EAN-13 is the global standard for retail product barcodes. Every packaged product sold internationally carries an EAN-13 barcode. This guide explains exactly how the format works.

What is an EAN-13 Barcode?

EAN-13 stands for European Article Number, 13 digits. It's a superset of UPC-A (UPC-A is EAN-13 with a leading zero). EAN-13 is the GS1 standard for retail product identification — used by every major supermarket, POS system, and e-commerce platform globally.

EAN-13 Format Breakdown

A valid EAN-13 barcode is always exactly 13 digits: [ 2-3 digit country prefix ][ 4-5 digit company code ][ 5 digit product code ][ 1 check digit ]. Example: 5 901234 123457 where 59 = Poland, 01234 = company, 12345 = product, 7 = check digit.

How the Check Digit is Calculated

1. Multiply odd-position digits (1,3,5,7,9,11) by 1. 2. Multiply even-position digits (2,4,6,8,10,12) by 3. 3. Sum all results. 4. Check digit = (10 − (sum mod 10)) mod 10. The CodePrints barcode generator validates this automatically.

Do You Need a GS1 Number?

For retail stores: Yes. Major retailers require GS1-registered barcodes. Register at gs1.org. For internal use or testing: No — generate any valid 13-digit EAN-13 freely.

EAN-13 Print Specifications

Minimum size: 26.73mm × 21.64mm at 100% magnification. Color: black bars on white background. Download SVG from CodePrints for packaging and labels — scales to any print size without pixelation.