EAN-8 barcode generator
The short retail barcode for small packs: lipsticks, sweets, pens. Type 7 digits; we add the eighth.
7 digits (we add the check digit) or all 8.
About EAN-8
EAN-8 is for packs too small for an EAN-13. Its numbers are not built from your company prefix; GS1 hands them out one at a time on request.
If an EAN-13 fits at 80% size, use that instead. Many GS1 offices only issue EAN-8 numbers when there really is no room.
What goes in it
- Digits
- 8 (7 + check digit)
- Characters
- 0–9 only
- Size at 100%
- 26.7 × 21.6 mm
- Numbers
- Issued individually by GS1
Where EAN-8 is used
EAN-8 is for retail items too small for an EAN-13: lip balm, chewing gum, small cosmetics and similar packs. The number is shorter, so the barcode takes far less space.
GS1 issues EAN-8 numbers one at a time and only when an EAN-13 really does not fit, so ask your GS1 office before designing around one. For internal labels, a shop can use the in-store range starting with 2.
Printing it so it scans
Print dark bars on a white or light background; black on white is safest. Red, orange and yellow bars vanish under the red light most laser scanners use. Keep the quiet zones on both sides free of text and graphics.
Do not squash the height or crop the bars, and keep the size within the range the symbology allows. Thinner bars need more precise printing, so test small sizes first.
Send your printer SVG or PDF: they are vectors and stay sharp at any size. Before the run, scan a proof with a real scanner or a phone and check that the number it reads is right.
EAN-8 questions
No. They are different numbers. Ask your GS1 office for an EAN-8 number.
Yes, every retail scanner reads it.
UPC-E, which is a compressed UPC-A.