Free online barcode generator for labels and inventory
Create CODE128, EAN, UPC, CODE39, ITF14, MSI, Codabar, and other printable barcodes online. BarcodeControls supports bulk data input, spreadsheet import, check digit completion, custom text, colors, sizing, layout export, and high-resolution files for label printing.
Popular barcode formats
Generate common 1D barcode types for retail products, warehouse labels, shipping workflows, asset tags, and internal inventory systems.
Batch data input
Enter one value per line, import Excel or CSV files, or create serial-number ranges for large barcode batches.
Flexible export options
Export individual barcodes, one-code-per-page PDFs, spreadsheet files, or arranged label layouts as PNG, SVG, PDF, and Excel.
Barcode generator questions
Choosing a format, printing labels that actually scan, and running large batches.
- Which barcode type should I use?
- For retail products sold through stores, the format is dictated by your GS1 number: EAN-13 outside North America, UPC-A inside it. For anything internal — warehouse bins, asset tags, work orders, internal SKUs — CODE128 is the usual choice because it is compact and encodes the full ASCII set. ITF-14 is for shipping cartons and outer cases. Only pick CODE39 when older scanning hardware or an industry spec requires it.
- What is a check digit, and do I need it?
- It is a final digit calculated from the preceding ones so a scanner can detect a misread. EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC, and ITF-14 all require one. If your data is missing that last digit, enable the check digit option and it will be calculated and appended for you, which avoids barcodes that look correct but refuse to scan.
- Which format should I export for label printing?
- Use SVG or PDF. Both are vector, so the bar edges stay mathematically exact at any size and the printer reproduces the precise bar widths the symbology requires. PNG is a raster image: enlarging it blurs the bar edges and shifts their widths, which is one of the most common reasons a printed label will not scan. Reserve PNG for on-screen use.
- How many barcodes can I generate at once?
- Thousands in a single batch. You can paste one value per line, import a column from an Excel or CSV file, or generate a serial-number range with a fixed prefix and suffix. Everything is rendered in your browser, so the ceiling is your device's memory rather than a server-side quota.
- Can I add my own text around the barcode?
- Yes. Beyond the encoded value itself you can attach additional text at the top, bottom, left, right, or any corner, and control font, size, weight, colour, letter spacing, and margins independently. Custom TTF, OTF, and WOFF fonts can be uploaded when a label has to match brand typography.
- Can I lay several barcodes out on one sheet?
- Yes. Layout export arranges many barcodes onto pages using your paper size, margins, rows per page, and items per row, in millimetres. That is the mode to use for sheets of adhesive labels. Alternatively, one-code-per-page export produces a multi-page PDF with a single barcode on each page.
- Is it free, and is my data private?
- It is free with no account required. Barcodes are rendered locally in your browser, so the values you enter — product codes, order numbers, customer references — are never sent to a server.