What is EAN-13?
EAN-13 (European Article Number, now officially the GS1 barcode for GTIN-13) is the product barcode used everywhere outside the US and Canada, and read by tills worldwide. It carries a 13-digit GTIN: a GS1 company prefix, an item reference and a check digit.
| Digits | 13 (12 data digits + 1 check digit) |
|---|---|
| Standard size (100%) | 37.29 mm × 25.93 mm including the numbers |
| Allowed sizes | 80% to 200% (bar width 0.264 to 0.66 mm) |
| Quiet zone | 11 bar widths on the left, 7 on the right |
| Used in | Retail in Europe, UK, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Africa, Latin America |
What do the first digits mean?
The first two or three digits are the GS1 prefix of the GS1 organisation that issued the number: 50 for the UK, 400–440 for Germany, 300–379 for France, 690–699 for China and so on. It shows where the company joined GS1, not where the product was made. A product made in China by a British brand usually starts with 50.
Some ranges are special: 978 and 979 are books (ISBN), 977 is magazines (ISSN), and 200–299 are for a shop's own in-store use and are never given to products.
How to make an EAN-13 barcode
- Type the first 12 digits of your EAN. We work out the 13th. If you type all 13, we check the last one.
- Keep the standard bar width unless you are short of space; don't go below 80% (0.264 mm).
- Download PNG at 300 DPI for labels or SVG/PDF for print artwork.
EAN-13 and UPC-A
A UPC-A is an EAN-13 that starts with 0. If you have a 12-digit UPC and a marketplace asks for an EAN, put a 0 in front. The barcode looks slightly different (the UPC prints its first and last digits outside the bars) but scans as the same number. See UPC vs EAN.
