- Barcode Batch
- UPC barcodes
UPC barcode generator
UPC-A is the 12-digit barcode on products in the United States and Canada. Give 11 digits and the tool works out the 12th, or give all 12 and it checks them. It draws the barcode. It does not issue the number.
How a UPC-A is built
A UPC-A is 12 digits. The digits before the last hold the company prefix that GS1 issued and the product number the company chose. The last digit is a check digit.
The bars are 95 modules wide, the same pattern as an EAN-13. That is why a UPC-A can be read as an EAN-13 with a zero in front, and why scanners around the world read both.
Working out the check digit
Add the digits in the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th places, and multiply by 3. Add the digits in the other five places. The check digit is the amount that brings the total up to the next multiple of 10.
03600029145 gives (0 + 6 + 0 + 2 + 1 + 5) × 3 = 42, plus 3 + 0 + 0 + 9 + 4 = 16, which makes 58. The next multiple of 10 is 60, so the check digit is 2, and the full number is 036000291452.
UPC-E, the short version
UPC-E squeezes a UPC-A that has a run of zeros into 8 digits, for small packs where a full code would not fit. Only numbers that start with 0 or 1 can be shortened.
Choose UPC-E under More types and give 6 digits, or all 8 with the first digit and the check digit. The tool works out the full number behind it, so the check digit is always right.
Size and blank space
A UPC-A uses the same bar sizes as an EAN-13: a nominal bar width of 0.33 mm, printed at 80% to 200% of that size. The tool adds the blank space the code needs on each side, and warns you when the bars on your label come out below 0.25 mm.
A drawn UPC is not a registered number
The tool draws any digits you give it with the right check digit. It does not issue UPC numbers, and it cannot tell whether a number belongs to you. Shops and many online marketplaces expect a UPC that was licensed through GS1, with your company as its owner.
For your own stock and shelves, where nobody else reads the code, Code 128 is the better choice. The guide to registered numbers explains where UPC numbers come from.
Questions
Can I make a UPC code for free?
You can draw the barcode for free here. The number itself is not free for products sold in shops. It has to be licensed through GS1, so that no other product has the same one.
Is a UPC the same as an EAN?
Nearly. A UPC-A has 12 digits and an EAN-13 has 13. Putting a zero in front of a UPC-A gives the matching EAN-13, and most scanners read both.
Why does my spreadsheet show only 11 digits?
Excel treats a UPC as a number and drops a zero from the start. When 11 digits would be a complete UPC with a zero in front, the tool says so and offers to add the zero.
How many UPC barcodes can I make at once?
Up to 2,000 in one run, from a pasted list or a spreadsheet. Put a name and a price after each number to print them on the label.
Sources
Checked on .