Free Barcode Generator

Which barcode type to use

Code 128 is the best choice for codes you create yourself, such as SKUs, batch numbers, bin locations and courier references. It takes letters, digits and symbols, and packs them into a short barcode that almost every scanner reads.

EAN-13 is the 13-digit barcode on most retail products sold in India and abroad. Large retailers and marketplaces expect a number issued by GS1 India, because each EAN-13 identifies one product from one brand owner. Making the image is easy; the number itself has to be registered if the product will be sold through other stores.

UPC-A is the 12-digit version used mainly in the United States and Canada. Use it only when a buyer there asks.

Code 39 is an older type that holds capital letters, digits and a few symbols. Some ID badges, equipment tags and older scanners still need it; for anything new, Code 128 gives a shorter barcode for the same text.

How the check digit works

The last digit of an EAN-13 or UPC-A barcode is a check digit worked out from the other digits. Scanners use it to catch misreads, so a barcode with the wrong check digit is rejected at the till.

If you type 12 digits for EAN-13, the tool works out the 13th and adds it. If you type all 13, the tool checks the last one and tells you what it should be if it does not match. For example, 890103086527 gets a check digit of 5, so the full code is 8901030865275.

Code 128 always carries a hidden check character, which the drawing library adds without you typing anything. Code 39 has an optional check digit, which this tool does not add.

Printing barcodes that scan first time

Print at 100% scale. Shrinking a barcode to fit a small label thins the bars and spaces until the scanner can no longer tell them apart. If the label is small, lower the bar width before you download instead of scaling the image later.

Black bars on a white background scan best. Avoid red bars, because many laser scanners use red light and cannot see them. Leave clear white space on both sides of the bars; the downloaded files include a margin for this.

Thermal label printers and print shops work best with the SVG file because it stays sharp at any size. Before printing a full roll, print one label and scan it with the same scanner or phone app you use at the counter.

When you have more than a few products

One barcode at a time works for a handful of items. Once you stock hundreds, an inventory system that gives each item its own code, prints labels in batches and reads them at billing, receiving and stock count saves a lot of typing and stops the same code being used twice.