Which type should I use?

CODE128 for general internal use — it takes letters and numbers and is compact. EAN-13 and UPC-A are retail product codes with fixed lengths and a check digit. ITF-14 is for shipping cartons.

It says my number is invalid.

Retail formats have a required length and a check digit that must be correct. EAN-13 needs exactly 13 digits, UPC-A needs 12.

Will it actually scan?

Yes, provided it is printed large enough with white space either side. Barcodes fail far more often from being printed too small than from bad data.

Barcode Generator

Scannable CODE128, EAN-13, UPC-A, CODE39 and ITF-14, exported as SVG or PNG.

Runs in your browser — nothing uploaded

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How to use Barcode Generator

Choose the symbology — CODE128, EAN-13, UPC-A, CODE39 or ITF-14.
Enter the data. Invalid input for that format is flagged immediately.
Download as SVG for print or PNG for a screen.

Which format, and how many digits

Format	Accepts	Used for
EAN-13	exactly 13 digits	Retail outside North America
UPC-A	exactly 12 digits	Retail in the US and Canada
EAN-8	exactly 8 digits	Small packaging
Code 128	letters and digits	Logistics, internal labels
Code 39	letters, digits, a few symbols	Older industrial systems
ITF-14	exactly 14 digits	Shipping cartons

EAN-13, UPC-A, EAN-8 and ITF-14 end in a check digit worked out from the digits before it. Enter one fewer and it is calculated for you.

A retail barcode must be a number issued by GS1. One you invent will scan, and will collide with somebody else’s product.

Questions

Which type should I use?: CODE128 for general internal use — it takes letters and numbers and is compact. EAN-13 and UPC-A are retail product codes with fixed lengths and a check digit. ITF-14 is for shipping cartons.
It says my number is invalid.: Retail formats have a required length and a check digit that must be correct. EAN-13 needs exactly 13 digits, UPC-A needs 12.
Will it actually scan?: Yes, provided it is printed large enough with white space either side. Barcodes fail far more often from being printed too small than from bad data.