Free Barcode Generator
Make a Code 128, Code 39, EAN, UPC or other barcode, sized in millimetres so it prints at exactly the size you set. Download it as a PNG, SVG, PDF or EPS.
Good to knowIt’s free, with no sign-up. Everything is made in your browser: nothing you type is sent to us or stored. Need a different barcode on every card? Don’t make them one at a time: send us the numbers and we print them.
1Your barcode
Your barcode
An example barcode. Type your data to make yours.
Every file prints at the size shown. SVG, PDF and EPS are vector files for print; the PNG carries its dpi, so design programs place it at the right size.
Actual size on a plastic card
An 86 × 54mm card, drawn to scale. The dashed line is the safe area, 3mm in from the edge: keep the barcode and its clear space inside it.
2Size
3Text
On EAN and UPC barcodes the digits sit between the guard bars, so the text can’t be bigger than the bars allow.
4Colours and rotation
Which barcode do I need?
If your barcode has to work with a till, booking system or membership software, ask the supplier which type it reads, and whether the number needs any start or end characters. Otherwise:
| Type | Holds | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Code 128 | Letters, numbers and symbols | Membership, loyalty and gift cards, tickets, shipping labels |
| Code 39 | Capitals, numbers, space and - . $ / + % | Membership and ID cards, libraries, older systems |
| Code 93 | As Code 39, in less space | Logistics and some retail systems |
| EAN-13, UPC-A | 13 or 12 digits | Retail products, with numbers from GS1 |
| EAN-8, UPC-E | 8 digits | Small retail packs |
| ITF-14 | 14 digits | Outer cartons and cases |
| Interleaved 2 of 5 | An even number of digits | Warehousing and stock |
| Codabar | Numbers and - $ : / . + | Libraries and older systems |
| MSI Plessey | Numbers | Shelf labels and stock control |
| EAN-5, EAN-2 | 5 or 2 digits | Add-ons beside an EAN-13: book prices, magazine issues |
Want a code people scan with their phones? Use our free QR code generator instead.
Printing barcodes on plastic cards
- A different barcode on every card is what most membership, loyalty and gift cards need. Give us a start number for sequential numbering, or send an Excel file with one number per card. See barcodes on plastic cards.
- One barcode on every card can go straight into your artwork: send the PDF or EPS from this page with your design.
- Put it in a white box, and print the number under it so it can be typed in if a scanner isn’t to hand.
- It won’t wear off. Barcodes are printed under the card surface, so they can’t be scratched or rubbed away.
- Test it on your own scanner. If you need to, add a postal proof (£65 +vat): real cards posted to you before the full run is printed.
- Think about the finish. A Premium Matt finish has no glare, so barcodes scan more easily.
Tips for a barcode that scans
- Dark bars on white. Avoid red, orange and yellow bars: most scanners use red light, and those colours disappear under it.
- Keep the clear space either side. A scanner needs it to find where the barcode starts and stops.
- Don’t stretch or squash it. Resize it in proportion, or make it again here at the size you need.
- Keep the data short. Every character makes the barcode longer. Code 128 packs digits in pairs, so a number-only code is about half the width.
- Check the scanner’s settings. Many scanners only read the barcode types they’ve been switched on for.
Questions & Answers
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Is this barcode generator free?
Yes, for any use, including commercial use and print. There is no sign-up and no watermark, and nothing you type is sent to us or stored: the barcode is made in your browser.
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Which barcode should I use on membership or loyalty cards?
Ask whoever supplies your till, booking or membership software which type it reads. If it reads any, Code 128 is the most compact for letters and numbers, and Code 39 is the most widely supported. Code 39 is also the one we print most often on membership cards.
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Can I use these barcodes on products I sell in shops?
Only with a number that is yours to use. Most retailers only accept EAN-13 or UPC numbers licensed to your business by GS1 (GS1 UK in the UK). This page draws the barcode for a number you already have; it doesn’t issue numbers.
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What size should a barcode be on a plastic card?
It depends on the type and how much it holds. As a rule of thumb, keep the narrowest bar at 0.25mm or more, the bars at least 10mm tall, and clear space either side. The card preview on this page shows whether it fits inside the safe area of an 86 × 54mm card.
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Can you print a different barcode on every card?
Yes. Give us a start number for sequential numbering (0001 onwards, for example), or send an Excel file with one number per card. Barcodes can hold letters as well as numbers.
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Which file should I use for printing?
For plastic card artwork, the PDF: it is the format we prefer, it is vector, and it is made at exactly the size shown. EPS works too. Use the SVG in a design program, and the PNG (600 dpi or more) only where a picture is all you can use. Never stretch a barcode out of proportion; make it again at the size you need.
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Why won’t my barcode scan?
The usual causes are bars too narrow or too short for the scanner, no clear space either side, low contrast, or red, orange or yellow bars, which vanish under the red light most scanners use. Also check that the scanner is set to read that barcode type: many are switched to only a few.
Want barcodes printed on your cards?
Tell us the barcode type, and send your numbers in an Excel file or give us a start number. We’ll quote by email.
Your free photorealistic proof shows exactly how the card will look before anything is printed.