Barcode Generator

The barcode appears as soon as the value is valid, and it redraws every time you change a control, so there is no generate button. A message under the preview says whether the barcode is ready or what is wrong with the value.

1. Open Barcode type and choose the symbol you need. The page starts on Code 128 with the sample value TOOLSWISH-2026. If you switch type while the box still holds the sample, the box fills with a valid sample for the new type.
2. Type or paste your text or digits in Value. If the value does not fit the type, the barcode disappears and a hint states what that type accepts, such as 12 or 13 digits for EAN-13.
3. Set Bar width (1 to 6, default 2) and Bar height (30 to 300, default 100). Wider bars are easier to scan and print.
4. Tick or untick Print the value under the bars, and change Bar color if you need something other than black. The background is always white.
5. Press Download PNG for a picture or Download SVG for a vector file that stays sharp at any size. The file name includes the type and the value.

Before you print many copies, scan one with a phone camera or a scanner to confirm that it reads back the exact value you typed.

The six types differ in what they can hold and where they are normally used. Pick the one the scanner, the printer or the other party expects, not the one that looks neatest.

For anything you create yourself, Code 128 is the flexible choice: it takes mixed text and produces a compact symbol. Code 39 is older and longer for the same text, and the tool prints it in capitals even if you typed lowercase. If you want a symbol that carries a web address or a longer message and is read by phones, use the QR code generator instead, because a one-dimensional barcode holds a short value only.

EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A and ITF-14 end with a check digit, calculated from the digits before it so a scanner can reject a misread. You can type one digit fewer than the full length and the tool adds the check digit. If you type the full number, the check digit must be correct, or the tool refuses it and shows the format hint.

For EAN-13, multiply the first 12 digits by 1 and 3 alternately from the left, add the results, and choose the digit that brings the total up to a multiple of 10. Take 590123412345:

The products add up to 83. The next multiple of 10 is 90, so the check digit is 7 and the full number is 5901234123457. Type the 12 digits and the tool shows that 13-digit number. Change the last digit to 0 and the tool rejects it.

The other three types follow the same idea with their own weights, so let the tool do the arithmetic. Typing 9638507 in EAN-8 gives 96385074, 12345678901 in UPC-A gives 123456789012, and 1540014128876 in ITF-14 gives 15400141288763. The number base converter and the random number generator are handy for building test values.

The tool makes a valid barcode symbol, but it does not issue numbers. Barcodes used to sell products in shops must be built on a company prefix issued by GS1 or one of its resellers. A number made up here is not unique worldwide, so do not use it on goods that will be sold. For internal labels, inventory, shipping, tickets and events, Code 128 and Code 39 are fine, and a unique ID from the UUID generator can serve as the value.

A barcode needs empty space on both sides, called the quiet zone. The tool adds a margin of 14 units around the bars, so keep that white space when you place the picture in a document or crop it. To print one that scans:

• Keep the default Bar width of 2 or more, and make the height generous.
• Use dark bars on a white background. Pale colors and low contrast are the most common reason a scanner refuses a label.
• Print at 100 percent. Scaling a picture in a document can blur the bar edges, which is why the SVG download is the safer file for print.
• Test one printed copy with a phone camera or a scanner before printing a batch.

The PNG download redraws the vector bars three times larger on a white background, so it stays crisp in most layouts. If you need other sizes or formats, the image converter can change the file type.