What EAN-13 is
EAN-13 (GTIN-13) is the standard retail product barcode used worldwide outside North America's UPC-only legacy systems, standardized as part of ISO/IEC 15420.
Generate it now
Type just the first 12 digits now to have the 13th check digit computed for you, or all 13 to have them validated.
Valid input
EAN-13 encodes exactly 13 digits including a Modulo-10 check digit; bwip-js computes the check digit for you if you supply the first 12.
Key options
Supported options include includetext, guardwhitespace (adds extra light-margin indicator chevrons beyond the mandatory quiet zone), and height.
Output and printing
Export SVG for retail packaging artwork or PNG for quick previews; bwip-js always reserves the required quiet zone on both sides regardless of the guardwhitespace option.
Common uses
EAN-13 is the retail product barcode used on packaging worldwide, carrying a GTIN assigned by GS1.
Example
The seeded example, "9520123456788", is a bwip-js-verified valid GTIN-13 -- try changing just the last digit to see the encoder reject the mismatched check digit, then restore it (or drop it and re-enter the first 12) to see bwip-js compute it back.
Size guidance
EAN-13's mandatory quiet zone is reserved unconditionally by bwip-js; guardwhitespace only adds optional light-margin indicator chevrons on top of it, not the quiet zone itself.
Troubleshooting
If your check digit does not match, recompute it with Modulo-10 over the first 12 digits, or let bwip-js compute it for you.
Related formats
Related formats: UPC-A, EAN-8, ISBN (which embeds an EAN-13 prefix), and EAN-2/EAN-5 add-ons.
FAQ
Who assigns the GTIN inside an EAN-13?
GS1 assigns company prefixes; this generator only renders the barcode from a GTIN you already hold -- it does not issue new GTINs.