Create scannable EAN-13 codes for European retail. 13 digits: 12 you enter and a check digit the generator calculates as you type. Download PNG or SVG without watermark.
EAN13 standard
Live preview
Scans on any reader
Digits only, between 12 and 13 characters.
Customization
Colors and text
AdvancedPro
Font family
Text size10pt
Width3
Height12
Text-bars gap1
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Classic
Standard black, OCR-B font, default size. Compatible with any scanner.
Compact
Smaller scale, no text below. For small labels with limited space.
Branded
Corporate color on bars, sans-serif font. Scanner readability maintained.
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§WHAT IS
What exactly is an EAN-13 code?
EAN-13 (European Article Number, 13 digits) is the global standard for identifying products sold in retail chains, managed by the GS1 organization since 1977.
Each EAN-13 code consists of 13 digits in four blocks: country prefix (1-3 digits assigned by GS1, for example 84 for Spain and 30-37 for France), company code (4 to 7 manufacturer identification digits), internal product reference and a final check digit that validates code integrity through arithmetic calculation.
EAN-13 is the code you see on any supermarket yogurt, paperback book or canned food. It is designed to scan at point-of-sale at high speed and from any orientation, which makes it very reliable on the checkout line. Its density is high: it encodes the 13 digits in approximately 25-30 mm of width, much less than Code 39 for the same amount of information.
Companies registered with GS1 receive a unique company prefix, ensuring no physical product in circulation shares the same EAN-13. If you sell physical goods in supermarkets, drugstores, bookshops or organized retail chains, you need EAN-13: no modern POS system will work with arbitrary codes.
§WHEN TO USE
When to use EAN-13 and when not?
Use it for physical products sold in European retail. Don't use it for internal identifiers, serial numbers or logistics traceability: Code 128, ITF-14 or GS1-128 cover those cases.
EAN-13 is mandatory the moment a product enters an organized point of sale. If your business manufactures yogurts, wines, books, toys, cosmetics or any consumer goods destined for retail chains, your product must carry EAN-13 with a code assigned by GS1 in your country.
You don't need EAN-13 if you sell only through your own website, niche B2B markets, handcrafted products in your own store, or services. In those cases an internal Code 128 saves you the GS1 annual fee, which ranges between 200€ and 1,500€ depending on revenue.
It is also not the right choice for identifying master cartons, pallets, batches or serial numbers: when you work in logistics above the unit product, the formats to use are ITF-14 (master cartons), GS1-128 (logistics with extra data) or Code 128 (internal). EAN-13 is strictly for the unit consumed in retail.
§SPECS
EAN-13 technical specifications
Length
12-13
Characters
Digits only
Example
5901234123457
Check digit
Yes, automatic
The EAN-13 standard is defined by ISO/IEC 15420. Technical features:
- Length: exactly 13 digits. If you enter 12, this generator calculates the check digit automatically.
- Character set: digits 0-9 only.
- Check digit: modulo 10 with alternating weights 1 and 3 over the first 12 digits. The formula is standard and we validate it in real time as you type.
- Nominal dimensions: 37.29 mm × 25.93 mm at 100% (X factor = 0.33 mm). Allows scaling from 80% to 200% while remaining readable.
- Quiet zone: 11 times the X factor on the left (3.63 mm) and 7 times on the right (2.31 mm). Without those white margins, the code does not scan.
- Damage tolerance: none. EAN-13 does not include error correction. A stain on the bars can invalidate the entire reading, unlike Code 128 which tolerates some noise or QR which tolerates up to 30% with high correction.
§COMPARISON
How does EAN-13 differ from UPC-A or EAN-8?
EAN-13 carries 13 digits and is used in Europe. UPC-A carries 12 digits and is the American equivalent. EAN-8 carries 8 digits and is the compact version for small packaging.
The differences between the three formats are regional and size related:
UPC-A is the code you'll see on products imported from the United States. Technically it is an EAN-13 with an invisible zero at the start: any EAN-13 reader also reads UPC-A without additional configuration. If you sell in the US or Canada, GS1 assigns UPC-A prefixes instead of EAN-13.
EAN-8 is the short version for very small packaging where a standard EAN-13 doesn't fit (single chewing gums, sugar sachets, sample-size cosmetic products). GS1 assigns EAN-8 codes with strict criteria: you must justify the insufficient size of the package.
If your product is physical, ships to retail and has space, EAN-13 is the default choice. Only switch to EAN-8 if the package really demands it, and to UPC-A if you mainly sell in North America.
§FAQ
Frequently asked questions about EAN13
Not to generate the code here. Yes, if you'll sell in organized retail: the company prefix inside the code must be assigned to your business by GS1 (in Spain, AECOC) so it is unique in the market. Without that registration you cannot use the code in supermarkets or large chains.
Because the last digit is the check digit. GS1 calculates it when assigning the full code. If you enter 13 digits and our validator fails, you copied the code wrong. Try entering only the first 12 digits and the generator calculates the correct 13th.
The GS1 standard accepts between 80% and 200% of the nominal size (37.29 × 25.93 mm). Below 80% the code stops scanning correctly at laser POS. For home test prints, download the SVG and scale without losing quality.
Yes, but Amazon requires the code to be registered with GS1 under your name. If you generate an EAN-13 with a random or third-party prefix, Amazon detects the inconsistency by cross-checking the GS1 GEPIR database and disables the listing. The exception is private-label products with a GTIN exemption approved by Amazon.
Only with very dark colors on a very light background. EAN-13 doesn't allow decorative shapes on the bars (gradients, heavy rounding): any change in the pattern breaks scanning. Visual personalization is reserved for QR, which does tolerate it because it includes error correction.
§GENERATORS
What other codes can you generate here?
You have 9 generators on codigo-qr.es. QR codes always free, Code 128 and EAN-13 too. The other 6 retail and industrial formats are part of the Pro plan.