ISBN barcode generator

ISBN-10 or ISBN-13 in, a print-ready book barcode with price add-on and a QR out. Ctrl+C copies the SVG.

ISBN-13
978-0-306-40615-7
ISBN-10
0-306-40615-2
EAN-13
9780306406157
Parts
978 Bookland · group 0 (English language) · publisher 306 · title 40615 · check 7
Add-on
51999 · US $19.99
Style
Print size
978030640615751999ISBN 978-0-306-40615-7

Encodes 9780306406157 51999 · 56.3 × 30.9 mm · 665 × 365 px at 300 dpi

QR code for this book

For the back cover or a bookmark: opens the book online, or carries the ISBN itself.

QR content

https://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN9780306406157

Making the code…

Logo and frames in the QR tool

How to make an ISBN barcode

  1. Type the ISBN

    Paste the ISBN-10 or ISBN-13 from your agency, hyphens or not. The tool verifies the check digit and shows the hyphenated forms, the group and the publisher part.

  2. Add the price and pick a style

    Choose a currency and price for the EAN-5 add-on, or 90000 for no price. Pick standard, boxed or compact, the print size and the text options.

  3. Download, plus a QR

    Save the SVG in millimetres for the cover file or a PNG at 300 dpi. Below it, make a QR code that opens the book on Google Books, Amazon or your own page.

Good to know

  • An ISBN-13 is an EAN-13: the 978 or 979 prefix is the Bookland country code, so any retail scanner reads it.
  • Keep the quiet zones. The SVG includes 11 modules on the left and 7 on the right (5 after an add-on); do not crop it or place text inside that space. Tick the > marker to print the optional light-margin indicator.
  • Print black bars on white, or dark on light. Never reverse (white on black), and avoid red bars: scanners use red light and see red as white.
  • In the US and UK, retailers expect the EAN-5 price add-on. Use 90000 when the price is not set or varies by market; India and most of Europe usually print no add-on.
  • The Boxed style prints a white panel with a thin border, useful on dark or busy covers. Rounded is the same with soft corners.
  • The ISBN-10 form is shown for reference only; do not put it in a barcode. New 979 ISBNs have no ISBN-10 at all.
  • Many books mode takes one ISBN per line with an optional price after a comma, such as 9788172234980, 299, and names each file after the ISBN.

Questions people ask

ISBN-10 or ISBN-13, which do I type?

Either. Since 2007 every ISBN is 13 digits and starts with 978 or 979; older books also have a 10-character form. Type whichever you have, with or without hyphens, and the tool checks it, shows both forms and encodes the 13-digit one, because that is what the EAN-13 barcode carries.

What is the small barcode on the right?

The EAN-5 price add-on. Its first digit is the currency (5 for US dollars, 0 for pounds, 6 Canadian, 3 Australian, 4 New Zealand) and the other four are the price in cents, so US $19.99 becomes 51999. 90000 means no price is encoded. Bookshops in the US and UK expect it; many other markets leave it off.

How big should it print?

The nominal size is 100%: 37.29 mm wide with an X dimension of 0.33 mm. GS1 allows 80% to 200%. Download the SVG, which is measured in millimetres, and place it at that size in InDesign, Canva or your cover template without scaling. The PNG is rendered at 300 dpi (or 150 or 600) for the same physical size.

Where do the hyphens come from?

An ISBN splits into prefix, registration group (country or language), registrant (publisher), publication and check digit. The registrant length comes from range tables published by the International ISBN Agency; the tool has the tables for the largest groups, including India (81 and 93), and uses the classic split for the rest.

Can I make an ISBN here?

No. ISBNs are issued by your national agency (Raja Rammohun Roy National Agency in India, Bowker in the US, Nielsen in the UK). This tool turns an issued number into the barcode and QR code that go on the cover.

Is anything uploaded?

No. Everything is drawn in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.