Which barcode type should I use?
- Code 128: the all-rounder for internal use: SKUs, inventory, asset tags, tickets. Accepts letters, numbers and symbols.
- EAN-13 / UPC-A: retail barcodes for products sold in shops. You need numbers registered with GS1 to sell in stores. You can’t just make them up.
- EAN-8: a shorter retail code for very small packaging.
- Code 39: older but common in manufacturing, the military and healthcare. Capital letters and numbers only.
- ITF-14: for outer shipping cartons.
- Codabar: used by libraries, blood banks and some couriers.
Do I need to buy barcodes?
For internal use (stock, assets, events), no: generate as many Code 128 barcodes as you like. To sell products through retailers or Amazon, you need a unique company prefix from GS1, then you can generate the EAN/UPC barcodes for those numbers here.
Printing tips
- Black bars on white scan best. Avoid red bars, since many scanners use red light.
- Don’t squash the height too much, and leave a clear margin (quiet zone) on both sides.
- Test with the scanner or app you’ll actually use before printing a big batch.
How it works
Each barcode type is a set of rules for turning characters into bars and spaces of set widths. The generator applies those rules in your browser, adds the start and stop patterns and any required check digit, and draws the result. Your value is checked against the rules of the type you chose, so you see a message straight away if, for example, you put letters into an EAN-13.
Check digits
Retail codes like EAN-13 and UPC-A end with a check digit calculated from the other digits. A scanner recalculates it and rejects the scan if it doesn’t match, which catches most misreads. Enter your number without the last digit and the generator adds it. If you enter the full number, make sure the last digit is right.