EAN-13 Barcode Generator (Free UPC Barcode Maker)
This EAN-13 barcode generator turns a retail product number into a scannable barcode right in your browser, computing the check digit for you and exporting a clean PNG or vector SVG. It also makes UPC-A codes, so whether you sell in Europe, North America, or globally on Amazon and Shopify, you can encode the number you already own and print it. Nothing uploads, nothing needs an account.
Create common barcodes.
How to use the ean-13 & upc
- Choose EAN-13 for a European or global retail product, or switch to UPC-A if your number is a 11-12 digit North American UPC.
- Type or paste your product number: 12 digits and we add the check digit, or a full 13-digit code and we verify the one you supplied.
- Watch the live preview and validation. If the value is the wrong length or has non-digit characters, fix it until the message clears and the bars render.
- Set the size (Small, Medium, or Large) and keep the human-readable digits shown under the bars so cashiers and staff can read the number.
- Download a PNG for online listings, or a vector SVG for print and packaging that stays crisp at any scale.
About the ean-13 & upc
EAN-13 is the barcode you see on almost every packaged retail product outside North America, and its close cousin UPC-A covers the United States and Canada. This page presets our Barcode Generator to the EAN13 symbology so you can paste your 12 or 13 digit product number and get a print-ready barcode instantly. As you type, the live preview redraws and per-type validation checks your value against the EAN-13 rules, rejecting anything that is the wrong length or contains non-digits with a plain message instead of a broken image. Once it looks right you download a crisp PNG for web listings or a vector SVG that stays sharp on packaging at any size, and you can toggle the human-readable digits printed under the bars on or off.
The detail that trips people up most is the check digit, and the tool handles it for you. An EAN-13 code is really 12 meaningful digits plus a 13th check digit calculated from the first twelve using the standard modulo-10 weighting (alternating 1 and 3 multipliers). If you enter 12 digits, we compute and append the correct check digit; if you enter a full 13-digit number, we validate that the check digit you supplied is actually correct. UPC-A works the same way with 11 or 12 digits. This is why a number that looks fine can still get rejected: the check digit is doing its job of catching a transposed or mistyped digit before it ever reaches a scanner.
One honest thing worth being clear about: this tool encodes a product number you already have, it does not assign or register one. The company prefix at the start of a real EAN-13 or UPC-A number is issued by GS1, the global standards body, and you buy that from GS1 (or from a legitimate reseller) so that your codes are globally unique and accepted by retailers. We never invent a prefix for you. If you already have your GS1 numbers, or you only need internal codes that will never cross into open retail, you are in exactly the right place. This page is one preset of the same Barcode Generator; for shipping labels, asset tags, and any text-based SKU see the Code 128 page, and to encode a whole spreadsheet of product numbers in one pass see the Bulk page. Note this is a barcode tool, not a QR code maker, which lives separately.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between EAN-13 and UPC-A?
- They are the same barcode family with a length difference. EAN-13 carries 13 digits and is the retail standard in Europe and most of the world; UPC-A carries 12 digits and is used in the United States and Canada. A UPC-A number is essentially an EAN-13 with a leading zero, so many scanners read both. This tool generates either one - pick EAN-13 for a 12-13 digit number, or UPC-A for an 11-12 digit US/Canada code.
- Does this EAN-13 barcode generator calculate the check digit?
- Yes. Enter 12 digits and it computes the correct 13th check digit for you using the standard modulo-10 algorithm. Enter a full 13-digit number and it validates that your check digit is correct, rejecting the value if it is not. UPC-A gets the same treatment with 11 or 12 digits. That check digit is what lets a scanner catch a single mistyped digit.
- Will these barcodes actually scan at a store checkout?
- The barcodes are correctly encoded and will scan reliably, as long as the number itself is a real, GS1-issued product number. A scanner reads whatever digits you encode; whether a retailer's system recognizes those digits depends on you owning a legitimate GS1 prefix. For internal inventory or catalog use, any valid EAN-13 or UPC-A number scans fine on your own equipment.
- Does this register a GS1 company prefix or give me a real UPC?
- No, and that is an important distinction. This tool encodes a number you already have into a barcode image; it does not assign, register, or sell you a product number. Globally unique retail numbers come from GS1, which you buy a company prefix from. If you plan to sell through major retailers or Amazon, get your numbers from GS1 first, then bring them here to generate the barcodes.
- Can I download the EAN-13 barcode as a vector SVG?
- Yes. In single mode you can download a PNG for screens and online listings, or a vector SVG that stays perfectly crisp at any size - ideal for product packaging, labels, and print artwork in Illustrator or InDesign. If vector print quality is your main concern, the SVG barcode page on this site goes deeper on why print needs vector over PNG.
- How do I make barcodes for a whole product list at once?
- Use the Bulk page, which is the same generator set to batch mode. Paste your product numbers one per line (optionally as value,caption), generate the whole set, then download a ZIP of PNGs or open a printable label sheet you can send to PDF. It is built for tagging a full catalog or inventory in one pass rather than one code at a time.
- Is my product data uploaded anywhere?
- No. Everything runs client-side in your browser using JsBarcode. Your product numbers are never sent to a server, nothing is stored, and there is no sign-up. When you close the tab, nothing about your codes remains anywhere but on your own machine in whatever files you chose to download.
- Can this generate QR codes for my products instead?
- Not on this page - this is a 1D retail barcode generator for EAN-13 and UPC-A. QR codes are a separate 2D format with their own tool on the site. If you specifically need the linear striped barcode that a retail scanner reads, EAN-13 or UPC-A here is what you want.