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Barcode Generator: Create Product Barcodes, Inventory Codes, and More

By Tooladex Team •
SEOBarcode GeneratorE-commerceInventory Management
Barcode Generator: Create Product Barcodes, Inventory Codes, and More

Barcodes are everywhere — on every product you buy, every package you receive, and in every store you visit. They’re the invisible infrastructure that makes modern commerce possible, enabling fast checkout, accurate inventory tracking, and efficient logistics.

But creating barcodes for your products, inventory, or internal systems can be confusing. With dozens of barcode formats, each with different requirements and use cases, it’s hard to know which one to use — and generating them correctly requires specialized knowledge.

The Tooladex Barcode Generator makes this process simple. Generate barcodes in 12 different formats — from retail product barcodes (EAN-13, UPC-A) to inventory codes (CODE128, CODE39) — with built-in input checks, check digit handling for common retail formats, and high-quality output. Download as SVG or PNG for printing or digital use.

Let’s explore what barcodes are, which formats to use, and how to create professional barcodes for your needs.

📊 What Is a Barcode?

A barcode is a machine-readable representation of data in the form of parallel lines (or bars) of varying widths and spacing. Barcodes are scanned by optical devices called barcode readers or scanners, which decode the pattern to retrieve the encoded information.

Barcodes were first patented in 1952 and have since become essential in:

  • Retail — Product identification and checkout
  • Inventory Management — Tracking items in warehouses and stores
  • Shipping — Package tracking and logistics
  • Healthcare — Patient identification and medication tracking
  • Libraries — Book and media identification
  • Manufacturing — Part numbers and serial numbers

How Barcodes Work

Barcodes encode data using patterns of bars and spaces:

  • Wide bars and narrow bars represent different values
  • Spacing between bars also carries information
  • Scanners read the pattern using light reflection
  • Decoders convert the pattern back into the original data

The beauty of barcodes is their simplicity — they can be printed on almost any surface and read quickly and accurately by machines, reducing human error and speeding up processes.

🔢 Barcode Formats Explained

Different barcode formats are designed for different purposes. Here are the most common formats:

CODE128 (Most Versatile)

CODE128 is the most versatile format, supporting alphanumeric characters. It’s widely used in shipping, packaging, and general identification.

Variants:

  • CODE128A: Uppercase letters, numbers, and control characters
  • CODE128B: All printable ASCII characters (most common)
  • CODE128C: Numeric only, most compact encoding

Best for: Internal inventory, shipping labels, general identification

Example: ABC123 or Product-2024-001

EAN-13 (Product Barcode)

EAN-13 is the international standard for retail product identification, used worldwide on consumer products.

Requirements: 12 digits (check digit is auto-calculated)

Best for: Retail products sold internationally

Example: 123456789012 (becomes 13 digits with check digit)

Note: For commercial retail use, you typically need official barcode numbers from GS1.

EAN-8 (Short Product Barcode)

EAN-8 is used for small products where space is limited.

Requirements: 7 digits (check digit is auto-calculated)

Best for: Small retail products, limited space applications

UPC-A (North American Product)

UPC-A is the standard barcode format in North America for retail products.

Requirements: 11 digits (check digit is auto-calculated)

Best for: Retail products sold in North America

Note: For commercial retail use, you typically need official barcode numbers from GS1.

CODE39

CODE39 is an older but still widely used format. Supports alphanumeric characters and some special characters.

Best for: Non-retail applications like manufacturing, government, and internal systems

Example: ABC-123

ITF-14 (Shipping Container)

ITF-14 is used for shipping containers and cartons.

Requirements: Exactly 13 digits

Best for: Logistics, warehousing, shipping labels

Other Formats

  • MSI: Used in libraries and retail inventory systems (numeric only)
  • Pharmacode: Used in pharmaceutical packaging (numeric only)
  • Codabar: Used in libraries, blood banks, and shipping (numbers with A-D as start/stop)

💡 Why Use a Barcode Generator?

Creating barcodes manually is nearly impossible — they require precise calculations, specific encoding rules, and exact formatting. A barcode generator:

✅ Saves Time

Generate professional barcodes in seconds instead of hours of research and manual creation.

✅ Ensures Accuracy

Input checks and check digit handling help prevent errors that would make barcodes unscannable.

✅ Supports Multiple Formats

Choose the right format for your use case without learning the technical details of each.

✅ Provides High Quality

Generate vector (SVG) or raster (PNG) barcodes suitable for printing or digital use.

✅ Validates Input

The tool provides clear requirements per format and shows helpful errors if the data doesn’t match.

📝 Step-by-Step Examples

Let’s walk through some real-world examples:

Example 1: E-commerce Product Barcode

Scenario: You’re selling a product online and need an EAN-13 barcode.

Steps:

  1. Select EAN-13 format
  2. Enter your 12-digit product number: 123456789012
  3. The generator automatically calculates the check digit
  4. Download as SVG for printing on product labels

Result: A scannable EAN-13 barcode ready for retail use.

Note: For actual retail sales, you’ll need official GS1 barcode numbers.

Example 2: Internal Inventory Code

Scenario: You need barcodes for internal inventory tracking.

Steps:

  1. Select CODE128 format (most versatile)
  2. Enter your inventory code: INV-2024-001
  3. Customize size and appearance
  4. Download and print on labels

Result: Custom barcodes for your internal inventory system.

