Barcode Generator

This free barcode generator supports six widely used industry-standard barcode formats that cover the vast majority of commercial and industrial applications. CODE128 is the default and most versatile format — it encodes the full ASCII character set including letters, numbers, and symbols with high data density. EAN-13 is the international 13-digit retail barcode used on products sold in Europe, Asia, and most of the world. EAN-8 is a compact 8-digit variant for small packages. UPC-A is the 12-digit barcode standard used primarily in North American retail. CODE39 supports uppercase letters, digits, and a few special characters, and is widely used in government, defense, and automotive industries. ITF-14 is a 14-digit format designed for shipping cartons and outer packaging in logistics. Each format has specific input requirements, and the tool validates your data automatically.

Yes. This online barcode generator runs entirely in your browser using client-side JavaScript and the JsBarcode library. The data you enter into the input field is processed locally on your device and rendered as an SVG graphic without any network request being made. Your data is never sent to a server, stored in a database, logged in any analytics system, or shared with any third party. This architecture makes the tool completely safe for generating barcodes that contain internal product codes, proprietary SKU numbers, confidential inventory identifiers, serial numbers, or any other sensitive business information. You can even use the tool while disconnected from the internet after the page has loaded.

Yes. This barcode generator provides two download options to suit different use cases. The PNG download produces a high-quality raster image that is ideal for embedding in documents, presentations, emails, and digital media. The SVG download produces a scalable vector file that is resolution-independent — this means it can be scaled to any size without losing sharpness, making it perfect for professional print applications like product labels, packaging, shipping stickers, and retail tags that need to be scanned reliably. SVG files are also smaller in file size than high-resolution PNGs, making them efficient for batch processing and storage. Both download options produce output that conforms to the barcode standard and is fully scannable.

CODE128 and CODE39 are both alphanumeric barcode formats, but they differ significantly in capability and data density. CODE128 encodes the full 128-character ASCII set (uppercase and lowercase letters, all digits, symbols, and control characters) using a compact, high-density encoding scheme that produces shorter barcodes for the same amount of data. This makes it the most versatile and most commonly used linear barcode format worldwide, preferred in shipping, logistics, healthcare, and retail. CODE39, on the other hand, supports only uppercase letters (A-Z), digits (0-9), and seven special characters (- . $ / + % and space). It produces wider barcodes because each character requires more bars. Despite this limitation, CODE39 remains popular in government, military, and defense applications because of its simplicity and the fact that it is self-checking (no mandatory check digit). Choose CODE128 unless your specific application requires CODE39.

EAN-13 and UPC-A are standardized retail barcode formats with strict input requirements. EAN-13 requires exactly 12 or 13 digits (if you provide 12, the tool calculates the 13th check digit automatically). UPC-A requires exactly 11 or 12 digits (the 12th check digit is auto-calculated from 11). If you enter the wrong number of digits, include any non-numeric characters (letters, spaces, or symbols), or enter a value that does not conform to the format's specification, the tool will display a validation error and cannot generate the barcode. Double-check that your input contains only numbers and matches the required length for your chosen format. If you are unsure about the correct digit count, CODE128 is a more forgiving format that accepts any input.

Yes. This barcode generator provides several customization options to ensure the generated barcode fits your specific label size, packaging design, and scanning requirements. You can adjust the individual bar width, which controls how thick each bar element is and directly affects the overall width of the barcode. You can adjust the height to make the barcode taller or shorter, which is important for scanning reliability — taller barcodes are generally easier for scanners to read. You can also toggle whether the human-readable text (the encoded data value) appears below the barcode, which is useful for manual verification. These options let you create barcodes that comply with your industry's sizing specifications and integrate seamlessly with your existing label and packaging designs.

Yes. The barcodes are generated using the JsBarcode library, which produces output that strictly adheres to international barcode encoding standards for each supported format. The generated barcodes are fully scannable by all common barcode reading hardware, including handheld laser barcode scanners, CCD image-based scanners, smartphone camera apps (such as Google Lens and Apple's built-in barcode reader), point-of-sale (POS) systems, and industrial automated scanning equipment. For the best scanning reliability when printing, ensure adequate contrast between the bars and the background (dark bars on a white or very light background), use a sufficiently high resolution (300 DPI or higher for printed labels), and avoid scaling the barcode so small that individual bars become indistinguishable. The SVG download option is particularly well-suited for print because it maintains perfect sharpness at any size.

Yes. This barcode generator is completely free to use with no restrictions whatsoever. There are no subscriptions, no premium tiers, no watermarks stamped on the generated barcodes, no account registration required, no daily or monthly limits on the number of barcodes you can create, and no advertisements. You can generate barcodes in any of the six supported formats, customize their appearance, and download them as PNG or SVG files without paying anything. The tool is free because it runs entirely in your web browser using the open-source JsBarcode library — there are no server-side computations or cloud infrastructure costs to maintain.

Yes. The barcode images generated by this tool are yours to use for any purpose, including commercial products, retail packaging, inventory management, shipping labels, asset tracking, and any other business application. The tool generates the barcode graphic faithfully from whatever data you provide. However, it is important to understand that for standardized retail barcodes (EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A), the numbers encoded in the barcode must be officially registered through GS1, the global standards organization that manages barcode number assignments. You need to obtain a valid GS1 company prefix and assign product numbers through their system before your barcodes will scan correctly in retail point-of-sale systems worldwide. For internal use cases like inventory management or asset tracking, CODE128 barcodes with your own numbering scheme do not require GS1 registration.

ITF-14 (Interleaved 2 of 5, 14 digits) is a barcode format specifically designed for marking shipping cartons, cases, and outer packaging in logistics and supply chain operations. It uses a 14-digit structure called a GTIN-14 (Global Trade Item Number), where the first digit is a packaging indicator (showing the packaging level), followed by the 12-digit UPC/EAN product code, and ending with a check digit. ITF-14 barcodes are printed larger than EAN or UPC codes and feature thick bars with wide spacing, making them easy to scan on corrugated cardboard, shrink-wrapped pallets, and other rough surfaces where higher-resolution barcodes might not scan reliably. If you are preparing cartons for distribution, warehouse receiving, or logistics tracking, ITF-14 is the appropriate format to use.

CODE128 for anything internal — asset tags, warehouse locations, stock you track yourself. It is compact, handles letters and numbers, and has no registration requirement. EAN-13 for retail products outside North America and UPC-A inside it, but only with a number genuinely allocated to you by GS1. CODE39 only if you are feeding an older system that specifically requires it. ITF-14 for outer shipping cartons.

SVG for anything going to print, without hesitation. It is vector, so bars stay perfectly sharp at any size, and scanning reliability depends on crisp bar edges. PNG is fine for a screen or a quick test. A PNG enlarged in a layout program is the most common cause of a printed barcode that will not scan.

Not in this tool — it makes one at a time. For a large catalogue you would want a script; the JsBarcode library this uses works just as well from Node and will generate hundreds from a CSV in a few lines. For a handful of codes, generating them here is quicker than setting that up.

Only for retail. If a product will be scanned at a shop till, you need an EAN or UPC number allocated by GS1, because those numbers are globally unique and a self-invented one will collide with somebody else’s product. For internal use — inventory, assets, library stock, event tickets — you can use any number you like with CODE128 and no registration is needed.

Usually print quality rather than the code itself. Print from the SVG rather than an enlarged PNG, keep the quiet zone — the blank margin either side of the bars — clear, avoid printing on glossy or coloured stock, and do not scale the barcode disproportionately in one axis. Test with a phone scanning app before committing to a print run.