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TEC-IT

Used by 700,000+ people

Free online barcode generator.

Create 100+ barcode types in your browser.

Create barcode → No credit card required
H.B. Fuller Amazon BMW Pfizer Bosch Bayer Siemens GS1 Austria Solution Partner

What the generator does with your data
Shop owner labelling jars beside a laptop showing a barcode

Every barcode comes from TBarCode, TEC-IT's engine for 100+ symbologies. It adds check digits: 12 digits become a full EAN-13, and Code 128 gets its modulo 103 check character. It also switches Code 128 code sets to keep symbols short, marks GS1-128 with the function character FNC1 and sizes QR Codes to your data.

Fixed-syntax formats such as Wi-Fi logins, vCards and SEPA payments get forms that build the string for you.

What to check before you print
Worker scanning a pallet label with a laser scanner

GS1-128 data is encoded unchecked, so enter its numbers with their check digits. Set your printer's resolution and a module width in pixels, so bars cover whole printer dots.

By default, Code 128, QR Code and Data Matrix images end at the symbol's edge. Leave the quiet zone free in your layout: at least 10 modules and 6.35 mm for Code 128, 4 for QR Code, 1 for Data Matrix. Then have a verifier grade a sample.

From the free generator to TEC-IT's software
Office worker checking a barcoded letter at her desk

For data in files, spreadsheets or applications, TEC-IT's software creates the barcodes where that data lives.

Barcode Studio for Windows and macOS imports text or CSV files or generates serial numbers, then exports all barcodes in one run, also from the command line. TBarCode Office links a barcode to an Excel cell or a Word mail merge field, so it follows your data. TBarCode SDK builds the engine into .NET, C++ or COM applications.

Frequently asked questions

Learn more about TBarCode Cloud.

Is the online barcode generator free?
Yes. You create and download barcodes as PNG, GIF or JPG without paying, installing software or signing in. Vector SVG files and higher print resolutions need a paid plan.
Which barcode do I need?
Your application decides. Retail products carry EAN-13, books their ISBN as an EAN-13 starting 978 or 979, and cartons and pallets GS1-128, GS1's mandatory carrier for the SSCC. For medicines and medical devices, GS1 DataMatrix is a carrier GS1 prefers in healthcare. Use Code 128 for part and serial numbers, Data Matrix for small parts marked directly, QR Code for printed web links, the EPC QR code on SEPA invoices and the Swiss QR Code on QR-bills. North America's licence and ID card standard requires PDF417.
Should I use a 1D or a 2D barcode?
Check your scanners first: laser scanners read linear (1D) barcodes and PDF417 but not matrix codes such as QR Code, while image scanners read both. Linear barcodes store data in bars and spaces and hold little: 13 digits in EAN-13, up to 48 characters in GS1-128. 2D codes use stacked rows or a matrix of modules and hold far more, up to 7,089 digits in QR Code or 3,116 in Data Matrix. In most 2D types, error correction recovers damaged areas; a linear check digit, if present, only detects misreads.
Do I need a GS1 number for a barcode?
Only for GS1 barcodes: retail and healthcare products carry a GTIN, pallets an SSCC. Both contain a GS1 Company Prefix, licensed from a GS1 Member Organisation; books and periodicals can use an ISBN or ISSN instead. The generator encodes numbers but does not issue them; your own part numbers need no registration.
Which image format should I use for printing?
PNG: it is lossless, while JPG compression lowers image quality. Create it at your printer's resolution and place it at 100%: rescaling makes bar widths uneven. Vector SVG and higher resolutions need a plan.
What size should a printed barcode be?
Usually, the application standard decides. GS1 sets 0.264–0.660 mm per narrow bar for EAN-13 at checkouts and at least 0.495 mm for GS1-128 on pallets. For QR Code, its developer DENSO WAVE advises 4 or more printer dots per module.

Make every label, code and scan work the first time.

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