Make a barcode that scans — and know which one you need
Create UPC, EAN, Code 128, GS1-128, ITF-14 and QR codes right here in your browser. Every generator and tool on this site is free, with no account and no watermark. Then use the guides to get the number, the size and the printing right. That is where most barcode problems start.
- Free to use
- No sign-up
- No watermark
- Personal and commercial use
- Runs in your browser
Barcode generator
Letters, digits and common symbols (printable ASCII). Best general choice for internal labels. When to use Code 128
Ready.
Black on white only: colored bars and backgrounds are a common cause of scan failures. Everything is drawn in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Free for personal and commercial use, with no watermark. SVG stays sharp at any size and is best for print layouts. Before printing a batch, test a sample with the scanner your customer or warehouse will use.
- Pick the barcode type for your job (the table below helps).
- Type or paste the data. For UPC, EAN and ITF-14, leave off the last digit and the check digit is calculated for you.
- Keep the quiet zone at 10 modules or more and the colors black on white.
- Download SVG for print layouts or PNG for documents, then test a printed sample with a real scanner.
Which barcode do you need?
Start from the job the barcode has to do. Retail checkout and trading-partner labels follow GS1 rules. Labels that never leave your building can use any numbering you like.
| You need to… | Use | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Sell a product in U.S. stores or on large marketplaces | UPC-A (EAN-13 outside North America) | A GTIN licensed to your company through GS1 US |
| Mark the outer carton that holds several of one product | ITF-14 | A GTIN-14 assigned for that carton configuration |
| Put batch, expiry or shipment data on a logistics label | GS1-128 | Your GTINs and SSCCs plus GS1 Application Identifiers |
| Label shelves, bins, stock or work orders inside your business | Code 128 | Your own SKUs or location codes — no license needed |
| Tag tools, laptops and equipment | Code 128 or QR Code | Your own asset numbers |
| Send customers to a menu, manual or web page | QR Code | A link on a domain you control |
Still unsure? The barcode type decision guide walks through five questions.
Three things no barcode generator can do for you
1. Give you a number a retailer will accept
A barcode is a picture of a number. Any generator, including this one, will draw a valid-looking UPC for any 12 digits. For products sold through stores and large marketplaces, the number itself has to come from GS1, the organization that runs the system. The barcode image is the easy part. How to get UPC numbers the right way.
2. Choose the right printed size
Retail barcodes have a standard size and a limited range you can scale them to. Shrinking one below that range, or cutting its height to fit a small label, is one of the most common reasons it fails at the register. A crisp SVG does not fix a barcode that is too small. Size, quiet zone and printer settings.
3. Prove it scans where it matters
Your phone reading a code on your screen says little about a worn thermal label under a warehouse scanner. Print a sample on the real label stock and scan it with the hardware your customer or warehouse uses. If something fails, work through the scanning troubleshooting checklist.
Start here: the in-depth guides
Four longer guides cover the decisions most people face first.
How to Get UPC Barcodes for Your Products, Step by Step
How U.S. sellers get UPC barcodes: when you need a GS1 number, single GTIN vs. company prefix, assigning numbers, making the image, avoiding resold codes.
How to Print Barcodes That Scan: Size, Quiet Zones, Color
Print UPC, EAN, Code 128 and ITF-14 barcodes that scan: X-dimension, quiet zones, colors, printer dots, file export, and how to test before a full run.
How to Set Up a Barcode Inventory System for a Small Business
A step-by-step plan for barcoding a small stockroom: what to track, a SKU scheme, which codes to print, scanners, software and counting routines.
Which Barcode Type Do I Need? A Decision Guide by Job
Match each labeling job to the right barcode: UPC or EAN for retail, ITF-14 or GS1-128 for cartons, Code 128 for bins and assets, QR for links.
Guides by topic
Barcode numbers and GTINs
A barcode is only a picture of a number. These guides cover where that number comes from: GS1 licensing, GTIN formats, check digits, and when a product change means you need a new number. (5 guides)
Choosing a barcode type
UPC, EAN, Code 128, Code 39, ITF-14 and GS1-128 each exist for a job. Start with the decision guide, then read the comparison that matches the choice in front of you. (5 guides)
Printing and scanning
Most barcodes that fail do so because of size, quiet zone, contrast or printing, not because the generator was wrong. These guides cover print settings, label stock, scanners and troubleshooting. (4 guides)
Inventory, assets and shipping
Practical setups for stockrooms, equipment tags, spreadsheets and shipping cartons, written for a small team without a dedicated IT department. (3 guides)
QR codes
When a QR code is the right tool, how big to print it, which error correction level to choose, and why a static QR code does not expire. (3 guides)
More free tools
All free, no sign-up, and nothing you type leaves your browser.
QR code generator
Links, Wi-Fi, email, phone and text QR codes that never expire.
Barcode label sheets
Print numbered Code 128 or QR labels on 30-up sheets or a label printer.
SKU generator
Build consistent SKUs from product, color and size codes, then export CSV.
Check digit calculator
Calculate or verify GS1 check digits and convert UPC-E, UPC-A, EAN-13 and GTIN-14.
About Plain Barcode
Plain Barcode is an independent site written and edited by Toma Tomov. The tools are free and run entirely in your browser, and the guides cite the standards and documentation they rely on, mainly GS1 and ISO. Read who runs the site and how guides are written and corrected.