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Format Reference
| Format | Characters | Length | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code 128 | All ASCII | Variable | Shipping, logistics, inventory |
| Code 39 | A-Z, 0-9, 8 symbols | Variable | Industry, automotive, defence |
| EAN-13 | Digits only | 13 digits | Retail, books (ISBN), groceries |
| UPC-A | Digits only | 12 digits | US/Canada retail, GS1 |
Barcodes in Retail and Logistics
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Barcodes encode data as parallel lines of varying widths that optical scanners read in milliseconds. Code 128 is the most versatile — encoding all 128 ASCII characters, used by FedEx, UPS, Amazon, and most logistics systems. EAN-13 (European Article Number) is the global retail standard, encoding country code + manufacturer code + product number + check digit in 13 digits.
Use the Barcode Generator Online above — enter your values and get instant results. This free online tool calculates barcode generator free no signup without any download or signup required. Results update in real time as you type.
Use the Barcode Generator Online above — enter your values and get instant results. This free online tool calculates how to create a barcode online free without any download or signup required. Results update in real time as you type.
Code 128 encodes all 128 ASCII characters with high data density — more data per centimetre. Code 39 only encodes uppercase letters, digits 0-9, and 8 special characters. Code 39 is self-checking without a mandatory check digit, making it simpler for older industrial systems (automotive, military, healthcare). Code 128 is preferred for new systems due to higher density and full ASCII support including lowercase letters and special characters.
You can generate the barcode visually, but for products sold in retail stores, you need a legally registered GS1 company prefix. GS1 India issues prefixes to Indian businesses — the first 3 digits of Indian EAN-13 codes are 890. Without a registered prefix, retail POS scanners will reject or error on your barcode. For internal inventory and warehouse use, you can use any numeric sequence without GS1 registration.
Minimum 200 DPI for reliable scanning. Recommended: 300 DPI for desktop laser printers, 203-300 DPI for thermal label printers (Zebra, Honeywell). The narrowest bar should be at least 0.25mm wide — at 300 DPI this is approximately 3 pixels. Download the SVG version from this tool and scale to the correct physical size in your design software for the best print results.
A check digit is the last digit of EAN-13 and UPC-A barcodes, automatically calculated from the other digits to detect scanning errors. For EAN-13: enter 12 digits and this tool appends the correct 13th check digit. For UPC-A: enter 11 digits and the tool adds the 12th. Code 128 and Code 39 check digits are optional and included automatically in this implementation for maximum scanner compatibility.
1D (linear) barcodes like Code 128 encode data as parallel bars scannable horizontally — typically 20-80 characters. 2D barcodes like QR Code use a matrix of dots readable in any orientation, holding 4,000+ characters including URLs and contact info. 1D barcodes scan faster with simple laser scanners common in retail POS. QR codes require camera-based imagers but work on smartphones and encode far more data. Use the QR Code Generator tool on this site for QR codes.