Which barcode for which job
| You are labeling | Barcode | Page |
|---|---|---|
| A product sold in US or Canadian stores | UPC-A, or UPC-E on a very small pack | UPC barcode generator |
| A product whose number was issued as 13 digits | EAN-13, or EAN-8 on a very small pack | EAN barcode generator |
| A shipping carton of one product | ITF-14 | EAN barcode generator |
| Stock, assets, file folders, shipments of your own | Code 128 | Barcode generator |
| An older system that asks for it | Code 39 | Barcode generator |
The barcode generator has all seven types in one menu. The UPC and EAN pages open on those types and offer only their close relatives, with the details that matter for retail: where the number comes from, how UPC-E shortens a number, how a carton’s ITF-14 relates to the item’s code.
Retail numbers come from GS1
Any correctly formed UPC or EAN will scan, but a store’s system looks the number up. Numbers for products you sell must be licensed to your company by GS1, which in the United States is GS1 US. Numbers bought cheaply from resellers may already be listed under another company, and marketplaces such as Amazon check. For internal labels, Code 128 needs no registration at all.
Check digits, briefly
UPC, EAN and ITF-14 end in a check digit calculated from the other digits. Leave it off and the tool adds it: type 03600029145 for a UPC-A and it appends a 2. Type a wrong one and the tool shows the correct digit instead of drawing a barcode that every register would reject. Code 128 has a check character too, but it is encoded in the bars automatically, with nothing for you to type.
Barcode or QR code?
A linear barcode holds a short number or code, and every store scanner reads it. A QR code holds much more, including web links and text with accents or other alphabets, but checkout scanners are not guaranteed to read it. Products in stores use UPC or EAN; links, menus and contact details belong in a QR code.