Almost every product sold on supermarket shelves, clothing tags, and e-commerce sites has a barcode. The most widely used retail barcode format is EAN-13. So, how is "EAN 13 barcode creation" actually done for the products you manufacture or sell, and how are these printed professionally?
What is an EAN-13 Barcode and Why is it Necessary?
EAN (European Article Number) is an internationally standardized (mostly 13-digit) product identification system.
- If you are going to sell your products to local chain supermarkets or international retailers (like Amazon FBA), they must have barcodes. For the cash register to read that product (and pass it into the system with a BEEP sound), a correct EAN-13 barcode is required.
- It is an excellent tool for organizing products in your warehouse, conducting inventory counts, and preventing mix-ups.
EAN-13 consists of exactly 13 digits. The first 3 digits represent the country code, while the subsequent digits represent the company and product code. The last digit (13th digit) is the check digit, which is mathematically calculated based on the previous 12 numbers. An incorrectly calculated EAN barcode will definitely not scan at supermarket checkouts!
Steps to Create Barcodes for Your Products
1. Physical Stores / Official Products (GS1)
If your product will be sold widely and in chain supermarkets, you must purchase official barcode numbers from your country's GS1 authority to ensure your barcode is legal and unique worldwide.
2. Small Scale, Private Sale, or Your Own Warehouse (EAN Generator)
If you only use products in your own shop, closed-system e-commerce warehouse, or for small-scale operations (e.g., you make jewelry and only sell it from your own boutique/Instagram), you can generate barcode graphics in valid formats using your own custom numbers without incurring GS1 costs.
This is where LabelInn helps you. You can instantly create EAN-13 barcodes through our application by entering a random or self-written number. LabelInn automatically calculates the 13th digit (the mathematical check digit) for you.
Generating and Printing EAN-13 Barcodes with LabelInn
Our method for preparing professional retail labels or EAN-13 barcodes without requiring any technical knowledge is as follows:
Enter the App: Open the LabelInn desktop or mobile app and create a "New Label" (e.g., 50x30 mm).
Add Barcode: Click the "Barcode / EAN" button from the menu and drop it in the middle of the label.
Select Barcode Format: Choose EAN-13 as the barcode type from the right menu.
Enter Your Number: Enter only a 12-digit number. The application will automatically calculate and append the 13th check digit (e.g., when you write a barcode starting with 869), ensuring the barcode is valid.
Design and Export: If you want, you can add the product name or your logo above the barcode and print it directly from your Thermal Printer in seconds, or export it as a PDF and send it to the printing press.
Free websites found on Google provide you with a PNG image of the barcode. When you take this image and put it into printer programs (like Word), the barcode pixelates (distorts) as it gets scaled up or down. A grocery store barcode scanner will not read that pixelated image! LabelInn prints the barcode not as an image, but as vector lines at 100% sharpness.
Bulk Barcode Generation from an Excel File
If you have hundreds of products, creating and printing barcodes one by one could take days.
- Connect an Excel (or CSV) file with LabelInn.
- Have 1000 product names and (EAN) barcode numbers in your Excel columns.
- After establishing the connection, click "Print" and sit back; labels with barcodes for 1000 different products will be batch printed in one go.
Get Rid of Unreadable Barcodes
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