Free EAN-8 Barcode Generator

🔒 Runs in your browser — nothing is sent to a server

Generate EAN-8 barcodes online for free. EAN-8 is the short 8-digit cousin of EAN-13, designed specifically for products whose packaging is too small to carry a full EAN-13 without compromising scan reliability — cosmetics sachets, confectionery singles, cigarette packs, and seed sachets. Enter 7 digits and the check digit is appended automatically, or paste all 8 and the generator will verify it. Export as PNG or SVG, tune the bar width for your label stock, and print with confidence. Everything runs locally in your browser with zero uploads.

1. Select barcode type

2. Enter content and adjust style

7–8 digits — e.g. 9638507

Style

3px
100px
15px

3. Preview and download

No barcode yet — click Generate

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Where EAN-8 appears in the wild

EAN-8 codes show up on products where every square millimetre of packaging counts: individually-wrapped sweets, lipstick tubes, eyeliner pencils, incense sticks, seed sachets, and single-use toiletries. Bookshop stock never uses EAN-8 (books carry 978/979-prefixed EAN-13 ISBNs), nor do alcohol miniatures (which typically still fit EAN-13). If you are unsure, measure the printable area first — if EAN-13 fits at 80% scale, use EAN-13.

Printing tips for tiny labels

Because EAN-8 is already small, print quality becomes the single biggest scan-reliability factor. Use 600 DPI where possible, keep bars at their nominal 0.33 mm X-dimension or wider, and never shrink below 80% scale. Test-scan a printed sample with the same scanner model your retailer deploys — till scanners are less forgiving than handheld units. Export SVG rather than PNG to avoid any raster-scaling artefacts.

FAQ

What is EAN-8?

EAN-8 is an 8-digit retail barcode standardised alongside EAN-13 in ISO/IEC 15420. It carries a 2–3 digit GS1 prefix, an abbreviated item reference, and a single check digit. Physically it is narrower than EAN-13 — about 22 mm wide at 100% scale — which makes it the only compliant option for very small consumer packaging that cannot fit the full EAN-13.

When should I use EAN-8 instead of EAN-13?

Only when the product packaging genuinely cannot accommodate an EAN-13 at the minimum allowed size (about 29.8 × 20.7 mm at 80% scale). Retailers and GS1 both prefer EAN-13, so EAN-8 is explicitly reserved as an exception. If your package has room for EAN-13, use it — EAN-8 codes are a limited, separately-allocated pool and GS1 tends to resist issuing them unnecessarily.

How is the EAN-8 check digit calculated?

The algorithm mirrors EAN-13 but operates over 7 digits: multiply the digits at odd positions by 3, digits at even positions by 1, sum the products, take modulo 10, and subtract from 10 (a zero result remains zero). The result is the 8th, final digit. This generator calculates it automatically when you enter 7 digits.

How do I obtain a legitimate EAN-8?

You must apply directly to your national GS1 member organisation — EAN-8 codes cannot be derived from a standard GS1 company prefix like EAN-13 codes can. GS1 allocates EAN-8 numbers individually and only when the applicant demonstrates that EAN-13 physically does not fit. Fees and waiting times vary by country; budget a few weeks for the approval process.

What is the physical size of an EAN-8?

At 100% nominal scale, an EAN-8 measures 26.73 × 21.31 mm including quiet zones, with a nominal X-dimension (narrowest bar) of 0.33 mm. GS1 permits scaling between 80% and 200%, so the printed barcode can range from about 21.4 mm to 53.5 mm wide. For very small labels, export SVG and scale precisely — never below 80% or the code may fail at the till.

Is EAN-8 supported by every retail scanner?

Yes. Every retail POS scanner manufactured in the last three decades recognises EAN-8 alongside EAN-13, UPC-A, and UPC-E. Decoding is symmetric — the scanner detects the start/stop patterns and reads the payload without any manual mode switching. EAN-8 scan reliability is identical to EAN-13 at the same printed X-dimension.

Glossary

EAN-8

The 8-digit short form of the European Article Number, reserved by GS1 for retail items too small for EAN-13. Encodes a 2–3 digit prefix, an abbreviated item reference, and a check digit. Not derivable from a standard GS1 company prefix — allocated individually on request.

GTIN-8

The modern GS1 name for the 8-digit trade item number encoded by EAN-8. GTIN-8 is a fixed-length, fixed-pool identifier — unlike GTIN-13, there is no manufacturer prefix component, so GS1 retains control of allocation directly.

Check digit

The final digit of an EAN-8, computed from the first 7 digits by a weighted modulo-10 algorithm (odd positions × 3, even × 1). Scanners validate it on every read. This generator computes the check digit for you when you enter 7 digits and verifies it when you enter 8.

Nominal X-dimension

The width of the narrowest bar in a barcode at 100% scale — for EAN-8, exactly 0.33 mm. Retailer specifications define the allowed scale range (typically 80% – 200%), and the X-dimension scales proportionally. Bars printed below the minimum X-dimension cause unreliable scans.

Small-package retail

The niche EAN-8 is designed for: consumer products whose packaging area is insufficient to carry an EAN-13 at 80% scale. Typical examples include individual confectionery wrappers, cosmetics samples, seed sachets, cigarette packs, and blister strips.

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