How to make a barcode

Open the barcode tool when you know whether this is inventory (Code 128) or a retail GTIN (EAN-13). Do not invent someone else's product number.

1. Pick Code 128, Code 39, or EAN-13

   Code 128 holds letters and digits for tickets and bins. Code 39 suits older guns. EAN-13 is retail: 12 digits plus a check. A QR code is the wrong tool for a shelf label that a 1D scanner must read.

   

2. Open the barcode tool and type the value

   Open the barcode generator on cv.cm. Choose the symbology first, then type. Spaces in EAN-13 will fail. For Code 128, keep internal IDs short enough to print.

   Open Free barcode generator

3. For EAN-13, type 12 digits and let the check fill in

   The thirteenth digit is a checksum. If a shop scanner rejects the label, the check is wrong or the prefix is not yours. Do not invent a GTIN you do not own.

   

4. Download the PNG

   Download the PNG. Do not screenshot the preview. Keep a white margin when you place it on packaging.

5. Scan with the gun you will actually use

   Phone cameras often read Code 128. Warehouse guns may only read EAN-13 or Code 39. Test on the device at the counter. If it beeps but the POS shows the wrong SKU, you encoded the wrong digits.

6. Print at a width the gun can see

   A 1D barcode needs more width than a QR code of the same story. Do not rotate it into a tiny corner. After printing, scan the paper.