Barcode Generator
Barcode Generator is a free online tool that lets you create various barcode formats instantly in your browser. Whether you need UPC-A codes for retail products, EAN-13 for international shipping, Code 128 for logistics labeling, or QR codes for marketing campaigns and contactless payments, this generator supports the most widely-used barcode symbologies. You can customize dimensions, resolution, colors, and text display options, then download your barcode as PNG, SVG, or other image formats. Everything processes client-side — no images or data leave your computer, making it safe for generating product barcodes, inventory labels, and asset tags.
What Is
A barcode is a machine-readable representation of data using patterns of parallel lines (1D barcodes) or grid patterns (2D barcodes like QR codes). The Barcode Generator converts your input text or numbers into these patterns, creating a scannable barcode image that can be printed on products, packaging, documents, or labels. Supported barcode formats include: - Code 128: High-density alphanumeric encoding, widely used in logistics and packaging - Code 39: Used in healthcare, government, and industrial applications - EAN-13 / EAN-8: Standard retail barcodes for products sold worldwide - UPC-A / UPC-E: North American retail product codes - ITF-14: Used for shipping containers and cartons - MSI Plessey: Primarily for inventory control in retail - QR Code: Two-dimensional barcode for URLs, contact info, WiFi credentials, and more - Data Matrix: Compact 2D barcode for small item labeling Key parameters you can adjust: - Width and height of bars - Quiet zone (margin around barcode) - Background and foreground colors - Text label font and position - Output format (PNG, SVG, JPEG) Barcodes are used across industries: retail point-of-sale systems, warehouse inventory tracking, patient identification in hospitals, airline baggage routing, event ticketing, and mobile payments. The ability to generate accurate, standards-compliant barcodes is essential for developers building inventory management systems, e-commerce platforms, or any application that needs to produce or verify barcode data. The generated barcode follows ISO/IEC standards for each symbology, ensuring compatibility with commercial barcode scanners and mobile device cameras.
How to Use
- Select your desired barcode format from the dropdown menu. Choose between 1D formats (Code 128, Code 39, EAN-13, UPC-A, etc.) or 2D formats (QR Code, Data Matrix) based on your use case.
- Enter the data you want to encode into the barcode. For retail products, use your 12 or 13-digit product number. For QR codes, you can enter a URL, phone number, email, WiFi credentials, or any text content up to several thousand characters.
- Customize the barcode appearance using the settings panel. Adjust bar width scaling, overall height, color scheme (bar color and background color), font size for the human-readable text label, and margin/quiet zone size.
- Preview the generated barcode in real-time on the canvas. The tool validates your input data against format-specific rules — for example, EAN-13 requires exactly 13 digits and includes a calculated check digit.
- Download the barcode in your preferred format. Choose PNG for general use and printing, SVG for scalable vector output that stays crisp at any resolution, or JPEG for smaller file sizes.
- Print the downloaded barcode on label stickers, product packaging, or documents. Test scan the printed barcode with a smartphone app or barcode scanner to verify accuracy before mass production.
Examples
Input: Value: 5901234123457 (EAN-13)
Process: Encode 13 digits → Add start/mid/stop guards → Generate bars
Result: EAN-13 barcode image + human-readable 5901234123457
Input: Value: 123456789012 (UPC-A)
Process: 12-digit encoding → Checksum calculation → Bar pattern
Result: UPC-A barcode with check digit 8
Input: Value: Hello123 (Code128)
Process: ASCII to Code128 encoding → Start code B → Checksum
Result: Code128 barcode for alphanumeric text
Related Searches
People also search for: barcode generator, qr code, upc, ean13, code128.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What barcode formats are supported?
The tool supports all major barcode formats including Code 128, Code 39, EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, UPC-E, ITF-14, MSI Plessey for 1D barcodes, plus QR Code and Data Matrix for 2D barcodes. This covers the formats used in retail (EAN/UPC), logistics (Code 128), healthcare (Code 39), and mobile applications (QR codes).
What is the maximum amount of data I can encode?
Capacity varies by format. Code 128 can encode any ASCII character (unlimited length practically). EAN-13 is fixed at 13 digits. QR codes can store up to 7,089 numeric characters or 4,296 alphanumeric characters. For most practical applications — product codes, URLs, contact cards — you'll have plenty of room. If you need to encode a long URL in a QR code, consider using a URL shortener first.
Will my barcode work with standard scanners?
Yes. The generator follows official barcode specifications (ISO/IEC standards) for each format. The quiet zone, bar widths, check digits, and encoding patterns are all generated correctly. The barcode will be scannable by commercial laser scanners, CCD scanners, and smartphone cameras. We recommend testing a sample print before producing large quantities.
Can I change the barcode colors?
Yes, you can customize both the bar (foreground) color and background color. However, for maximum scanning reliability, we recommend using dark bars on a light background. Black on white is optimal. Some scanners may have difficulty reading inverted barcodes (light on dark) or barcodes using certain color combinations, especially red bars which many laser scanners cannot detect due to using red light.
Is this tool suitable for commercial product labeling?
This tool generates barcode images suitable for design and testing purposes. For official retail products sold in stores, you need to obtain a unique company prefix from GS1 (the global barcode standards organization) and generate codes according to their specifications. Using random numbers for commercial products will cause checkout failures. For internal inventory systems, asset tags, or non-retail use cases, this generator works perfectly.