Free tool
Barcode generator: EAN-13, UPC-A and EAN-8
Type the 12 digits of an EAN-13 (11 for UPC-A, 7 for EAN-8) and the tool adds the check digit and draws the barcode as a vector SVG at the GS1 size — 37.29 × 25.93 mm at 100 % for EAN-13 and UPC-A. Place it on your pack in black on a white or light ground. The number itself must come from GS1: this tool draws bars, it does not register numbers.
What to know before printing
Where the number comes from
From GS1, the organisation that runs barcodes: you join your country’s GS1 office and get a company prefix. In Vietnam that is GS1 Vietnam, and Vietnamese numbers start with 893.
Size
GS1 allows 80 % to 200 % of the nominal size: an EAN-13 from 29.83 to 74.58 mm wide. Do not cut the bars shorter to save space; ask your printer for the smallest size their press reads well.
Colour
Dark bars on a light ground: black, dark blue, dark green or dark brown bars; white, yellow or light grounds. Red bars and bars on kraft or clear film often fail to scan.
Quiet zones
Keep the white margins either side clear: 11 modules on the left and 7 on the right of an EAN-13 (3.63 and 2.31 mm at 100 %). The SVG includes them.
Questions
Is this barcode generator free?
Yes, and it needs no account. The SVG is a vector you can place in Illustrator, InDesign, Affinity or Drint at any of the GS1 sizes.
What is the check digit?
The last digit of the barcode, worked out from the others (weights 3 and 1 from the right, modulo 10). Type 12 digits for an EAN-13 and the tool adds it; type all 13 and it checks yours.
What is the difference between EAN-13 and UPC-A?
UPC-A has 12 digits and is used mostly in the United States and Canada; EAN-13 has 13 and is used almost everywhere else. A UPC-A is an EAN-13 that starts with 0, and shops worldwide scan both.
Can I make up a barcode number?
No: a made-up number may belong to another company and retailers check them. Get your numbers from GS1.