Barcode Guide
What Is an EAN Barcode? EAN-13 Explained
EAN is a family of product-identification barcode standards used widely in retail. EAN-13 is the familiar 13-digit format used on products in many markets around the world. If you already have an EAN-13 identifier, BarcodeYard can turn that number into a printable barcode symbol.
What does EAN mean?
EAN originally referred to European Article Number. The terminology and standards have evolved, and EAN-13 is now used broadly for retail product identification. The important distinction is that the EAN number is the identifier, while the barcode is the machine-readable symbol representing that identifier.
How many digits are in EAN-13?
An EAN-13 value contains 13 digits. The final digit is a check digit used to help validate the number. When you generate an EAN-13 barcode, use the identifier supplied for your product or workflow rather than inventing a number and treating it as an official product identifier.
What is an EAN number used for?
- Identifying retail products.
- Supporting point-of-sale scanning.
- Connecting a scanned product to a product record.
- Supporting product and inventory workflows across markets.
- Representing a product identifier in a machine-readable format.
EAN-13 vs UPC-A
EAN-13 normally contains 13 digits, while UPC-A contains 12. Both are widely used for retail product identification. The correct format is determined by the identifier assigned to the product and the requirements of the retailer, marketplace, or trading partner.
See the UPC vs EAN guide for a side-by-side comparison, or learn more about what a UPC barcode is.
How do I create an EAN-13 barcode?
- Start with the valid EAN-13 identifier required by your product or workflow.
- Open the EAN-13 Barcode Generator.
- Enter the number and generate the barcode symbol.
- Download the result as PNG, SVG, or PDF, or send it to print.
- Test the printed result with the scanners that will be used in your workflow before producing a large quantity.
Does BarcodeYard assign EAN numbers?
No. BarcodeYard generates the barcode symbol from an identifier you provide. It does not issue, sell, or assign official product identifiers. If you need an identifier for a product, use the appropriate numbering organization or system required by your business or trading partners.
Frequently asked questions
Is EAN-13 the same as a barcode?
EAN-13 is a product-identification barcode standard. The digits identify the product, and the barcode symbol represents those digits in machine-readable form.
Can I generate an EAN-13 barcode for free?
Yes. BarcodeYard can generate the barcode symbol from an EAN-13 identifier you already have.
What is the difference between EAN and UPC?
UPC-A normally represents 12 digits, while EAN-13 represents 13 digits. They are related retail product-identification standards used in different numbering and market contexts.
Can I make up an EAN number?
A barcode image can be generated from data you enter, but that does not make the number an officially assigned product identifier. Use the identifier required by your product-numbering system or trading partner.