Barcode Generator

A barcode generator that turns a number or short piece of text into a scannable 1D (linear) barcode — EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A or Code 128 — rendered as a crisp, infinitely scalable SVG. Everything runs in your browser: your data never leaves the page.

How to use it

1. Pick a Format. EAN-13 and UPC-A are the codes on retail products worldwide (UPC-A is the US/Canada variant, EAN-13 the international one); EAN-8 is the compact version used on small packaging; Code 128 encodes any printable text — letters, numbers and punctuation — and is common on shipping labels, tickets and internal SKUs.
2. Type your Barcode Data. For EAN-13/EAN-8/UPC-A you can enter either the full number (with a check digit already on the end) or just the payload without it — the tool computes the correct check digit for you either way, and tells you immediately if a check digit you typed doesn't match.
3. Toggle Show human-readable text to print the digits/text beneath the bars, and pick a bar and background colour if you need something other than plain black-on-white.
4. Copy the SVG markup directly, or download the .svg file — it stays sharp at any print size, from a shelf label to a full-page poster.

Check digits, done correctly

EAN-13, EAN-8 and UPC-A all use the same GS1 mod-10 checksum, but it's easy to get subtly wrong: the weighting (3× or 1×) depends on how far a digit sits from the check digit, not on its raw position in the string — get that backwards and an 11-digit UPC-A payload silently produces the wrong check digit while a 12-digit EAN-13 payload happens to still work. This tool computes the weight from distance-to-check-digit for every format, and the result was cross-checked against real, independently published barcodes: EAN-13 4006381333931 and UPC-A 036000291452 (the barcode printed on a pack of Wrigley's gum) both compute the correct, expected check digit.

Format cheat sheet

Format	Payload length	With check digit	Typical use
EAN-13	12 digits	13 digits	Retail products (international)
UPC-A	11 digits	12 digits	Retail products (US/Canada)
EAN-8	7 digits	8 digits	Small packaging
Code 128	1–80 characters	— (checksum isn't printed)	Shipping, logistics, internal codes

Will this barcode actually scan?

Yes — the bar widths follow the same published encoding tables (GS1 General Specifications for EAN/UPC, the ISO/IEC 15417 symbol table for Code 128) that every commercial barcode generator uses, not an approximation. Print it at a size where the narrowest bar is at least about 0.25mm wide and any standard barcode scanner or phone camera app will read it.

Why doesn't Code 128 show a checksum digit?

Code 128's checksum is a modulo-103 value baked into the bar pattern itself for error detection — it isn't one of the 103 printable values a human would read, so unlike EAN/UPC it's never printed as a visible digit underneath the bars.

Can I use this for ISBNs?

Yes — an ISBN-13 is a valid EAN-13 (ISBNs use the same 978/979 prefix range), so pasting a 13-digit ISBN into EAN-13 mode produces the exact barcode printed on the back of the book.