Which barcode types are supported?

The generator covers the symbologies you'll actually encounter. Code 128 packs alphanumeric data densely and dominates shipping. Code 39 is simpler and common in industrial settings. EAN-13 is the 13-digit global retail standard, UPC-A is the 12-digit US retail standard, ISBN is the book variant, and QR Code is the modern 2D format that holds far more data than any linear option.

Which barcode type should I use?

It depends on the destination. For retail goods reach for UPC-A in the US or EAN-13 internationally. For shipping and logistics, Code 128 or GS1-128 wins on density. For internal asset tracking, Code 39 is simpler if you don't need the extra characters. For anything with substantial data — URLs, contact info, payment details — use a QR Code. Code 128 is a sensible default when you're unsure.

Can I include any text or just numbers?

That depends on the symbology. Code 128 handles the full ASCII range including letters, numbers, and symbols. Code 39 covers A-Z, 0-9, and a small set of punctuation. EAN and UPC only accept digits with a check character at the end. The generator validates your input against the chosen type's allowed characters before producing the barcode.

How do barcodes ensure scan accuracy?

Most include a check digit derived from the rest of the data. EAN-13's thirteenth digit verifies the first twelve, UPC-A's twelfth digit verifies the first eleven, and Code 128 carries a similar check character. Scanners recompute the digit on read and reject mismatches, which catches the kinds of single-digit errors that come from a bad print or a partial scan.

What size should I print barcodes?

For retail, the UPC standard is 1.469 inches wide by 1 inch tall at full magnification. Smaller items often shrink to 50 to 80 percent of that, but going much below 80 percent starts to hurt scanning reliability. Industrial Code 128 tolerates smaller sizing, and shipping labels typically run 2 to 4 inches wide. Always test a printed sample with multiple scanners before committing.

Can I customize the appearance?

Most generators expose width, height, foreground and background colors, an optional human-readable text line below the bars, and font sizing for that text. Stay close to standards — black bars on a white background scan most reliably — and treat exotic color schemes as a last resort because anything else degrades scan rates under poor lighting.

Is the barcode data sent anywhere?

No. The whole pipeline runs in your browser, so confidential product codes, internal asset IDs, or any other private payload stays on your device.

Barcode Generator

Generate barcodes in Code128, EAN, UPC, and other formats online. Free barcode generator with custom size and downloadable output.

Generators

Instant results

Text/Numbers

Supports ASCII 32-127 (letters, numbers, symbols)

Format

Bar Width: 2px

Height: 80px

About Barcode Generator

Generate scannable barcodes in Code 128, Code 39, and EAN-13 formats. Code 128 supports the full ASCII character set and is the most versatile. Code 39 is commonly used in logistics. EAN-13 is the standard retail barcode. All barcodes include proper checksums and are scanner-compatible.

How to Use Barcode Generator

Enter your data

Type the text or number you want to encode. The generator validates the input against the chosen symbology so you can't accidentally try to fit letters into a digits-only barcode like UPC-A.

Select barcode type

Pick the symbology that matches your destination — Code 128 for versatile shipping use, UPC-A for US retail, EAN-13 for international retail, Code 39 for industrial settings, or a QR Code when the payload is long or contains a URL.

Customize appearance

Tweak width, height, and the foreground or background colors as needed. Stick with high contrast — black bars on white scan most reliably — and enable the human-readable text underneath if cashiers or operators need a fallback.

Download as PNG or SVG

PNG works well at a fixed size and drops straight into most label workflows. SVG keeps the barcode as a vector that scales without quality loss, which is the better choice when you'll print at varying sizes.

When to Use Barcode Generator

Retail product labeling

Products heading to a real-world shelf or an Amazon FBA warehouse need a UPC-A or EAN-13 barcode printed on the label. Once the codes are on the packaging, any standard point-of-sale system can ring up purchases in seconds, and the marketplaces that require registered codes will actually accept your shipments.

