Barcode Generator

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barcode PNG generator

Make a barcode PNG at the resolution you choose

Sales platforms, spreadsheets and word processors rarely accept SVG, which is why PNG is the file most often requested. The risk with PNG is resolution: a small image stretched afterward blurs the bars, and a scanner cannot measure a blurred bar.

Why the PNG is drawn at an integer scale and how to choose it

The unit of the drawing is the module, the width of the thinnest bar. The PNG is built with a whole number of pixels per module, from 1 to 12, so every bar starts and ends exactly on a pixel boundary, without the gray anti-aliasing fringe that appears when an image is resized. The file width is therefore always the total of modules times the scale: an EAN-13 with margins has 113 modules and comes out at 452 pixels at scale 4.
For print, convert pixels to millimeters through the resolution: at 300 dpi, 1 pixel is 0.0847 mm. At scale 4 the module is 0.339 mm, almost the 0.33 mm nominal of EAN/UPC; at scale 3 it is 0.254 mm, or 77% of nominal, below the 80% minimum GS1 accepts; at scale 8 it is 0.677 mm, or 205%, above the 200% maximum. The tool shows the size in pixels and in millimeters and warns when an EAN, UPC or ISBN falls outside the 80% to 200% range.
For screens, such as an online store, the image is usually shown small, and scale 2 is enough. If the platform resizes on its own, download larger and let it shrink, never the reverse. The background is always white and the bars black, because contrast is what a scanner measures. The scale limit is computed from the code size: a very wide symbol is capped automatically so it does not pass the maximum the browser can draw.

Real sizes of the same code at different scales

EAN-13 at scale 3 (height 60)

Input: 5901234123457
Expected output: 339 x 219 px, 28,7 mm a 300 dpi, 77% do nominal

Below 80%, which is why the tool shows the size warning.

EAN-13 at scale 4 (height 60)

Input: 5901234123457
Expected output: 452 x 292 px, 38,3 mm a 300 dpi, 103% do nominal

Inside the 80% to 200% range, and the starting size for a product label.

EAN-13 at scale 8 (height 60)

Input: 5901234123457
Expected output: 904 x 584 px, 76,5 mm a 300 dpi, 205% do nominal

Above 200%: readable, but outside what the standard provides for retail.

Order Code 128 at scale 4 (height 50)

Input: PEDIDO-2026-0187
Expected output: 880 x 272 px

220 modules wide with margins times 4 pixels, and no nominal size band, because it is not a GS1 retail format.

Full tool FAQ

Which barcode should I use for a product sold in stores?

EAN-13 in most of the world, UPC-A in the United States and Canada, and EAN-8 on very small packages. Books use ISBN-13. The number has to come from your country's GS1 office; this tool only draws the bars.

Is an EAN-13 generated here a valid product code?

PNG or SVG: which one should I download?

How is the EAN check digit calculated?

Code 128 or Code 39?

When should I use ITF-14?

Why does my scanner not read the printed code?

Does the code data go to any server?

Frequently asked questions

Which scale should I use for printing?

For 300 dpi, scale 4 gives a module close to 0.34 mm, good for EAN and UPC. The PNG carries no embedded dpi: when placing it in a document, set the width in millimeters (pixels x 25.4 divided by 300) instead of trusting the size the program proposes, and print at 100%.

Why is the PNG not transparent?

Because a code over a dark or colored background loses the contrast a scanner needs. The white background is part of the quiet zone, and avoiding transparency prevents the image from becoming unreadable when pasted over another color.

Can I resize the PNG after downloading?

Shrinking by a whole factor (half, for example) keeps the bars sharp. Stretching or shrinking by a fractional factor creates gray edges and can ruin scanning. When you need another size, generate again at the right scale.

When is SVG better than PNG?

For print shops, stickers, labels and any artwork at a variable size, because vector does not lose sharpness. PNG fits when the system receiving the file only accepts pixel images.

Next steps

Why the PNG is drawn at an integer scale and how to choose it

The unit of the drawing is the module, the width of the thinnest bar. The PNG is built with a whole number of pixels per module, from 1 to 12, so every bar starts and ends exactly on a pixel boundary, without the gray anti-aliasing fringe that appears when an image is resized. The file width is therefore always the total of modules times the scale: an EAN-13 with margins has 113 modules and comes out at 452 pixels at scale 4.

For print, convert pixels to millimeters through the resolution: at 300 dpi, 1 pixel is 0.0847 mm. At scale 4 the module is 0.339 mm, almost the 0.33 mm nominal of EAN/UPC; at scale 3 it is 0.254 mm, or 77% of nominal, below the 80% minimum GS1 accepts; at scale 8 it is 0.677 mm, or 205%, above the 200% maximum. The tool shows the size in pixels and in millimeters and warns when an EAN, UPC or ISBN falls outside the 80% to 200% range.

For screens, such as an online store, the image is usually shown small, and scale 2 is enough. If the platform resizes on its own, download larger and let it shrink, never the reverse. The background is always white and the bars black, because contrast is what a scanner measures. The scale limit is computed from the code size: a very wide symbol is capped automatically so it does not pass the maximum the browser can draw.

Real sizes of the same code at different scales

EAN-13 at scale 3 (height 60)

Input: 5901234123457
Expected output: 339 x 219 px, 28,7 mm a 300 dpi, 77% do nominal

Below 80%, which is why the tool shows the size warning.

EAN-13 at scale 4 (height 60)

Input: 5901234123457
Expected output: 452 x 292 px, 38,3 mm a 300 dpi, 103% do nominal

Inside the 80% to 200% range, and the starting size for a product label.

EAN-13 at scale 8 (height 60)

Input: 5901234123457
Expected output: 904 x 584 px, 76,5 mm a 300 dpi, 205% do nominal

Above 200%: readable, but outside what the standard provides for retail.

Order Code 128 at scale 4 (height 50)

Input: PEDIDO-2026-0187
Expected output: 880 x 272 px

220 modules wide with margins times 4 pixels, and no nominal size band, because it is not a GS1 retail format.

Full tool FAQ

Which barcode should I use for a product sold in stores?

Is an EAN-13 generated here a valid product code?

PNG or SVG: which one should I download?

How is the EAN check digit calculated?

Code 128 or Code 39?

When should I use ITF-14?

Why does my scanner not read the printed code?

Does the code data go to any server?

Frequently asked questions

Which scale should I use for printing?

Why is the PNG not transparent?

Can I resize the PNG after downloading?

When is SVG better than PNG?

For print shops, stickers, labels and any artwork at a variable size, because vector does not lose sharpness. PNG fits when the system receiving the file only accepts pixel images.