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EAN-13 barcode generator

EAN-13 barcode generator for products

The EAN-13 a checkout reads joins two things: a number that identifies the product and a drawing that represents that number. The generator handles the drawing, completes the check digit and hands over PNG or SVG. The number, however, has to come from whoever has the authority to issue it.

How an EAN-13 number is organized and where it comes from

The 13 digits split into a company prefix, an item reference and a check digit. The company prefix is licensed by a GS1 organization and starts with a GS1 prefix of its own: 789 and 790 belong to GS1 Brazil, 590 to Poland and 400 to 440 to Germany. The range says where the company registered, not where the product was made. The length of the company prefix varies with the contract, and the item reference uses the digits left up to 12; the 13th is always the check digit.
In practice the path to a legitimate code is this: join GS1, receive the company prefix, assign a reference to each product (every size, color or flavor variant gets its own) and register the items in the GS1 catalog, which retailers and marketplaces check. The generator comes in at the end: with the 12-digit number in hand, it computes the 13th and draws the bars. If you type all 13 and the last one is wrong, it refuses and shows the right digit.
The drawing is 95 modules: a 3-module start guard, six digits on the left, a 5-module center guard, six digits on the right and a 3-module end guard. The first digit is not drawn in bars; it is encoded in the parity sequence of the six left digits and printed as text outside the bars, in the margin. The quiet zone is 11 modules on the left and 7 on the right, for 113 modules in all.

Sample numbers and what the generator does with them

12-digit base with a 789 prefix

Input: 789123456789
Expected output: 7891234567895

A made-up sample number: the check digit 5 is computed, and the symbol takes 113 modules with margins.

590 prefix (Poland)

Input: 590123412345
Expected output: 5901234123457

Weighted sum 83, next multiple of 10 equal to 90, check digit 7.

German 400 prefix

Input: 400638133393
Expected output: 4006381333931

Sum 89, modulo 10 equals 9, check digit 1.

Last digit typed wrong

Input: 7891234567890
Expected output: Recusado: o verificador correto é 5

A number with a wrong check digit would be rejected by any scanner and by the catalog.

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

Does a 789 prefix mean the product was made in Brazil?

No. It means the company that owns the code registered with GS1 Brazil. A product made in China can carry 789 if the brand is registered there.

Can I make up the 12 digits and use the code in my store?

The scanner will read it, but the number may belong to another company, and marketplaces and retail chains refuse codes that are not in the GS1 registry. For sales, use a licensed GTIN.

Does every product variant need a different EAN?

Yes. A different size, color, flavor or weight is a different item and gets a different reference, because the code is what the system uses to decide which price and stock to apply.

How large should a printed EAN-13 be?

The nominal module is 0.33 mm and GS1 allows 80% to 200% of that. At 100%, the symbol with margins is 113 x 0.33, or about 37.3 mm wide. The tool warns when the PNG or the label falls outside that range.

Next steps

How an EAN-13 number is organized and where it comes from

The 13 digits split into a company prefix, an item reference and a check digit. The company prefix is licensed by a GS1 organization and starts with a GS1 prefix of its own: 789 and 790 belong to GS1 Brazil, 590 to Poland and 400 to 440 to Germany. The range says where the company registered, not where the product was made. The length of the company prefix varies with the contract, and the item reference uses the digits left up to 12; the 13th is always the check digit.

In practice the path to a legitimate code is this: join GS1, receive the company prefix, assign a reference to each product (every size, color or flavor variant gets its own) and register the items in the GS1 catalog, which retailers and marketplaces check. The generator comes in at the end: with the 12-digit number in hand, it computes the 13th and draws the bars. If you type all 13 and the last one is wrong, it refuses and shows the right digit.

The drawing is 95 modules: a 3-module start guard, six digits on the left, a 5-module center guard, six digits on the right and a 3-module end guard. The first digit is not drawn in bars; it is encoded in the parity sequence of the six left digits and printed as text outside the bars, in the margin. The quiet zone is 11 modules on the left and 7 on the right, for 113 modules in all.

Sample numbers and what the generator does with them

12-digit base with a 789 prefix

Input: 789123456789
Expected output: 7891234567895

A made-up sample number: the check digit 5 is computed, and the symbol takes 113 modules with margins.

590 prefix (Poland)

Input: 590123412345
Expected output: 5901234123457

Weighted sum 83, next multiple of 10 equal to 90, check digit 7.

German 400 prefix

Input: 400638133393
Expected output: 4006381333931

Sum 89, modulo 10 equals 9, check digit 1.

Last digit typed wrong

Input: 7891234567890
Expected output: Recusado: o verificador correto é 5

A number with a wrong check digit would be rejected by any scanner and by the catalog.

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

Does a 789 prefix mean the product was made in Brazil?

No. It means the company that owns the code registered with GS1 Brazil. A product made in China can carry 789 if the brand is registered there.

Can I make up the 12 digits and use the code in my store?

The scanner will read it, but the number may belong to another company, and marketplaces and retail chains refuse codes that are not in the GS1 registry. For sales, use a licensed GTIN.

Does every product variant need a different EAN?

Yes. A different size, color, flavor or weight is a different item and gets a different reference, because the code is what the system uses to decide which price and stock to apply.