Free UPC generator

A UPC is a 12-digit barcode used on most retail products in the United States. This free UPC barcode generator draws the barcode for you. Type 11 digits and the tool adds the check digit. Type 12 digits and the tool checks the last one. Then download a PNG or an SVG file.

What the 12 digits mean

A UPC-A is made of four parts. The first digit is the number system. It shows what kind of code it is, such as a normal product code. The next five digits are the manufacturer code, which identifies the company. The next five digits are the item code, which identifies the product. The last digit is the check digit.

The company and item parts come from the number you were given. You do not make them up. The check digit is worked out from the other 11 digits, so you do not have to choose it.

How the check digit works

Take the first 11 digits. Multiply the digits in the odd positions (1st, 3rd, 5th and so on) by 3. Add the digits in the even positions (2nd, 4th and so on) as they are. Add both totals. The check digit is the number that brings the total up to the next multiple of 10.

Here is a worked example with the 11 digits 03600029145:

1. Odd positions: 0, 6, 0, 2, 1, 5. Their sum is 14. Times 3 is 42.
2. Even positions: 3, 0, 0, 9, 4. Their sum is 16.
3. Total: 42 + 16 = 58.
4. The next multiple of 10 is 60. So the check digit is 60 − 58 = 2.

The full UPC is 036000291452. If you type 03600029145 in the tool, you get the same result. If you type 036000291453 by mistake, the tool says the last digit should be 2.

Make a UPC barcode

1. Open the UPC type. This page starts on UPC-A. You can change the type at the top of the tool.
2. Type 11 or 12 digits. Use digits only. Remove spaces, letters and dashes.
3. Read the message. With 11 digits, the tool shows the check digit and the full 12-digit number.
4. Choose the options. Keep the number under the bars on for people who read by hand. Choose a size that fits your label.
5. Download the file. Use the PNG for a label design, or the SVG for a file that stays sharp when it is enlarged.

UPC or EAN-13?

UPC-A and EAN-13 are close relatives. A UPC-A has 12 digits. An EAN-13 has 13. The 13-digit form is the standard retail code in most countries outside North America. A UPC-A can be shown as an EAN-13 by adding a leading zero, so most scanners read both. If a shop asks for EAN-13, use the same number with a leading zero in front. The tool offers both types, so you can pick the one your system needs.

The GS1 note

This is the part that matters most for selling. To sell a product with a UPC in most stores, the number must come from GS1, the organization that issues barcode numbers. Each company gets a GS1 company prefix, and each product gets its own item number inside that prefix. A number you make up can produce a picture that scans, but it may match a number that belongs to someone else. Stores can refuse it.

LabelPeel does not sell, issue or register GS1 numbers. It makes the barcode picture from the number you type. If you are not sure whether you need GS1 numbers, check with the store or the marketplace where you plan to sell.

Print a UPC that scans

• Print at 100% or Actual size. Turn off Fit to page.
• Keep a clear margin around the bars, with no text or lines in it.
• Test-scan one printed label with a barcode scanner or a phone before you print a full sheet.
• Check the label size first. A UPC needs room for the bars and the number under them. Avery® 5160 and Avery® 5163 give the bars more room than smaller sheets.

Make UPC labels

Print UPC labels from a list

If you have many products, you do not need to make each UPC by hand. Paste a column of 11- or 12-digit numbers from your spreadsheet into the bulk barcode generator to get a ZIP of PNGs. Or paste the same list into LabelPeel to print a full sheet of labels, one for each product. Read barcode labels from a list to see how it works.