Barcode Generator

Generate EAN-13, EAN-8, and UPC-A barcodes as SVG. Check digit calculated automatically.

Format

Digits (12/12)

Check digit: 7 → Full barcode: 5901234123457

Bar height (px)

Bar color

Background

Enter digits to generate barcode

EAN and UPC barcode formats

EAN-13 (European Article Number) is the international retail standard for product identification, encoding 12 digits plus a check digit. EAN-8 is a compact variant for small products. UPC-A is the North American equivalent. All use alternating bar/space patterns where the width encodes binary data. The check digit is computed via a weighted sum to detect scanning errors.

Built and maintained by Meet Shah · Last updated 19 July 2026

What this tool is used for

Producing a scannable barcode for a product mockup or a label proof.
Generating a barcode from a known product number for a test scan.
Checking that a number's check digit is right by seeing it encoded.
Producing an SVG barcode that stays crisp at print size.
Creating labels for internal inventory items.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the check digit worked out?: For EAN-13, the twelve digits are weighted 1, 3, 1, 3… from the left, summed, and the check digit is whatever brings the total to a multiple of 10. EAN-8 uses the same rule with the weights reversed (3, 1, 3, 1…). Get it wrong and no scanner will read the code.
Where is the 13th digit actually drawn?: Nowhere — and this is the clever part of EAN-13. Only 12 digits are drawn as bars. The first digit is encoded in the *pattern* of odd and even encodings used for the left-hand six (LLLLLL, LLGLGG, LLGGLG and so on), which is what lets a 13-digit code fit in a 12-digit symbol.
What is the difference between UPC-A and EAN-13?: None, structurally: UPC-A is an EAN-13 with a leading zero. A US 12-digit UPC scans as `0` plus those digits anywhere in the world, which is why EAN-13 readers accept UPC-A without a separate mode.
Why are three different digit encodings used?: L, G and R. R-codes are the exact bit-inverse of L-codes, which makes the symbol readable upside down — the scanner detects it read an R pattern first and reverses. G is L reversed, and it is the odd/even choice that carries the hidden first digit.
Can I print the SVG at any size?: Scale it, but respect the quiet zone: at least 9 module widths of blank space on the left and 7 on the right of an EAN-13. Most failed scans are a barcode printed flush against other artwork, not a wrong number.

Common errors and gotchas

Printing too small or with too little quiet zone either side, which makes it unscannable.
Making up a product number, which may collide with a real registered product.
Scaling the barcode non-uniformly, which distorts the bar widths the scanner measures.
Rasterising at low resolution for print, where the bar edges blur together.
Confusing EAN-13 with UPC-A, which are related but not interchangeable in every system.