Quick reference
Sizes below include the quiet zones (the blank margins) unless marked otherwise. The EAN and UPC formats shown use GS1 dimensions at 100% magnification.
| Format | Size at 100% | Range or guidance | Quiet zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAN-13 | 37.29 × 25.93 mm | 80% to 200% | 11 modules left, 7 right |
| UPC-A | 37.29 × 25.91 mm | 80% to 200% | 9 modules each side |
| EAN-8 | 26.73 × 21.31 mm | 80% to 200% | 7 modules each side |
| ITF-14 | roughly 150 mm wide, at least about 32 mm bar height at the common carton size | depends on where it is scanned | 10 modules each side, plus bearer bars |
| Code 128, Code 39 | no fixed size; set by the narrowest bar | a narrowest bar of 0.25 mm is a practical starting point for non-GS1 labels | at least 10 modules each side |
| QR code | about 20 × 20 mm is a common starting point for phone scanning at close range | larger for longer distances | 4 modules on every side |
A module is the width of the smallest element: a bar or space in a linear barcode, or a square in a QR code. It is also called the X-dimension. For EAN-13 and UPC-A at 100% it is 0.330 mm.
Magnification: the 80% to 200% rule
Retail barcodes are designed to be scaled as a whole. For EAN and UPC, GS1 defines the standard size as 100% and allows anything from 80% to 200%. At 80%, an EAN-13 is about 29.8 mm wide. At 200%, it is about 74.6 mm.
- Scale width and height together. Stretching only one direction changes the bar proportions and can make it unreadable.
- Stay at 100% or larger if you can. The lower end of the range leaves little room for ink spread, curved surfaces or worn scanners.
- Check your retailer's specification. Some grocery chains set their own minimum above 80%.
Do not truncate
Truncation means cutting the bar height to squeeze a barcode onto a short label. It preserves the width but reduces the height. Checkout scanners sweep several lines across the code at different angles, and a short barcode gives fewer of those lines a full pass. GS1 advises against truncation for anything scanned at a checkout, and many retailers reject it outright. If space is tight, scale the entire barcode down within the allowed range, or ask your GS1 member organization whether you qualify for a GTIN-8 for a very small pack.
Quiet zones are part of the barcode
The blank space to the left and right of the bars tells the scanner where the code starts and stops. If text, a border, a fold or a die cut runs into it, the scanner may not find the code at all.
- EAN-13 needs 11 modules on the left and 7 on the right: about 3.6 mm and 2.3 mm at 100%.
- UPC-A needs 9 modules on each side: about 3.0 mm at 100%.
- Code 128 and Code 39 need at least 10 modules each side. With a 0.25 mm bar, that is 2.5 mm.
- QR codes need 4 modules of blank space on all four sides.
The Barcode Pro studio adds these minimum quiet zones to every export. The padding slider can add more but never less.
Color and contrast
Most retail scanners use red light. A bar that reflects red light looks the same as the background, so it disappears.
| Safe for bars | Risky for bars | Safe backgrounds |
|---|---|---|
| Black, dark blue, dark green, dark brown | Red, orange, yellow, pink, light gray, gold foil, metallic inks | White, cream, light yellow, light orange, light red |
- Retail checkouts: use dark bars on a light background. Inverted barcodes (light bars on dark) are not suitable.
- Styled barcodes: colors, gradients and neon effects are fine for QR codes and for marketing pieces scanned by phones, as long as the scan test passes and a printed test works on several phones. For the barcode that goes through a supermarket checkout, keep it plain.
- Transparent backgrounds: always put the barcode on a solid light panel. A barcode printed straight onto a busy photo or a clear film often fails.
Code 128 and Code 39 sizing
These formats have no single standard size because the length depends on the data. You set the size by choosing the narrowest bar:
- 0.25 mm or wider is a practical starting point for ordinary handheld scanners and most office or thermal label printers.
- Smaller than about 0.19 mm needs a high-resolution printer and a scanner designed for dense codes.
- Height: a common guideline for general labels is at least 15% of the barcode's length, and no less than about 6.4 mm. GS1-128 and industry labels set their own heights.
Thermal label printers work in whole dots. At 203 dpi a dot is about 0.125 mm, so a 0.25 mm bar is about 2 dots, while a 0.3 mm target width must be rounded to a whole number of dots. Choose bar widths that are a whole number of dots on your printer.
QR code sizing
A rough starting point for QR codes is a scanning distance of about ten times the width of the code: a 20 mm code for roughly 20 cm, and a poster code read from 3 m around 30 cm wide. Dense codes need more, so test the printed code at the real distance.
- At a fixed print size, more data can mean more, smaller modules. Keep URLs short so each module stays large.
- A logo can obscure modules, so use higher error correction and test the finished code. See QR codes with a logo.
- Keep the 4-module quiet zone on all sides.
SVG or PNG?
SVG is a vector file. It scales to any size with sharp edges at any size, and printers and designers can place it directly in packaging artwork. Use it whenever the software accepts it.
PNG is a pixel image. It suits label templates, marketplaces, Word documents and tools that do not accept SVG. Export it large enough for the print size:
| Printed width | At 300 dpi | At 600 dpi |
|---|---|---|
| 29.83 mm (EAN-13 at 80%) | 353 px | 705 px |
| 37.29 mm (EAN-13 at 100%) | 441 px | 881 px |
| 74.58 mm (EAN-13 at 200%) | 881 px | 1,762 px |
| 50 mm QR code | 591 px | 1,182 px |
The formula is pixels = width in mm ÷ 25.4 × dpi, rounded up. The studio offers PNG exports from 512 to 4,096 pixels wide; pick one at or above the figure for your print. Never scale a small PNG up, because the edges blur and the bar widths drift. Exporting at two or more times the minimum width also keeps each bar closer to a whole number of printer dots.
Before you print thousands
- Print one label on the real material with the real printer.
- Scan it with a phone app, then with a handheld scanner if you can borrow one.
- On a narrow bottle or tube, test the orientation. When the curve is tight, GS1 recommends turning the barcode so the bars run horizontally (ladder orientation), so the scan line follows the flat length of the pack instead of wrapping around the curve.
- For large retail orders, consider a professional verification report. Many GS1 organizations and print suppliers offer one.
Frequently asked questions
What is the smallest EAN-13 I can print?
GS1 allows EAN-13 down to 80% of the standard size, which is about 29.8 mm wide including the quiet zones. Below that, many retail scanners become unreliable, and some retailers ask for 100% or larger.
Can I make the barcode shorter to fit my label?
Reducing the height, called truncation, is discouraged by GS1 for retail barcodes because it stops scanners reading the code from an angle. Many retailers reject truncated barcodes. Scale the whole barcode down instead, staying at or above 80%.
What colors can a barcode be?
Dark bars on a light background. Black, dark blue, dark green and dark brown bars work well. Red, orange and yellow bars often read as blank to red-light scanners, and light bars on a dark background are not suitable for retail checkouts.
What resolution should a barcode PNG be?
For print, use the SVG where you can. If you need a PNG, make it wide enough that its pixel width is at least the printed width in inches times the printer resolution, for example 441 pixels for a 37.29 mm EAN-13 printed at 300 dpi. Exporting larger is safer.