EAN-13 barcode generator
Enter the first 12 digits of your EAN and the generator adds the check digit, or enter all 13 and it checks them. You get a GS1-sized EAN-13 with its quiet zones, ready for packaging or labels.
Runs in your browser. The numbers you enter are never sent to WISEPIM.
Preview
Printed size at 100%: 37.3 × 26.6 mm, quiet zones included.
Bulk barcodes
Paste up to 500 codes or upload a CSV, and download every valid EAN-13 barcode in one ZIP.
Paste codes or upload a CSV to start. We read the first column and skip a header row.
What the 13 digits mean
An EAN-13 is a GTIN-13 printed as bars. The digits are not random: they identify who licensed the number and which product it is.
| Part | Example (9501101530003) | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| GS1 prefix | 950 | Which GS1 organization issued the number (870 to 879 for the Netherlands, 400 to 440 for Germany). Not where the product was made. |
| Company prefix | 950110153 (includes the GS1 prefix) | Your licensed range. Its length decides how many products you can number. |
| Item reference | 000 | The number you give each product, variant and pack size. |
| Check digit | 3 | Calculated from the other 12 digits so scanners can catch typos. |
How the check digit is calculated
Weight the first 12 digits 1, 3, 1, 3 from the left, add the results and take the amount needed to reach the next multiple of 10. For 950110153000 that is 9 + 15 + 0 + 3 + 1 + 0 + 1 + 15 + 3 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 47, so the check digit is 3.
The generator does this for you and refuses a 13-digit code whose last digit doesn't match. To check codes without drawing them, use the check digit calculator.
EAN-13 size and print specs
GS1 defines the EAN-13 at a nominal size and lets you scale it. Every file this page makes follows these numbers at the size you pick.
| Spec | At 100% | Allowed range |
|---|---|---|
| Module width (X-dimension) | 0.33 mm | 0.264 mm (80%) to 0.66 mm (200%) |
| Width including quiet zones | 37.29 mm | Scales with the module width |
| Bar height | 22.85 mm | Don't shorten bars on products scanned at a checkout |
| Quiet zone | 11 modules left, 7 right | Never smaller; keep text and edges out of it |
| Human-readable digits | Under the bars, first digit to the left | Optional on the file, expected on retail packaging |
Where EAN-13 is used
EAN-13 is the default retail barcode outside North America, and scanners in the US and Canada read it too. Books use it with a 978 or 979 prefix, because an ISBN-13 is an EAN-13.
- Shops and supermarkets: the till scans it to find the price.
- Marketplaces: Amazon, bol.com and Google Shopping use the GTIN to match your product. bol.com requires an EAN on every product.
- Very small packs can get an EAN-8 instead, which GS1 issues on request.
- Cartons of the same product use a GTIN-14 in an ITF-14 barcode, not the consumer EAN.
One barcode is easy. A catalog of GTINs needs checking.
WISEPIM's Quality Guard checks the GTIN on every product, blocks wrong check digits and flags missing and duplicate codes before Amazon, bol.com or Google reject them.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I generate an EAN-13 from 12 digits?
Yes. Enter the first 12 digits and the generator calculates and adds the 13th, the check digit. If you enter all 13, it checks that the last digit is right.
What size should an EAN-13 barcode be?
At 100% an EAN-13 is 37.29 mm wide including quiet zones, with bars 22.85 mm high. GS1 allows 80% to 200% of that size. Below 80% many scanners fail.
Does the generated EAN-13 work in shops?
The barcode itself scans like any EAN-13. Shops and marketplaces also expect the number to be licensed to your brand by GS1, so only use numbers from your own GS1 company prefix.
What is the difference between EAN-13 and EAN-8?
EAN-13 holds a 13-digit GTIN and fits most packaging. EAN-8 holds an 8-digit GTIN for packs too small for an EAN-13, and GS1 only issues those on request.
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