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Burrows Tools

Barcode Generator

Type a number or some text, pick a barcode type, and a scannable barcode is drawn instantly — ready to download as a PNG for a label or as an SVG that stays sharp at any size. Four symbologies cover almost everything people actually need: Code 128 for shipping labels, asset tags and anything alphanumeric; EAN-13 and UPC-A for retail products; and Code 39 for the older warehouse, healthcare and government systems that still ask for it. Check digits are the part most generators get quietly wrong, so this one shows its working: enter the first 12 digits of an EAN-13 and the thirteenth is calculated for you, or paste all 13 and it is verified, with the correct digit named if the code you have is wrong. Everything is encoded in your browser from the published symbology tables, so product numbers, tracking numbers and internal part codes never leave your device, and there is no watermark, signup or expiry on anything you make.

Any ASCII text or number. The dense, general-purpose code used for shipping labels, asset tags and internal inventory. Encoded as Start B — 19 symbols including the check symbol (value 43).

BURROWS-TOOLS-128

The PNG downloads at 968 × 282 pixels. The SVG has no fixed size — scale it as far as you like and the bars stay sharp.

How to use the barcode generator

  1. Choose the barcode type: Code 128 for text or mixed data, EAN-13 or UPC-A for a retail product, Code 39 for older scanners.
  2. Type or paste the value. Retail codes take the digits without their check digit — it is added for you.
  3. Check the message under the box: it confirms the check digit, or names the character that cannot be encoded.
  4. Pick a download size and save the PNG, or download the SVG for print and large formats.

Frequently asked questions

Which barcode type should I use?
Code 128 for anything you control yourself — shipping labels, asset tags, part numbers — because it is compact and holds letters, digits and punctuation. EAN-13 or UPC-A only for products sold in shops, since those numbers have to be registered. Code 39 when a scanner or a system specifically asks for it.
Can I invent my own EAN-13 or UPC number?
You can generate the barcode, and it will scan, but retail numbers are issued by GS1 and a made-up one may already belong to somebody else. For internal use — a warehouse, a library, a school — Code 128 or Code 39 is the honest choice and has no registration attached.
What is a check digit?
The last digit of an EAN-13 or UPC-A is calculated from the others, so a scanner can tell when it has misread one. Enter 12 digits for EAN-13 (11 for UPC-A) and it is worked out for you; enter the full code and it is verified, with the correct digit named if it does not match.
Why will my printed barcode not scan?
Usually it is printed too small, too light, or without its quiet zone — the blank margin either side, which is included in every image here. Print from the SVG rather than a stretched PNG, keep the bars crisp black on white, and avoid scaling the width without the height.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. The barcode is drawn in your browser from the encoding tables in the page's own JavaScript. Nothing you type is uploaded, logged or stored, and the tool works with the network switched off.

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