ISBN barcode generator for books, sheet music and magazines
This ISBN barcode generator turns the ISBN you were assigned into the barcode printed on the back of a book: a Bookland EAN-13 with the human-readable “ISBN …” line above it and, if your distributor asks for one, a five-digit EAN-5 price add-on. It converts ISBN-10 to ISBN-13 and back, recalculates both check digits, and also handles ISMN for printed music and ISSN for magazines and journals.
Output is made for print. The PDF and SVG are vector files at the exact size you choose — 80% to 200% of the GS1 nominal size — with the light margins (quiet zones) built in. The PNG snaps every bar to whole pixels and stores its dpi. Everything happens in your browser; the bar patterns come from the JsBarcode library (MIT licence) that also powers the Barcode Generator.
How to use the ISBN Barcode Generator
- Choose Book · ISBN, Sheet music · ISMN or Serial · ISSN.
- Type the number from your agency. Include the hyphens exactly as assigned if you want them printed; leave out the last digit to have the check digit calculated.
- Check the conversions under the field: ISBN-13, ISBN-10 (only for 978 numbers) and the EAN-13 digits that will be encoded.
- Pick an add-on: an EAN-5 price code built from currency and price, 90000 for “no suggested price”, your own five digits, or an EAN-2 issue number for a serial.
- Choose the print size and whether to show the “ISBN …” line, then press Download PDF (or SVG/PNG) and place it on your cover at 100% scale.
ISBN Barcode Generator features
ISBN-10 ↔ ISBN-13
Adds the 978 prefix and recomputes the GS1 check digit, or converts a 978 ISBN-13 back with the modulus 11 check (X stands for 10).
Check digit verification
A mistyped ISBN, ISMN or ISSN is caught with the correct check digit named, before anything goes to print.
Price add-on
EAN-5 codes for US dollars (5…), Canadian dollars (6…) and pounds sterling (0…), plus 90000 and EAN-2 issue numbers for serials.
Exact print sizes
Module width 0.33 mm at 100%, 11-module left and 7-module right quiet zones, and the add-on 9 modules from the main symbol.
PDF, SVG and PNG
Vector PDF and SVG at true millimetre size; PNG at 300, 600 or 1200 dpi with the resolution stored in the file.
Worked example: converting ISBN-10 to ISBN-13
Take ISBN-10 0-306-40615-2. Drop its check digit, put 978 in front and you have twelve digits: 978030640615. For the new check digit, multiply the digits alternately by 1 and 3 — 9×1 + 7×3 + 8×1 + 0×3 + 3×1 + 0×3 + 6×1 + 4×3 + 0×1 + 6×3 + 1×1 + 5×3 = 93 — and take what is needed to reach the next multiple of 10: 7. The ISBN-13 is 978-0-306-40615-7, and those thirteen digits are exactly what the EAN-13 bars encode.
The old ISBN-10 check works differently: weights 10 down to 2 give 0×10 + 3×9 + 0×8 + 6×7 + 4×6 + 0×5 + 6×4 + 1×3 + 5×2 = 130; 130 leaves 9 when divided by 11, and 11 − 9 = 2. A result of 10 is written X. ISBNs beginning 979 were never ISBN-10s, so they have no 10-digit form.
Hyphen positions vary with the registration group and publisher block, and the ranges change over time, so this tool does not guess them. Type the hyphens printed on your ISBN assignment and they are kept; otherwise the line is printed without hyphens, which scanners and retailers accept.
EAN-5 price codes on book barcodes
The add-on has its own check value — digits weighted 3 and 9 — which is not printed but chooses the bar pattern of each digit. Digits 3 and 4 have been used for Australian and New Zealand dollars, but sources disagree on which is which, so ask your distributor before using them (type them as “your own five digits”). Many retailers outside North America need no add-on at all.
| Add-on | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 5 + four digits | Suggested price in US dollars | 52495 = US$24.95 |
| 6 + four digits | Suggested price in Canadian dollars | 61999 = C$19.99 |
| 0 or 1 + four digits | Price in pounds sterling | 00799 = £7.99 |
| 59999 | US price of $100 or more | Price looked up at the till |
| 90000 | No suggested retail price | Common for books sold worldwide |
Size, quiet zones and placement
- At 100% an EAN-13 is 37.29 × 25.93 mm including its quiet zones; at the 80% minimum it is 29.83 × 20.74 mm. The ISBN line above adds about 3.3 mm at 100%.
- Keep the white margins: 11 modules on the left and 7 on the right of the main symbol, 5 after the add-on. Don’t crop them or print artwork into them.
- Print black bars on white or a light colour. Never shorten the bars to save space — it makes the code harder to scan.
- On a book, the barcode usually sits in the lower part of the back cover. Place the PDF at 100% in your layout program instead of resizing it there; use the DPI calculator if you need to check a PNG.
ISBN Barcode Generator FAQ
Can this ISBN barcode generator give me an ISBN?
No. ISBNs are issued by the national ISBN agency of the publisher’s country — for example the Raja Rammohun Roy National Agency for ISBN in India or Bowker in the United States. Once you have the number, this tool makes its barcode. A made-up ISBN may belong to another book.
How do I convert ISBN-10 to ISBN-13?
Type the ISBN-10 and the tool shows the ISBN-13: it adds 978 in front, removes the old check digit and calculates a new one. The worked example above shows the arithmetic.
Do I need the five-digit price add-on?
Only if your distributor or retailers ask for it, which is common in the United States and Canada. Use 90000 if you do not want a price in the barcode; the book’s identity is carried entirely by the main EAN-13.
What size should an ISBN barcode be printed?
Ideally 100% (37.29 mm wide including margins), never below 80%. Larger is fine up to 200%. Choose the size here and place the PDF without scaling it.
Why is there no ISBN-10 for my number?
ISBNs starting with 979 were introduced after ISBN-10 was retired, so they exist only in 13-digit form.
Which file should I send to the printer?
The PDF or SVG: both are vector, so the bars stay perfectly sharp. If your software only accepts images, use the PNG at 600 or 1200 dpi.