Free ISBN barcode generator

The barcode on the back cover. Paste your ISBN, with or without hyphens.

Barcode type

ISBN

13 digits starting 978 or 979, or an old 10-character ISBN (we convert it).

Add-on (optional)

The small extra barcode on books and magazines: 5 digits for a price (51299 = US$12.99), 2 for an issue number.

Width (mm)

100% of standard size (37.29 mm). Retail allows 80–200%.

Bar height (mm)

Show the number under the bars

Bars

Background

Transparent background (PNG, SVG, PDF)

An ISBN barcode is the EAN-13 barcode printed on a book’s back cover, built from its ISBN, with the ISBN printed above it. Paste your ISBN above, with or without hyphens, or an old 10-character ISBN: we check it, convert it if needed, and test the scan before you download.

How to make an ISBN barcode

Enter the ISBN for this edition. ISBN-13s start with 978 or 979.
Check the preview: the ISBN prints above the bars and the 13 digits below.
Download a PNG at print resolution, or a PDF or EPS for your cover designer or printer (paid plan).

Where it goes on the cover

Put the barcode on the back cover, usually in the lower right corner, on a white or light box. Keep it at least 2 cm from the spine and the edges, and at full size if you can: about 37 mm wide.

Don’t reuse an ISBN across formats or editions. Stores and distributors use it to tell your paperback from your hardback, and a shared number causes ordering mistakes.

An ISBN barcode is an EAN-13, so the same printing advice applies: dark bars, a light background and clear margins.

Questions people ask

Where do I get an ISBN?

From the ISBN agency in your country. In some countries they cost money (in the US, from Bowker); in others, such as Canada, they’re free. Each format of a book (paperback, hardback, ebook) needs its own ISBN.

My ISBN has 10 digits. Can I still use it?

Yes. Paste it and we convert it to the 13-digit form printed in the barcode (978 followed by the first nine digits, with a new check digit).

Do the hyphens matter?

Not for the barcode. If you type the ISBN with hyphens, we print it that way above the bars; the bars themselves encode the 13 digits only.

What about the price barcode next to it?

That small extra barcode is a 5-digit price add-on. Type it in the add-on field: the first digit is the currency (5 for US dollars, 6 for Canadian dollars), then the price, so 51299 means US$12.99. Print 90000 for no suggested price.