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Free Barcode & QR Code Generator

Sponsored by Avancir Print

Create professional barcodes and QR codes online for free. Choose your format, customize your code, and download a print-ready PNG or SVG in seconds. No account, no watermark, and no limit on how many codes you generate. When you're ready to print and scan at volume, our specialists can match the symbology, label material, printer, and scanner to your environment.
Format

The quiet zone is the blank margin around the code. Scanners need it — keep at least 10 px for print.

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Content type
Error correction

Higher levels stay scannable when the code is scratched, smudged, or partly covered. M suits most labels; use Q or H for harsh environments.

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SVG stays sharp at any label size — use it for print and for thermal printer software. PNG exports at 3× for web, slides, and packaging comps.

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Atlas can generate a barcode image from a valid number, including its check digit. This generator does not issue UPC, EAN, or GTIN numbers. Official identifiers come from GS1.

Put Your Barcode to Work

Turn your barcode into something your operation can print, apply, and scan.
CHOOSE A LABEL
Labels & Media
Roll of white adhesive tape with yellow backing.
Match the label facestock, adhesive, and ribbon to your printer and to the surface and environment you're marking.
Shop barcode labels
PRINT YOUR BARCODE
Barcode Printers
Desktop, industrial, and mobile thermal printers matched to your label volume and duty cycle.
Shop barcode printers
SCAN YOUR ITEMS
Barcode Scanners
Barcode scanner with a gray handle and illuminated scanning area.
Corded, cordless, and rugged imagers for retail, warehouse, and field workflows.
Shop barcode scanners

BUILD TO SCALE

Print Barcode and RFID Labels at Any Volume - with Avancir Print

Custom Label Designs
Pre-Made Templates
Form fields for submitting a new article.
Custom RFID Encoding
When generating one barcode or QR code turns into producing hundreds or thousands of labels, Avancir Print gives teams a scalable path to professional barcode and RFID label production.
  • Print-accurate label designer with text, barcodes, images, shapes, fonts, colors and styling.
  • Template library with version history, presets, import/export and direct ZPL import.
  • Dynamic fields, serial numbers, and CSV/Excel import for data-driven labels.
  • Single or batch printing with progress controls, reprints, speed, darkness and media calibration.
  • Network, USB or IP printer setup plus connection monitoring, job history and audit trail.
Explore Avancir Print

SYMBOLOGY SELECTION

Barcode Types: Which barcode format should you use?

Barcode symbologies are not one-size-fits-all. Each barcode type is designed to store different amounts and types of data, work within specific space constraints, and support different scanning environments. Understanding the differences between common 1D and 2D symbologies can help you choose the right barcode for your application, whether you prioritize simplicity, data capacity, scan speed, or industry compatibility.

Code 128 barcode

Inventory & logistics

Shipping labels, warehouse inventory, asset tags, and internal SKUs. The densest of the six — it carries the same value in less width than Code 39.

Accepts

Any letters, digits, and symbols; variable length

Watch out for

Long values still need bar width or a higher-resolution printer.

Code 39 barcode

Industrial & legacy workflows

Automotive, government and defense, and older industrial systems that standardized on it. Simple and widely readable.

Accepts

A–Z, 0–9 and - . $ / + % and space

Watch out for

Wider than Code 128 for the same data, and no lowercase.

UPC-A barcode

North American retail

Consumer products sold at retail in the U.S. and Canada, representing a GS1-issued GTIN.

Accepts

Exactly 12 digits

Watch out for

The number itself must be issued through GS1 — see below.

EAN-13 barcode

International retail

Consumer products sold internationally, representing a GS1-issued GTIN.

Accepts

Exactly 13 digits

Watch out for

Same GS1 rule as UPC-A.

EAN-8 barcode

Small retail packaging

Small packages where a full EAN-13 symbol will not physically fit.

Accepts

Exactly 8 digits

Watch out for

Reserved for genuinely small packaging; also GS1-issued.

ITF-14 barcode

Cases & distribution

Outer cases, cartons, and distribution units — a GTIN-14 printed for the logistics leg, not the checkout lane.

Accepts

Exactly 14 digits

Watch out for

Printed on corrugate, so it needs wide bars and, in practice, a bearer bar.

CONTINUE LEARNING

Learn More about Barcode Symbologies

Barcode & QR Code Generator — FAQ

What type of barcode should I use?
The right barcode depends on where and how it will be scanned. UPC-A and EAN formats suit retail product identification. Code 128 handles flexible alphanumeric data and is the usual choice for inventory and logistics. Code 39 remains common in industrial and legacy workflows that standardized on it. ITF-14 is built for outer cases and distribution packaging. Reference: GS1: which barcodes represent GTINs .
Can I create a barcode for free?
Yes. This online barcode generator creates and downloads supported barcode images at no cost, with no account, no watermark, and no usage limit. You don't need barcode-generation software. Everything runs in your browser, so what you enter is never sent to Atlas.
Can I create a UPC barcode with this generator?
Yes. The generator draws a UPC-A barcode image from valid UPC-A data and calculates the check digit for you. Generating the image is not the same as being issued the underlying product identifier — that number comes from GS1. Reference: GS1: What is a GTIN.
What is the difference between a UPC, EAN, and GTIN?
A GTIN is an identification number. UPC-A and EAN-13 are barcode symbologies used to represent GTIN structures. So they aren't three interchangeable barcode types: the GTIN is the number, and the barcode is how that number is printed to be scanned. Reference: GS1: Which barcodes represent GTINs
Does a barcode generator give me a GS1 number?
No. This tool generates a visual barcode symbol from data you supply. It does not issue a GS1 GTIN and it does not replace GS1 registration. If you're selling through retail or distribution, get real GS1 identifiers first from GS1.
What is a barcode check digit?
The check digit is the final digit of certain GS1 identifiers, calculated from the digits before it and used to validate the number. Enter one digit fewer in a UPC or EAN field and this generator calculates the correct check digit for you.
Should I download my barcode as PNG or SVG?
PNG is a raster image, well suited to documents, slides, and web use. SVG is vector, so it resizes without any loss of edge definition — the better choice when the barcode goes into professional print artwork or label design software. Both are available under the preview.
What is a barcode quiet zone, and why does it matter?
The quiet zone is the blank area around a barcode that separates it from nearby text, graphics, and other marks so scanning equipment can identify where the symbol starts and ends. This generator adds one by default. Don't crop or crowd it when you place the downloaded barcode into artwork. Reference: GS1: ITF-14 symbol structure
What is the difference between Code 128 and Code 39?
Both are 1D symbologies used outside standard retail UPC and EAN applications. Code 128 encodes dense alphanumeric data and packs the same value into less width, which is why it dominates logistics and inventory. Code 39 is older and more limited, but remains common in industrial and legacy workflows built around it.
When should I use an ITF-14 barcode?
TF-14 is for outer cases and distribution packaging rather than items scanned at retail checkout. It can encode a GTIN and is designed to survive distribution environments, including printing directly on corrugated packaging. Reference: GS1: 1D barcodes for general distribution .
Should I use a barcode or a QR code?
Traditional 1D barcodes remain the right answer for most retail, inventory, warehouse, and logistics workflows. QR codes carry more data and suit smartphone interaction, URLs, and contact details. The deciding factors are your scanner, your workflow, and how much data the code has to hold.
How do I make sure my printed barcode will scan?
Preserve the quiet zone, keep contrast high, don't distort the symbol, print at sufficient resolution, choose label media suited to the environment, and test the finished barcode with the scanners used in the real workflow before you run production. Reference: GS1: quiet zone contrast guidance .
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