ISBN Barcode Generator

Make the barcode for the back cover of your book. Enter an ISBN-13 or ISBN-10 and add the 5-digit price code if you need one. The output is ready for Amazon KDP, IngramSpark and printers.

ISBN-13 or ISBN-10. Add a space and 5 digits for the price add-on (e.g. 52499 = US$24.99, 90000 = no price)

Change the bar width, height and text here. The barcode on the left is drawn at the size it will print, so at 100% zoom it should match a ruler held to the screen.

PNG and JPG files store their resolution, so Word, Canva and label software place them at this size.

Colours

Dark bars on a light background scan best. Most scanners use red light, so red, orange and yellow bars read as blank.

What is an ISBN barcode?

A book's barcode is an EAN-13 that carries its 13-digit ISBN (International Standard Book Number). ISBN-13s start with 978 or 979, the "Bookland" prefixes GS1 set aside for books. The ISBN itself is printed above the bars in a readable font, and the EAN number below.

EncodesISBN-13 (978… or 979…), shown above the bars
Barcode typeEAN-13, plus an optional 5-digit add-on
Standard sizeAbout 37.3 × 25.9 mm without the add-on
ISBNs come fromYour national ISBN agency (Bowker in the US, Nielsen in the UK)

The 5-digit price add-on

The smaller barcode to the right is the EAN-5 add-on. Its first digit is the currency and the other four are the price:

  • 5 means US dollars: 52499 is $24.99.
  • 6 means Canadian dollars.
  • 90000 means no suggested retail price. Many independent authors use this.

To add one, type a space and the five digits after your ISBN, for example 978-1-56581-231-4 52499. UK books usually leave the add-on off.

How to make your book barcode

  1. Type your ISBN-13, with or without hyphens. You can also enter an old ISBN-10; we convert it to ISBN-13.
  2. Add a space and the 5-digit price code if your distributor wants one.
  3. Download SVG or PDF for your cover file. They stay sharp at any size in InDesign, Affinity or Canva. Use PNG at 600 DPI if your software only accepts images.
  4. Place it on the back cover, usually bottom right, on a white box, at 100% scale (about 1.5" wide).

Amazon KDP and IngramSpark

Amazon KDP adds a barcode for you on paperbacks if you leave space for it. IngramSpark's cover template also has a barcode, but includes the price only if you set one. Make your own if you design the cover yourself or need a specific price code. Either way, the ISBN must be one you own, not a free KDP ISBN reused somewhere else.

Pallet racking in a distribution warehouse
Pallet racking in a distribution warehouse.

Questions

  • No. The ISBN is the number that identifies your edition; the barcode is how a scanner reads it. You get the ISBN from your national agency and can make the barcode here for free.

  • Each format needs its own ISBN, and printed formats need a barcode. Ebooks don't need a barcode.

  • Use 5 followed by the US price (52499 for $24.99), or 90000 if you don't want to print a price.

  • Yes. Type the ISBN-10 and we add 978 and recalculate the check digit.