Inventory and asset management

For internal tracking — equipment tags, serial numbers, warehouse bin locations — Code 39 and Code 128 are the workhorses. Print labels, scan them with a phone app, and a quick lookup tells you exactly what's where. IT departments tracking laptops, warehouses managing stock, and libraries cataloging books all run on this pattern.

Event tickets and access control

Encoding ticket IDs as barcodes lets venues scan attendees in instantly while preventing the same ticket from being used twice. The scanner queries a database, marks the ticket consumed, and the line keeps moving. Concerts, conferences, sports events, and transit systems all rely on the same approach.

Document tracking and shipping labels

Code 128 (often packaged as GS1-128 with structured data identifiers) carries tracking numbers, package IDs, and batch identifiers across logistics networks. Carriers scan it at every handoff, and most label-printing systems already know how to embed it, which is why it's the default choice for shipping labels.

Barcode Generator Examples

Code 128 for versatile use

Input

Data: PROD-12345-ABC

Output

Code 128 barcode encoding the alphanumeric value.

Code 128 handles the full ASCII range — letters, numbers, and symbols — and packs information densely, so the barcode stays small even when your identifier is long. That combination makes it the default choice for shipping, asset tracking, and anywhere else mixed-character IDs show up.

UPC-A for US retail

Input

12-digit number: 012345678905

Output

UPC-A barcode covering all 12 digits.

This is the standard US retail barcode. The first eleven digits encode a manufacturer and product identifier that retailers cross-reference against their internal database, while the twelfth digit is a check digit computed from the others to catch scan errors before they cascade into pricing mistakes.

QR Code for URLs

Input

https://example.com/product/12345

Output

QR Code carrying the full URL.

A QR code holds enough data to encode a complete URL, so customers can point their phone camera at it and land on your site without typing anything. Marketing campaigns, restaurant menus, museum exhibits, and contactless payment flows all lean heavily on this pattern.

Tips & Best Practices for Barcode Generator

1.Match the symbology to the data. Numbers-only retail goods belong on UPC or EAN, alphanumeric IDs work best in Code 128, simple internal labels are fine in Code 39, and anything with real volume of data — URLs, contact cards, WiFi credentials — calls for a QR code.
2.Print at the correct size. A standard UPC measures roughly 1.5 inches wide, and shrinking smaller is possible but cuts scan reliability quickly. Always test a printed sample with multiple scanners before committing to a long print run.
3.Stick with high contrast. Plain black bars on a white background scan most reliably under any lighting. Colored barcodes can work in controlled environments but degrade quickly in dim warehouses or under tinted lighting.
4.Respect the quiet zone — the empty margin around the barcode. Scanners use that white space to find the boundaries, so cropping the label tightly or placing it against a busy background is a common cause of scan failures.
5.For real retail, register codes through GS1 rather than minting your own. An invented twelve-digit code may collide with an existing product, which causes mysterious checkout errors and forces a recall — registration is cheaper than the cleanup.
6.QR codes hold orders of magnitude more data than 1D barcodes — up to 7,089 numeric or 4,296 alphanumeric characters. Use QR for URLs, vCards, and WiFi credentials, and reserve linear barcodes for the short identifiers that retail and logistics actually need.

Frequently Asked Questions

A barcode is a machine-readable visual pattern that encodes data — usually a product identifier, but it can hold any text or number. Linear barcodes use lines of varying widths while 2D codes like QR use a square matrix. They show up everywhere from retail UPC and EAN tags to Code 128 shipping labels, Code 39 asset tracking, ISBN spines on books, and warehouse inventory systems.

Barcode Generator

About Barcode Generator

How to Use Barcode Generator

Enter your data

Select barcode type

Customize appearance

Download as PNG or SVG

When to Use Barcode Generator

Retail product labeling

Inventory and asset management

Event tickets and access control

Document tracking and shipping labels

Barcode Generator Examples

Code 128 for versatile use

UPC-A for US retail

QR Code for URLs

Tips & Best Practices for Barcode Generator

Frequently Asked Questions

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