces that ask for a GTIN

What it holds

What a EAN-13 barcode holds
EAN-13
CharactersDigits 0–9 only
Length13 digits, the last one being the check digit
Check digitGS1 mod 10, added here when you type 12 digits
Human-readable textThe 13 digits under the bars, the first one to the left

Printing EAN-13 barcodes

  • Keep the blank margin on both sides. Cropping it is the most common reason a printed EAN-13 does not scan.
  • Print dark bars on a light background. Red bars and very light backgrounds are hard for many scanners.
  • Do not stretch the image in a layout program. Change the module width here instead, so the bars stay in proportion.
  • Print one sample on the printer and label stock you will use, and scan it with the scanners that have to read it, before a full run.

Need a sheet of them? The batch generator makes up to 1,000 EAN-13 barcodes at once and lays them out on Letter or A4 label sheets.

Where the numbers come from

A EAN-13 barcode is only as good as the number in it. For products sold through retailers, the number is a GTIN built from a GS1 Company Prefix that the brand owner licenses from its local GS1 office, and retailers check numbers against GS1 records. The guide from GS1 New Zealand linked below walks through that process as one example.

This site draws barcodes for numbers you already have. It does not issue, sell or register GS1 numbers, and a correct check digit does not mean a number is registered.

Questions about EAN-13

Can I make up my own EAN-13 number?

You can draw any 13-digit number, but a made-up number is not unique and retailers check numbers against GS1 records. For products sold in shops, use numbers from your own GS1 Company Prefix, which you license from your local GS1 office. For labels used only inside your own business, Code 128 is usually the better choice.

What if I type the wrong check digit?

The generator tells you which digit is right and draws nothing until it matches. Type only the first 12 digits and it fills in the check digit itself.

Is an EAN-13 the same as a UPC?

A 12-digit UPC-A number written with a leading zero is the same GTIN as a 13-digit EAN-13. The check digit does not change, because a leading zero adds nothing to the sum. The bars look different, so draw the format your retailer asks for.

Sources

Other formats