×
Our EAN-8 Barcode Generator enables you to create compact barcodes combining EAN-8 and supplementary data. Generate barcodes for commercial use and download them in PDF, PNG, SVG, or JPG formats. Learn about barcode dimensions, data structure, and checksum calculation, and explore use cases across retail and inventory management to meet your business requirements efficiently.
The EAN-8 barcode is designed for small products with limited packaging space. Its standard size is 26.73 mm wide and 18.23 mm high, but it can be scaled between 80% and 200%, maintaining the original proportions. This allows a width range of 21.38 mm to 53.46 mm and a height range of 14.58 mm to 36.46 mm.
Quiet zones, the blank spaces on either side of the barcode, are critical for accurate scanning. These zones must be at least 10 times the X-dimension, where the X-dimension is the width of the narrowest bar in the barcode.
This ensures proper decoding by scanners regardless of the barcode’s scaling. For example, at the standard size, the quiet zones measure approximately 0.33 mm each and scale proportionally as the barcode is resized.
A minimum print resolution of 203 DPI is required for clarity, with higher resolutions recommended for smaller sizes or challenging surfaces. Barcodes should be placed on flat, non-reflective surfaces with high contrast, such as black on white.
Compliance with ISO/IEC 15420 ensures compatibility with retail and supply chain systems, making EAN-8 reliable for compact packaging.
Using our free EAN-8 barcode generator is simple and efficient. Follow these steps:
Enter Your Data: Input the first 7 numeric digits of your product code. The generator will automatically calculate the 8th digit (checksum) for you.
Generate the Barcode: Click the “Generate EAN-8 Barcode” button.
Download the Barcode: Once generated, download your barcode image in your preferred format, including PNG, JPG, SVG, or PDF.
This tool provides high-quality barcode outputs ready for both digital and print use, ensuring compatibility with professional and commercial applications.
The EAN-8 barcode includes a check digit to verify data integrity. To calculate this digit:
Identify the first seven digits of the barcode.
Multiply each digit by a weight that alternates between 3 and 1, starting with 3 for the first digit:
1st digit × 3
2nd digit × 1
3rd digit × 3
4th digit × 1
5th digit × 3
6th digit × 1
7th digit × 3
Sum the results of these multiplications.
Calculate the check digit by determining the smallest number that, when added to the sum, results in a multiple of 10. This can be found using the formula:
Check digit = (10 – (sum modulo 10)) modulo 10
Example Calculation:
For a barcode with the first seven digits: 5 5 1 2 3 4 5
(5×3) + (5×1) + (1×3) + (2×1) + (3×3) + (4×1) + (5×3)
= 15 + 5 + 3 + 2 + 9 + 4 + 15
= 53
The next multiple of 10 is 60.
Check digit = 60 – 53
= 7
Thus, the complete EAN-8 barcode is 55123457. This method ensures the barcode is correctly composed and scannable.
Let’s look at an example to understand this better:
Suppose the data string is 4 2 7 3 5 8 1:
Step 1: Identify the first seven digits
The first seven digits of the barcode are: 4, 2, 7, 3, 5, 8, 1
Step 2: Multiply each digit by the alternating weights (3 and 1):
1st digit: 4×3=12
2nd digit: 2×1=2
3rd digit: 7×3=21
4th digit: 3×1=3
5th digit: 5×3=15
6th digit: 8×1=8
7th digit: 1×3=3
12+2+21+3+15+8+3=64
Find the smallest number that, when added to 64, makes it a multiple of 10:
70−64=6
The check digit is 6.
An EAN-8 barcode encodes exactly eight digits: seven data digits and one mandatory check digit. Therefore, your EAN-8 barcode generator should accept precisely seven numeric digits as input.
The generator will then calculate the eighth digit, the check digit, to complete the barcode. This fixed length ensures consistency and compatibility with global scanning systems.
