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EAN-13 barcode generator with check digit

Type the 12 digits of your GTIN and we add the check digit, or type all 13 and we verify it. The barcode follows the GS1 layout, from the guard bars to the digits printed under each group.

Check digit added or verified
GS1 sizes from 80% to 200%
Vector PDF and SVG for print

Content

12 digits, or 13 with the check digit. Retail numbers come from GS1.

Bar width X (mm) Bar height (mm) PNG resolution Show the text

More QR and barcode tools

How to make an EAN-13 barcode

Get your GTIN
From your GS1 member organization: your company prefix plus an item reference for this product.
Type the number
Twelve digits and we add the thirteenth, or all thirteen and we check the last one. Spaces are ignored.
Pick the size
X = 0.330 mm is the standard 100% size. Go down to 0.264 mm on small packs, never below.
Download for artwork
Place the PDF or SVG in your packaging design at 100% scale, and keep the white margins around it.

Anatomy of an EAN-13 barcode

An EAN-13 symbol is 95 modules wide, plus its quiet zones. Twelve digits are drawn as bars; the first digit is not drawn on its own but hidden in the pattern of the left half:

Parts of an EAN-13 barcode
Part	Width	What it does
Left quiet zone	11 modules	Blank space; the first digit is printed here
Start guard	3 modules	Bar, space, bar: tells the scanner where the code starts
Left half	6 digits x 7 modules	Digits 2 to 7, each in one of two patterns; the mix of patterns encodes digit 1
Center guard	5 modules	Splits the two halves
Right half	6 digits x 7 modules	Digits 8 to 13, the last being the check digit
End guard and right quiet zone	3 + 7 modules	Ends the code and keeps other print away

That is why the first digit sits outside the bars, to the left. Guard bars extend a little below the others, and the digits sit between them.

Sizes from 80% to 200%

GS1 lets retail EAN-13 barcodes range from 80% to 200% of the nominal size. The height grows with the width, so a smaller barcode is also shorter:

EAN-13 sizes by magnification
Size	Bar width X	Width with quiet zones	Bar height
80%	0.264 mm	29.83 mm	18.28 mm
90%	0.297 mm	33.56 mm	20.57 mm
100%	0.330 mm	37.29 mm	22.85 mm
120%	0.396 mm	44.75 mm	27.42 mm
150%	0.495 mm	55.94 mm	34.28 mm
200%	0.660 mm	74.58 mm	45.70 mm

Cutting the height to fit a label is called truncation. GS1 allows it only when there is absolutely no room for a full-size barcode, because it stops scanners from reading the code at an angle.

Where your number comes from

An EAN-13 number is a GTIN-13: your GS1 Company Prefix, an item reference you choose for each product, and the check digit. GS1 asks for item references to be given out in order from zero, with no meaning built in, and recorded carefully.

The first three digits name the GS1 office that issued the prefix: 890 is GS1 India, 500 to 509 GS1 UK, 400 to 440 GS1 Germany. They do not say where the product was made. Books use 978 and 979, the ISBN range, and 952 is kept by GS1 for examples, which is why our sample number starts with it.

Questions

How is the EAN-13 check digit calculated?

Multiply the first 12 digits by 1 and 3 in turn, starting with 1 on the left, add the results, and take the amount needed to reach the next multiple of 10. The generator does this for you and flags a wrong check digit.

Can I make up my own EAN-13 number?

Not for products sold through retailers or marketplaces. The number must come from your GS1 prefix, or it may clash with another company’s product. For internal labels, use Code 128 instead.

Do the first digits show the country of origin?

No. They show which GS1 member organization issued the company prefix. A company registered with GS1 India can make products anywhere, and the reverse.

How small can an EAN-13 barcode be?

At 80%, a bar width of 0.264 mm, it is about 29.8 mm wide with its quiet zones. For packs smaller than that, GS1 permits EAN-8 under set conditions, such as a printable area under 80 square centimeters.

What is the difference between EAN-13 and GTIN-13?

GTIN-13 is the number; EAN-13 is the barcode that carries it. The same GTIN can also appear in a QR code or GS1 DataMatrix.

Can I make an ISBN barcode for a book?

Yes. An ISBN-13 is an EAN-13 starting with 978 or 979; type the 13 digits. Price add-on codes (EAN-5) are not supported.

What colors should an EAN-13 barcode be?

Black bars on a white background is safest. Retail scanners read with red light (GS1 measures print quality at 660 nm), so red, orange or yellow bars can vanish for the scanner, and a dark background hides the gaps.