Barcode Guides

Practical guides to barcodes for products, inventory and retail: UPC, EAN-13, Code 128, GS1 registration and label printing, written for small sellers who need a code on a box this month rather than a supply chain course.

Most barcode questions come down to three decisions. First, whether you need a GS1 number at all: a shop or marketplace that sells your product does, your own stockroom does not. Do I need GS1 barcodes? walks through that choice honestly, including when buying a cheap number goes wrong. Second, which kind of code: UPC vs EAN vs GTIN and SKU vs UPC explain what each number is for, and barcode vs QR code covers when a 2D code is the better label. Third, how to produce it: how to make a barcode for a product goes from a SKU list to a printed, scannable label.

The free barcode tools work alongside these guides: generators for UPC, EAN-13 and Code 128, a check digit calculator, and an online scanner to test a printed label before the run goes out.