Barcode Generator

Pick a barcode type, enter your data, and generate a barcode you can download as PNG or JPG. Works for product labels, inventory, and packaging.

Inputs

17/80 characters

Preview

Click "Generate Barcode" to see preview

How to generate a barcode

Pick the barcode type you need

UPC-A for US retail shelves, EAN-13 for international products, Code 128 for shipping labels and internal use, Code 39 for older warehouse systems. If you are not sure, Code 128 handles the most use cases.

Enter your data

Type in the number or text string you want encoded. UPC-A needs exactly 12 digits. EAN-13 needs 13. Code 128 and Code 39 accept alphanumeric text, so they work for SKUs and serial numbers.

Download and use it

Grab the barcode as a PNG for print labels or SVG if you need it to scale cleanly at any size. Drop it into your label template, packaging file, or inventory system.

Tips for getting barcodes right

A barcode that does not scan is worse than no barcode at all. Here is how to avoid common mistakes.

Leave enough quiet zone

The blank space on either side of a barcode is called the quiet zone. Scanners need it to know where the barcode starts and ends. At least 2.5mm on each side for UPC. If you crop it tight, it will not scan.

Do not shrink below minimum size

UPC-A minimum is about 29.8mm wide by 25.9mm tall. Go smaller and cheap scanners will struggle. If you are tight on space, Code 128 is more compact for the same data.

Print in high contrast

Black bars on white background works best. Dark blue on white is fine too. Red bars on white will not scan because most barcode scanners use red laser light and cannot see red bars against a white background.

Test before you print a batch

Print one label and scan it with your actual scanner or a phone app before you print 500. A barcode that looks good on screen can fail on a thermal printer if the resolution is too low.

Get a GS1 prefix for retail

You cannot just make up a UPC number and put it on a product for retail. You need a GS1 Company Prefix, which costs $250 for the initial fee plus $50 per year for up to 10 products. Reselling prefixes from third parties can cause conflicts.

One product, one barcode

Each product variation needs its own barcode. A medium blue t-shirt and a large blue t-shirt are two different barcodes. If you reuse the same code, your inventory counts will be wrong from day one.

Pair your products with
reviews that sell them

A barcode gets your product scanned. Reviews get it purchased. WiserReview helps you collect authentic customer reviews and display them where they drive the most conversions.

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FAQs

Common questions about barcodes and this generator.

UPC-A is 12 digits and used mainly in the US and Canada. EAN-13 is 13 digits and used everywhere else. Technically a UPC-A is just an EAN-13 with a leading zero. Most modern scanners read both, but retailers in specific regions will require the format that matches their system.
Only if you are selling in retail stores or on marketplaces that require GS1 codes like Amazon or Walmart Marketplace. For internal warehouse use, shipping labels, or asset tracking, you can use Code 128 with your own numbering scheme and no GS1 is needed.
Yes. The barcodes generated here are standard formats with no licensing restrictions on the barcode itself. The only thing you need to worry about is having a legitimate GS1 prefix if you are using UPC-A or EAN-13 for retail products.
The three most common reasons are not enough quiet zone around the barcode, printing too small, or low contrast between bars and background. Print a test at the recommended minimum size with black bars on a white background and try again. Also check that your scanner supports the barcode type you generated.
Code 128 is the go-to barcode for anything that is not a retail point-of-sale scan. Shipping labels like FedEx and UPS use it. Warehouse bin locations use it. Internal SKU tracking uses it. It encodes the full ASCII set, so you can put letters, numbers, and symbols in it.
It depends on the prefix length you buy. A GS1 US prefix for up to 10 products costs $250 initial plus $50 annually. For up to 100 products it is $750 initial plus $150 annually. Larger ranges go up from there. Each unique product variation including size and color needs its own number.
Use SVG if you are putting the barcode in a design file or need to scale it. SVG is vector so it stays crisp at any size. Use PNG if you are printing directly to a label printer at a fixed size. For thermal printers, PNG at 300 DPI is usually the safest bet.
UPC-A and EAN-13 are numbers only. Code 128 handles the full ASCII character set including letters, numbers, and special characters. Code 39 handles uppercase letters, numbers, and a handful of symbols like dash and period. Pick your barcode type based on what data you need to encode.