Example 3: Shipping Label

Scenario: You need barcodes for package tracking.

Steps:

  1. Select ITF-14 format (standard for shipping)
  2. Enter your 13-digit tracking number: 1234567890123
  3. Generate and include in shipping label design

Result: Professional shipping barcode for logistics.

🎯 Common Use Cases

Barcode generators are essential for:

🛒 E-commerce

  • Generate product barcodes for online stores
  • Create inventory codes for warehouse management
  • Label products for fulfillment centers

📦 Shipping & Logistics

  • Create tracking barcodes for packages
  • Generate shipping container labels (ITF-14)
  • Label packages for automated sorting

🏪 Retail

  • Create price tags with product barcodes
  • Generate labels for store inventory
  • Print barcodes for point-of-sale systems

📚 Libraries

  • Generate barcodes for books and media
  • Create identification codes for library systems
  • Label materials for checkout systems

🏥 Healthcare

  • Create patient ID barcodes
  • Generate medication tracking codes
  • Label samples and specimens

🏭 Manufacturing

  • Generate part numbers and serial numbers
  • Create asset tracking labels
  • Label products for quality control

🎫 Events

  • Create ticket barcodes for events
  • Generate access control codes
  • Print admission tickets

⚠️ Best Practices for Barcode Creation

Choose the Right Format

Select a format that matches your use case:

  • Retail products: EAN-13 or UPC-A
  • Internal inventory: CODE128
  • Shipping: ITF-14
  • Libraries: CODE39 or Codabar

Print Quality Matters

  • Use high-resolution printing (300+ DPI minimum)
  • Ensure high contrast (black bars on white background)
  • Avoid low-quality printers or blurry images
  • Test with actual scanners before production

Size Appropriately

  • Follow industry standards for retail products
  • Ensure barcodes are large enough to scan easily
  • For internal use, minimum 1 inch wide is recommended
  • Maintain proportional height to width

Maintain Quiet Zones

Barcodes require empty space (quiet zones) on both sides:

  • Our generator includes automatic margins
  • Don’t place text or graphics too close to the barcode
  • Ensure adequate white space around the code

Use Check Digits Correctly

For EAN-13, EAN-8, and UPC formats:

  • Enter only the required digits (12, 7, or 11)
  • Let the generator calculate the check digit automatically
  • If you already have a full code that includes a check digit, you may need to remove the last digit and enter only the base digits (so the generator can calculate it)

Test Before Production

  • Always test barcodes with actual scanners
  • Try multiple scanner types if possible
  • Verify data accuracy after scanning
  • Test print quality at production size

🚀 Try the Tooladex Barcode Generator

The Tooladex Barcode Generator makes creating barcodes effortless:

✨ Key Features

  • 12 Barcode Formats: CODE128, EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, CODE39, ITF-14, MSI, Pharmacode, Codabar, and more
  • Helpful Input Checks: Clear guidance and error messages when data doesn’t match a format’s requirements
  • Check Digit Handling: Calculates check digits for EAN and UPC-style formats when you enter the base digits
  • Customizable Appearance: Adjust bar width, height, font size, and text display
  • High-Quality Output: Download as SVG (vector) or PNG (raster) formats
  • Format Guidance: Clear explanations of each format’s requirements and use cases
  • Privacy-First: All generation happens in your browser — no data is sent to servers

🎯 Perfect For

  • E-commerce sellers
  • Inventory managers
  • Shipping and logistics professionals
  • Retail store owners
  • Library systems
  • Healthcare facilities
  • Manufacturing companies
  • Event organizers

📊 What You Get

For any barcode generation, the tool provides:

  1. Validated Input — Ensures your data matches format requirements
  2. High-Quality Barcode — Professional, scannable output
  3. Multiple Download Options — SVG for printing, PNG for digital use
  4. Format Information — Clear guidance on requirements and examples
  5. Customization — Control over size, appearance, and text display

All barcodes are generated with proper encoding, check digits, and formatting for reliable scanning.

Tip: If PNG export ever fails in your browser, download the SVG instead (it’s the most reliable option) and convert it to PNG using an image editor or converter.

📚 Additional Resources

Understanding barcodes is just the beginning. Once you know how to generate them, you can:

  • Integrate barcodes into your inventory management systems
  • Create product labels for e-commerce and retail
  • Design shipping labels with tracking barcodes
  • Implement barcode scanning in your applications
  • Understand GS1 standards for commercial retail use
  • Optimize barcode placement for maximum scan reliability

🎓 Conclusion

Barcodes are essential tools for modern business, enabling fast, accurate data entry and reducing human error. But creating them correctly requires understanding different formats, validation rules, and best practices.

With the Tooladex Barcode Generator, you can:

  • Generate professional barcodes in seconds
  • Choose from 12 different formats
  • Ensure accuracy with automatic validation
  • Create high-quality output for printing or digital use
  • Save time on research and manual creation

Whether you’re creating product barcodes for retail, inventory codes for internal systems, or shipping labels for logistics, our generator makes it simple, fast, and accurate.

Try it now — enter your data and generate a barcode instantly!

Barcode Generator

Generate barcodes in multiple formats (CODE128, EAN13, UPC, CODE39, and more). Create product barcodes, inventory codes, and identification labels. Download as SVG or PNG.

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