Barcode Generator

What is a Barcode?

A linear barcode (or 1D barcode) is a method of representing data visually by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines. These patterns can be read by optical scanners to quickly retrieve information, such as product prices, inventory numbers, or tracking IDs.

Supported Formats

This tool supports a comprehensive range of industry standards suited for retail, logistics, and industrial use:

• CODE128 (A/B/C): The most versatile and high-density barcode. Supports all 128 ASCII characters (alphanumeric). Perfect for logistics and internal inventory.
• EAN (13 & 8): The standard for retail products globally (International Article Number). EAN-13 is most common; EAN-8 is used on smaller packages.
• UPC: The standard retail barcode widely used in North America (Universal Product Code).
• CODE39: An older but widely supported alphanumeric standard. Lower density than Code 128 but extremely reliable.
• ITF & ITF-14: "Interleaved 2 of 5" allows high-density numeric encoding. ITF-14 is specifically designed for corrugated shipping containers.
• MSI (Plessey): Commonly used in warehouse environments and shelf tags. Supports variants (MSI 10, 11, 1010, 1110) for specific checksum requirements.
• Pharmacode: A specialized binary code used primarily in the pharmaceutical industry for packing control systems.

Customization & Features

Create barcodes that fit your specific design or label requirements:

• Precise Dimensions: Adjust Bar Width (1-4px) for scan distance, Height (10-150px) for label fit, and Margins for safe printing zones.
• Visual Styling: Choose custom Line Color and Background Color. (Note: Always maintain high contrast for scannability).
• Human-Readable Text:
  • Toggle text display on or off.
  • Select fonts: Monospace, Serif, Sans-serif, and more.
  • Align text (Left, Center, Right) and adjust font size (8-36px).

Best Practices for Printing

• Contrast is Critical: Scanners work by measuring reflectivity. ALWAYS print dark bars on a light background. Never invert colors (e.g., white bars on black) unless your specific scanner supports it.
• Quiet Zones: Ensure there is enough blank space (margin) on the left and right sides of the barcode. Scanners need this "quiet zone" to calibrate.
• Test Before Mass Printing: Laser printers and thermal label printers can produce different results. Always print a test sample and verify it with a real scanner or smartphone app before a full run.

Common Use Cases

• Retail: Product labeling (EAN/UPC) for Point of Sale (POS) systems.
• Logistics: Shipping labels (CODE128, ITF-14) for tracking packages.
• Warehousing: Shelf tags and bin labels for inventory management.
• Healthcare: Patient wristbands and medication tracking (Pharmacode).