Free EAN-13 Barcode Generator
EAN-13 accepts 12 digits (check digit added) or 13 digits. Check digit: modulo 10, verified or calculated. Keep a quiet zone of 11 modules clear on each side of the printed symbol.
- No signup
- Free commercial use
- No watermarks
When to use EAN-13
EAN-13 is the retail barcode used on packaged goods outside North America. The number belongs to a GS1 company prefix licensed to you; this tool draws the symbol for a number you already hold. If the digits are not yours, retailers will reject the product because the number already identifies someone else's item.
Generating an image does not assign you a licensed retail number.
Read back by our scanner — Our exports were decoded back by our own scanner.
Drawing an EAN, UPC, ITF-14 or ISBN image does not assign you that number. Retail identifiers are licensed by GS1, and ISBNs come from your national ISBN agency. Nothing on this site is described as GS1 compliant.
Try a EAN-13 example before making your labels
The generator’s example value is 5901234123457. It is demonstration data for testing the tool, not a number assigned to your business. Replace it with the exact reference your stock system, supplier or retailer expects. This format accepts 12 digits (check digit added) or 13 digits; punctuation, missing digits and accidental spaces can matter.
First generate one label and read the human-readable value under it. Then scan the exported image using a reader that supports EAN-13. Compare the decoded value with your original record, including any leading zeroes. If the format adds or verifies a check character, use the generator’s validation result rather than adding an arbitrary digit yourself.
From a valid image to a usable printed barcode
A barcode only identifies the value encoded in its bars. Your till or inventory software must already know what that value means. A scan will not automatically create a product record, set a price or register a new retail identifier. Test with the scanner and software that will be used in your actual workflow.
Export SVG for a designer or PDF for a fixed print layout. Keep the blank space around the symbol and avoid squeezing the width to fit a label. Print at actual size, inspect the narrow bars for smudges or missing ink, and test on the final material. A good scan from a monitor does not prove that a glossy, curved or very small printed label will work.
For a batch, keep identifiers as text in your spreadsheet so leading zeroes are not lost. The bulk generator creates files from rows, and the label maker arranges them for sheets or rolls. Try a small batch first and compare several labels against the source file before producing the full run.
Frequently asked questions
How many digits does EAN-13 need?
Twelve digits, in which case the modulo 10 check digit is calculated and appended, or all thirteen, in which case the check digit you typed is verified and a mismatch is reported with the expected value.
Does generating the image give me the number?
No. Drawing an EAN-13 image does not assign you a licensed retail number. Retail identifiers come from GS1 or a legitimate reseller.
How wide should it be printed?
Keep the quiet zone of 11 modules clear on each side and avoid shrinking the symbol below the size your printer can hold clean edges at. A cramped quiet zone is the most common cause of a retail scanner refusing a code.
Has this output actually been read back?
Our exported EAN-13 images were decoded again by our own scanner during testing. Test a printed sample on the scanner that will actually be used.