Barcode generator

The Barcode Generator is a free, browser-based tool for creating professional 1D and 2D barcodes. It supports 23 barcode types covering retail, logistics, postal, healthcare and publishing industries. All processing happens locally in your browser - no data is ever sent to a server.

The interface is split into two panels with a type selector at the top. Here's what each part does:

The tool supports 23 barcode formats organized into 5 categories. Each type has specific character sets, length requirements, and use cases.

Retail & Commercial

Standard barcodes used in retail, supermarkets, and product packaging worldwide.

Industrial & Logistics

Barcodes used in warehouses, shipping, manufacturing, and supply chain management.

Specialty

Barcodes designed for specific industries like healthcare, telecommunications, and inventory management.

Advanced & Postal

2D stacked barcodes and postal service formats for high-capacity data or mail sorting.

Several barcode types include a check digit - an extra digit at the end that helps scanners detect errors. The tool calculates this digit automatically so you don't have to.

How it works (GS1 Mod-10 algorithm):

1. Starting from the rightmost digit, assign alternating weights of 3 and 1
2. Multiply each digit by its weight and sum all products
3. The check digit is (10 - (sum % 10)) % 10

Types with automatic check digit:

• EAN-13 - enter 12 digits, check digit appended automatically
• EAN-8 - enter 7 digits
• UPC-A - enter 11 digits
• UPC-E - enter 6 digits (special expansion algorithm, check digit calculated but not visually appended)
• ITF-14 - enter 13 digits
• GS1 DataBar Stacked - enter 13 digits

Single mode

Type or paste a single value into the input field. The barcode renders instantly in the live preview. Validation messages appear below the input showing character count and validity.

Batch mode

Paste multiple values separated by newlines (one per line). The tool automatically detects batch mode and shows a counter like "150/150 valid - Batch mode". A paginated grid preview shows all barcodes with visual indicators for valid (green) and invalid (red) entries.

CSV import

Click the Import CSV button to upload a .csv file. The tool supports comma, semicolon, and tab delimiters.

With header row: Include a value column. Other columns (name, SKU, description) are ignored.

value,name,sku
5901234123457,Product A,SKU-001
5901234123464,Product B,SKU-002
5901234123471,Product C,SKU-003

Without header: The first column of each row is used as the barcode value.

5901234123457
5901234123464
5901234123471

The Range tab lets you generate sequential barcode values automatically. This is perfect for inventory labels, asset tags, serial numbers, and batch production.

Controls:

• Prefix - text added before the number (e.g. SKU-)
• Range - start and end numbers
• Step - increment between values (default 1)
• Suffix - text added after the number (e.g. -EU)
• Padding - zero-padding (none, 3 digits, 4 digits, 6 digits)
• Mask - pattern using # as digit placeholders (e.g. WH-####-B)

Example: Prefix SKU-, Range 1 to 100, Padding 4 digits generates:
SKU-0001, SKU-0002, SKU-0003, ... SKU-0100

Type-aware behavior

The range generator adapts automatically to the selected barcode type:

• EAN-13, UPC-A, etc. - prefix/suffix hidden, padding locked to the required digit count
• Codabar - auto-fills prefix A and suffix B (editable to A/B/C/D start/stop characters)
• ISBN - prefix locked to 978 or 979, generates 12-digit values
• Pharmacode - range clamped to 3-131,070, no zero padding
• Postnet - length dropdown with 5, 9, or 11 digit options
• USPS IMb - length dropdown with 20, 25, 29, or 31 digit options
• ITF - only even-digit padding options shown

Click the GS1 button next to Import CSV to enable GS1 mode. This mode parses GS1-128 data strings with Application Identifiers (AI) - the industry standard for encoding product information in barcodes.

How to use:

1. Select Code 128 barcode type
2. Click the GS1 button to enable parsing mode
3. Enter a GS1 string like: (01)06141410000366(17)250101(10)ABC123
4. The tool validates each AI segment and shows a breakdown

Supported AIs include:

• (01) GTIN - Global Trade Item Number
• (10) Batch/Lot number
• (17) Expiration date (YYMMDD)
• (21) Serial number
• (30) Count of items
• (310x) Net weight in kg
• And 30+ more identifiers for production dates, packaging, dimensions, routing codes, etc.

Colors

Use the Colors tab to change the bar color (foreground) and paper color (background). Enter hex values directly or use the color picker. Click the reset button to return to defaults (black bars on white background).

Size controls

The Size tab provides four sliders:

• Bar width (1-4) - thickness of individual bars. Higher values make the barcode wider
• Height (20-200 px) - vertical height of the barcode
• Margin (0-30 px) - white space around the barcode (quiet zone)
• Font size (8-24 px) - size of the human-readable text below the barcode

Text & Rotation

The Text tab lets you toggle the human-readable value display on/off and select barcode rotation: 0, 90, 180, or 270 degrees.

Choose your download format based on your use case:

Batch export: When exporting multiple barcodes as PNG, JPG, or SVG, they are packaged into a single ZIP archive. PDF and DOCX create a single document file.

Label sheet mode generates a print-ready PDF with barcodes arranged in a grid matching standard label sheets. This is available only for PDF format in batch mode.

How to use:

1. Enter multiple barcode values (batch mode)
2. Select PDF format
3. Check Label sheet mode
4. Select a template or choose Custom
5. Click Download

Pre-configured templates:

• Avery 5160 - 30 labels per sheet (3 columns x 10 rows), US Letter size
• Avery 5163 - 10 labels per sheet (2 columns x 5 rows), US Letter size
• A4 24-up - 24 labels per sheet (3 columns x 8 rows), A4 size
• A4 65-up - 65 labels per sheet (5 columns x 13 rows), A4 size

Custom template: Select "Custom" from the dropdown to define your own layout with page width/height, columns, rows, label dimensions, margins, and gaps - all in millimeters.

Style presets

Save your current color, size, and text settings as a named preset for quick reuse. Click the star icon above the preview, enter a name, and save. Load presets from the Preset Manager panel. Delete individual presets or clear all at once.

Generation history

The tool automatically saves your last 50 generated barcodes - including batch generations. If you generated 500 barcodes from a CSV or serial range, the entire batch is saved as one history entry. Click the clock icon above the preview to browse history. Each entry shows the barcode type, input value, batch count, and a mini preview. Click any entry to restore the full batch with all original settings and values.

Analytics dashboard

Scroll down to the Generation analytics section to see your usage statistics: total downloads, generated barcodes, most used type, favorite style, and batch exports. Reset stats anytime.

After printing barcodes, you can verify they scan correctly without leaving the tool.

How to use:

1. Generate a barcode and note the expected value
2. Click Scan to Verify
3. Choose one of two methods:
• Camera - point your webcam at the printed barcode. A pulsing orange frame shows the scanning area
• Upload image - upload a photo of the printed barcode

Results:

• Green checkmark - barcode verified, scanned value matches expected value
• Red X - mismatch detected, shows both expected and scanned values for comparison
• Barcode icon - barcode detected (when no expected value was set)

Answers to the most common questions about the Barcode Generator.