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Barcodes.tools

UPC-A barcode generator

Type 11 digits and the check digit is added, or all 12 and it is checked. The barcode is ready to download as SVG, PNG or PDF.

11 digits, or 12 with the check digit.

43.23 × 31.35 mm printed size, module 0.33 mm.Encodes 036000291452

Need many? Make a batch or a label sheet.

Size and colour

mm
mm
mod.
#000000
#FFFFFF

What is a UPC-A barcode?

UPC-A is the retail barcode used in the United States and Canada. Like EAN-13 it carries only a GTIN, here the 12-digit GTIN-12, and no other data.

The twelfth digit is a check digit computed from the first eleven with the GS1 mod 10 method. A scanner checks it on every read.

Where it is used

  • Products sold in US and Canadian stores
  • Marketplace listings that ask for a UPC
  • Shelf and price labels that repeat the product number

What it holds

What a UPC-A barcode holds
UPC-A
CharactersDigits 0–9 only
Length12 digits, the last one being the check digit
Check digitGS1 mod 10, added here when you type 11 digits
Human-readable textThe 12 digits, the first and last outside the bars

Printing UPC-A barcodes

  • Keep the blank margin on both sides and do not crop it in your layout.
  • Change the size with the module width here, not by stretching the image.
  • Use dark bars on a white or light background.
  • 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 UPC-A barcodes at once and lays them out on Letter or A4 label sheets.

Where the numbers come from

A UPC-A 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 UPC-A

Where do UPC numbers come from?

For products sold in stores, the number comes from your own GS1 Company Prefix (in the US, licensed from GS1 US). This site draws the barcode for a number you already have; it does not issue numbers.

Can I turn a UPC into an EAN-13?

Yes. Put a 0 in front of the 12 digits and you have the same GTIN as an EAN-13, with the same check digit. Paste it into the EAN-13 generator to draw it.

What about UPC-E?

UPC-E is a short form of UPC-A for very small packages and only works for some numbers. This site draws UPC-A; ask your retailer before using UPC-E.

Sources

Other formats