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ISBN barcode generator

A print-ready EAN-13 barcode for your back cover, checked digit by digit.

ISBN-13 or ISBN-10, with or without hyphens. Hyphens you type are kept in the text line.

Price add-on

Adds 90000, the US code for "price not encoded". Most self-published books use this.

GS1 allows 80% to 200%. Never shrink only the height.

ISBN 978-92-95055-12-4
Drawn at 100%: 2.17 x 1.19 in (55.1 x 30.2 mm)100% black on white
ISBN-13
9789295055124
Add-on
90000
Print size
2.17 x 1.19 in
  • At 100% this is larger than KDP's suggested 2 x 1.2 in. That is fine; choose 90% if you want it to fit.

Rather have a pro handle this? Our studio can: publishing setup.

How to use it

  1. Type your ISBN-13, or an ISBN-10 to have it converted. Keep the hyphens if you want them in the text line.
  2. Choose the add-on: No price (90000), a US price, or none.
  3. Pick a size. 100% is the standard; 90% fits KDP's suggested box.
  4. Download the SVG or PDF for your cover app, or the PNG if it only takes images.
  5. Place it on the back cover, at least 0.25 in from the spine and trim, on a white box.

How it works

An ISBN-13 is also an EAN-13 product number, so its barcode is a standard EAN-13. The generator first checks your ISBN: the check digit must equal 10 minus the remainder of the weighted sum, with weights 1 and 3.

Check digit = (10 - (d1 + 3 x d2 + d3 + 3 x d4 + ... + 3 x d12) mod 10) mod 10
Bars = 95 modules: start guard, 6 digits, center guard, 6 digits, end guard
Price add-on = 5 digits in 47 modules, placed right of the main barcode

The first digit is not drawn as bars. It sets which pattern each of the next six digits uses, which is how 13 digits fit into 12 bar characters. Each digit is 7 modules wide, made of two bars and two spaces.

The add-on follows the US book industry rules. A leading 5 means US dollars, and the next four digits are the price in cents, from US$0.01 to US$99.98. Prices from US$100.00 to US$499.99 are written in cents with no leading 5. 90000 means no price is encoded.

Worked example: the ISBN 978-92-95055-12-4 at US$14.99 gets the add-on 51499. At 100% each module is 0.33 mm, the bars are 22.85 mm tall, and the whole barcode with add-on, quiet zones and ISBN line is 55.1 x 30.2 mm (2.17 x 1.19 in). Without the add-on it is 1.47 x 1.19 in.

The white margins to the left and right are quiet zones (11 modules before the bars, 5 after the add-on). Scanners need them, so keep the white box around the barcode when you place it.

Reference

Barcode size by magnification

Full size of the file, including quiet zones and the ISBN line. KDP asks for at least 1.4 x 0.8 in and suggests 2 x 1.2 in. GS1 allows 80% (0.264 mm) to 200% (0.66 mm).

SizeModule (X)With add-onNo add-on
80%0.264 mm1.74 x 0.95 in1.17 x 0.95 in
90%0.297 mm1.95 x 1.07 in1.32 x 1.07 in
100% (standard)0.330 mm2.17 x 1.19 in1.47 x 1.19 in
120%0.396 mm2.60 x 1.43 in1.76 x 1.43 in
150%0.495 mm3.25 x 1.78 in2.20 x 1.78 in
200%0.660 mm4.34 x 2.38 in2.94 x 2.38 in

US price add-on codes

Cover priceAdd-on
No price, or not encoded90000
US$9.9950999
US$14.9951499
US$24.9552495
US$99.99Cannot be encoded
US$120.0012000

At 80% the barcode with add-on is 1.74 x 0.95 in, the GS1 minimum for most printing.

Questions authors ask

Do I need my own barcode for KDP?

No. If you upload a cover without one, KDP places a barcode on the back cover for you, in the lower right. Make your own when you want to control where it sits, add a price, or use the same cover with another printer. KDP asks for at least 1.4 x 0.8 in, suggests 2 x 1.2 in, and wants it 0.25 in or more from the spine and trim. For IngramSpark, leave a 1.75 x 1 in area clear if you do not supply one.

What does 90000 mean on a book barcode?

It is the 5-digit add-on for "no price encoded here". The US book industry guidelines recommend 90000 when you do not encode the US price or have no cover price. Scanners then look the price up by ISBN instead.

Should I put my price in the barcode?

Only if the printed price will stay fixed. A price add-on has to match the cover price, so every price change means a new barcode and a new cover file. Most self-published authors use 90000 for that reason.

What size should an ISBN barcode be?

The standard size (100%) has 0.33 mm modules and 22.85 mm tall bars. With a 5-digit add-on and the ISBN line that is 2.17 x 1.19 in. GS1 allows 80% to 200%, and the width and height must scale together. At 90% it is 1.95 x 1.07 in, inside KDP's suggested 2 x 1.2 in.

Can I make a barcode from an ISBN-10?

Yes. Type it in and the generator converts it to the ISBN-13, because book barcodes always carry 13 digits. The ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 are the same ISBN, so you do not need a new one.

Is an ISBN barcode the same as an EAN-13?

Yes. A book's ISBN-13 is also its EAN-13 product number: the 978 and 979 prefixes are reserved for books. The barcode is a standard EAN-13, so any retail scanner reads it.

Which file should I use: SVG, PNG or PDF?

SVG or PDF if your cover app accepts vector files, since KDP prefers vector barcodes and they stay sharp at any size. The PNG has whole pixels per bar at about 1200 PPI and opens at its true print size.

Is my ISBN sent anywhere?

No. The barcode is drawn in your browser and the files are created on your device. Nothing you type leaves it, and there is no signup.

Before and after this step

Read the guide

Related tools

Sources

Last verified against each printer's official help pages. Printers change their specs, so check the source before you order a proof.

GS1 barcode standard

US book barcode guidelines (BISG)

International ISBN Agency

KDP and IngramSpark