Barcode Generator

The Barcode Generator turns a number or short text string into a standard, scannable barcode you can download and print or drop into a label, document, or design. It runs entirely in your browser — type a value, pick a barcode type (symbology), and get an image you can save, with no account and no upload of your data to a server.

It's built for everyday practical jobs: putting a SKU on a product label, encoding a shipment reference, generating a membership number, or mocking up barcodes while testing a point-of-sale or inventory system.

A 1D ("linear") barcode encodes characters as a pattern of parallel bars and spaces of varying width. A scanner reads the widths, decodes them back to the original characters, and your system looks that value up. Different symbologies are just different rule sets for that encoding, each suited to different data:

• Code 128 — high-density, encodes the full ASCII set (letters, digits, symbols). The best general-purpose choice for SKUs, internal IDs, and mixed alphanumeric data.
• EAN-13 / EAN-8 — the retail product codes used on consumer goods worldwide. EAN-13 is 13 digits including a check digit; EAN-8 is the compact 8-digit version for small packages.
• UPC-A — the 12-digit retail code used primarily in North America.
• Code 39 — older alphanumeric symbology, still common in industrial, automotive, and government workflows because so much legacy hardware supports it.
• ITF (Interleaved 2 of 5) / ITF-14 — numeric-only and compact; ITF-14 is widely used on shipping cartons and cases.
• MSI, Pharmacode, Codabar — niche symbologies for inventory shelf labels, pharmaceutical packaging, and libraries.

The tool renders the barcode in your browser, applies the symbology's encoding rules (including computing required check digits for the retail formats), and produces a crisp image. Because formats like EAN-13 and UPC-A have strict length and check-digit rules, the tool rejects input that doesn't fit the format you picked — that's expected, not a bug.

Heads-up on 2D codes: QR codes and PDF417 are 2D (matrix) codes, not 1D barcodes, and follow a different standard. If you need a QR code or PDF417, use the dedicated tool for it.

1. Enter your data in the input field — for example a SKU, a product number, or a reference code.
2. Choose the barcode type (symbology) that matches your data and your scanner. Unsure? Pick Code 128 for general alphanumeric data, or the matching retail format (EAN-13 / UPC-A) for an official product code.
3. Adjust options if available — bar width, height, and whether the human-readable value prints beneath the bars. Keep the readable text on unless you have a reason to hide it.
4. Preview the result and check it looks clean, with clear space on both sides.
5. Download the image and place it on your label or document, or print it.

Worked example — a Code 128 barcode for a SKU. Enter the value SKU-00482 and choose Code 128 (the value mixes letters, digits, and a hyphen, which numeric-only retail formats can't encode). The tool produces a linear barcode whose bars encode SKU-00482, with the text printed underneath. Scanning it returns exactly SKU-00482, which your inventory system can then look up.

If you instead needed a 13-digit retail code, you'd choose EAN-13, enter the 12 base digits, and the tool would append the correct check digit automatically.

• Retail & point of sale — product labels using EAN-13 or UPC-A so items scan at checkout.
• Inventory & warehousing — Code 128 or Code 39 labels for internal SKUs, bins, shelves, and asset tags.
• Shipping & logistics — ITF-14 or Code 128 on cartons and cases for tracking references.
• Events & membership — Code 128 barcodes on tickets, badges, and membership cards for fast check-in.
• Development & testing — sample barcodes to test scanners, POS software, or label-printing pipelines without real stock.

• Keep the quiet zones. Barcodes need blank margins on the left and right (typically at least ~10× the narrowest bar width). Crop too tight and scanners fail to read them — don't trim the white space.
• Check digits are part of the format. EAN-13, UPC-A, and ITF-14 include a computed check digit. Let the tool calculate it; don't hand-edit the digits afterward or the code becomes invalid.
• Print resolution matters. For reliable scanning, print at 300 DPI or higher. Generate the barcode at the size you need rather than stretching a small one up, so the bar widths stay accurate.
• Pick the symbology for the data. Numeric-only formats (EAN / UPC / ITF) reject letters and symbols. If your value isn't purely the right number of digits, use Code 128 or Code 39.
• 1D vs 2D — choose deliberately. Use a 1D barcode for a single short identifier read by a linear scanner (most retail/inventory cases). Use a QR code (2D) when you need to encode much more data, such as a URL or contact details, or expect phone-camera scanning.
• Test before a batch. Generate one, print it at final size, and scan it with your actual hardware before committing to a large run.

Which barcode type should I use? For general alphanumeric data such as SKUs, use Code 128. For official retail products, use EAN-13 (or EAN-8 for tiny packages) internationally, or UPC-A in North America. For legacy industrial systems, Code 39 is the safe bet.

Why won't it accept my number? Retail formats are strict: EAN-13 needs exactly the right digit count and a valid check digit, and they don't allow letters or symbols. If your value has letters or a hyphen, switch to Code 128 or Code 39.

Can it make a QR code? No — a QR code is a 2D matrix code, not a 1D barcode. Use the dedicated 2D tool for that.

Is my data uploaded anywhere? No. The barcode is generated in your browser from what you type, so the value stays on your device.

Will the barcode actually scan? Yes, if you keep the quiet-zone margins, let the tool compute any required check digit, and print at 300 DPI or higher. Always test one with your real scanner before a big run.