Custom Barcode Generator
Generate retail-ready linear barcodes for eBay, Amazon, inventory management, and product packaging directly in your browser.
Customise Bar Dimensions
Compatible with optical laser scanners & mobile cameras
💡 Common Barcode Applications
Retail & POS Checkouts
Standard EAN-13 (UK/EU/Worldwide) and UPC-A (North America) for retail shelf products, Amazon FBA, and till scanners.
Warehouse & Inventory
High-density Code 128 encoding any alphanumeric SKU, serial number, bin location, or batch code for logistics tracking.
Asset Tagging & Parts
Rugged Code 39 for internal IT equipment tags, automotive components, machinery, and government property labels.
Shipping & Master Cases
ITF-14 specifically engineered for corrugated cardboard outer shipping cartons and high-speed distribution scanners.
📋 How to Generate Production Barcodes
-
1
Select Symbology: Choose the format matching your supply chain (e.g. EAN-13 for UK/EU retail, UPC-A for US, Code 128 for inventory).
-
2
Enter Value: Type your number or text. Check digits are automatically computed for retail barcodes.
-
3
Adjust Sizing & Text: Customise bar thickness, vertical height, line colour, and toggle the human-readable text label.
-
4
Export Production Asset: Download a scalable vector SVG for packaging artwork, or a 2× crisp PNG for thermal label printers.
✨ Scanner Readability Best Practices
-
✓
Respect the Quiet Zone: Barcode scanners require blank margins (quiet zones) before and after the bars to detect where the code starts and ends.
-
✓
Use Vector SVG for Packaging: Always provide SVG vectors to your graphic designer or print shop so lines remain razor-sharp at any printing scale without pixelation.
-
✓
Optimised for Thermal Label Printers: The PNG export is rendered at 2× pixel density, guaranteeing clean edges on 203 DPI and 300 DPI Dymo, Zebra, and Brother label printers.
⚙️
Technical Architecture
Under the Hood: Checksums, Quiet Zones & Vector Precision
Inspect Specs
▼
Linear Modulation & Checksum Computation
Linear barcodes rely on precise geometric ratios of alternating dark bars and light spaces. BWTools leverages the compiled JsBarcode rendering engine to compute binary encodings client-side without network round-trips.
For retail formats like EAN-13 and UPC-A, the generator enforces standard Modulo-10 checksum algorithms to guarantee scanner decodability. During PNG rasterisation, the vector DOM tree is serialised via XMLSerializer and drawn onto an offscreen HTML5 Canvas scaled at 2× pixel density, preventing anti-aliasing blur on thermal and offset presses.
Supported Symbologies & Technical Specifications
| Symbology | Character Set | Standard Length | Primary Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code 128 | Full ASCII (128 chars) | Variable | Packaging, shipping labels, asset tracking, inventory |
| EAN-13 / GTIN-13 | Numeric (0–9) | 12 or 13 Digits | International point-of-sale retail (UK, EU, Worldwide) |
| UPC-A / GTIN-12 | Numeric (0–9) | 11 or 12 Digits | North American retail supermarkets and general merchandise |
| EAN-8 | Numeric (0–9) | 7 or 8 Digits | Small retail packaging (cosmetics, confectionery) |
| Code 39 | Alphanumeric (A–Z, 0–9, - . $ / + %) | Variable | Automotive, defence, and industrial manufacturing |
| ITF-14 | Numeric (0–9) | 13 or 14 Digits | Corrugated outer shipping cartons and wholesale master cases |
| MSI Plessey | Numeric (0–9) | Variable | Warehouse shelf labelling and retail inventory management |
| Pharmacode | Numeric (3–131070) | Variable | Pharmaceutical packaging quality control |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Are these barcodes scannable on smartphone cameras and optical laser scanners? ▼
Yes. All generated barcodes strictly follow international dimension ratios, quiet margin tolerances, and standard guard bars. They are 100% compatible with 1D handheld laser scanners, CCD imagers, and iOS/Android scanning applications.
Do I need to enter the check digit for EAN-13 and UPC-A? ▼
You can enter either 12 digits (the generator will automatically calculate and append the correct Modulo-10 checksum) or all 13 digits. If you provide an invalid check digit, the validator will alert you immediately.
Which file format should I download for packaging design vs printing? ▼
Download Vector (.SVG) for prepress vector software like Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, or Figma to maintain infinite scalability without loss of clarity. Download High-Res PNG for immediate thermal label printing, Microsoft Word documents, and e-commerce inventory sheets.
Are there licensing fees or limits on commercial use? ▼
No. BWTools barcode generators are completely free for commercial retail products, Amazon listings, warehouse systems, and private projects with no watermarks or restrictions.