The EAN-13 barcode is widely used in various industries for its versatility and compatibility with global standards. Its primary application lies in retail, but its uses extend to other fields as well. Here are some common uses of EAN-13 barcodes:
Retail Product Identification:
EAN-13 barcodes are commonly found on retail products, enabling efficient scanning at point-of-sale (POS) systems. They streamline pricing, inventory updates, and transaction recording.
By providing a standardized method for product identification, EAN-13 barcodes enhance efficiency, accuracy, and reliability across multiple industries.
The EAN-8 barcode is a compact version of the EAN-13 code, designed for small packages where space is limited. It’s commonly used on products like cigarettes, pencils, and chewing gum packets.
Retailers worldwide use EAN-8 to improve inventory management and streamline checkout processes, especially for products with constrained printing areas. The manufacturer code in an EAN barcode uniquely identifies the company that produced the product, ensuring traceability and brand recognition across supply chains.
These barcodes are also used for own-brand products sold exclusively in specific stores, identified by Restricted Circulation Numbers (RCN-8) that begin with a first digit of 0 or 2.
EAN-8 barcodes are compatible with most 1D and 2D scanners, including laser, CCD, imaging, and multi-plane models. Laser scanners, commonly used in retail and logistics, excel in reading EAN-8 from various angles and distances. CCD scanners are effective for close-range tasks, such as at point-of-sale systems, using reflected light to capture barcodes.
Imaging scanners, like linear and area imagers, handle damaged, curved, or low-contrast EAN-8 barcodes with high-resolution image capture. Multi-plane scanners, widely employed in retail, can read multiple barcodes, including EAN-8, without the need for precise alignment.
While 2D scanners can decode EAN-8, some low-end models may struggle due to limited resolution or software. Older pen-style and basic low-resolution scanners are unsuitable for EAN-8. For optimal performance, use high-resolution scanners with advanced decoding software, ensuring accurate scanning in diverse environments.
UPC-A Barcode Generator
Let’s take a closer look at the types of EAN codes.
This 13-digit barcode is the global standard for identifying products like groceries, electronics, and other retail items. It includes a GS1 prefix (indicating the country of registration), a manufacturer code, a product code, and a check digit for error detection.
EAN-13 encodes numeric data and is compatible with the 12-digit UPC-A code used in North America, ensuring seamless integration across markets.
EAN-8, a compact format, is ideal for small packages like chewing gum, pencils, or cigarettes, where space constraints exist. It encodes 8 digits, including a GS1 prefix, manufacturer code, product code, and check digit, providing efficient identification and reliable scanning even on minimal packaging.
These are supplementary barcodes used alongside EAN-13 or UPC-A codes to encode additional details. EAN-2, a 2-digit add-on, is commonly used for magazine issue numbers, helping identify publication editions or volumes.
EAN-5, a 5-digit add-on, is typically used to indicate book prices, weight-based pricing, or other supplementary product data. These add-ons support specific data requirements where primary barcodes alone cannot provide all necessary information.
There is no scan limit to the EAN-8 barcode generated using our online EAN-8 barcode generator. Once the barcode is created, it can be scanned unlimited times, provided it meets the quality standards and is printed or displayed clearly.
Our free barcode generator tool produces high-quality, full-sized barcodes that can be scanned accurately, even when printed in small sizes or on low-quality paper. However, it is essential to ensure that the barcode is printed or displayed at the correct size and resolution to guarantee accurate scanning.
Yes, we offer a variety of barcode generators to meet your business needs. In addition to EAN-8 barcodes, you can create EAN-13, UPC-A, and UPC-E barcodes for retail applications.
For specialised uses, we provide generators for Code 39, Code 128, ITF-14, and GS1 Databar. These barcodes are ideal for logistics, inventory, and product labelling.
We also support 2D barcode formats such as QR codes, Data Matrix, PDF417, and Aztec codes, which are widely used for marketing, packaging, and high-density data encoding.
Each generator allows customisation and provides downloadable barcode images in multiple formats, including PNG, JPG, SVG, and PDF.
Auckland
Christchurch
Phone 09 579 2057
Live Chat – Widget below
Auckland
Christchurch
Phone 09 579 2057
Live Chat – Widget below
