What Is an EAN-13 Barcode?
EAN-13 is a linear barcode that carries the 13-digit international article number (GTIN-13) used on retail products. It is the standard product barcode scanned at supermarket checkouts; its first digits encode the country and manufacturer.
Key facts
Year1977
StandardISO/IEC 15420
Capacity12 digits + check
NoteThe product barcode on the shelf; the last digit is computed automatically
Where is it used?
- Scanning store products at the checkout
- Stock and inventory tracking
- A global product identity that includes country/manufacturer code
- E-commerce product matching
How to print EAN-13 in ZPL
On a Zebra printer an EAN-13 barcode is one command, ^BE. The example below is a complete label; paste it into the preview to see it drawn before you send it to a printer.
^XA
^FO50,50^BY3
^BEN,120,Y,N
^FD590123412345^FS
^XZ
^BE takes the 12 digits and computes the 13th (check digit) itself. ^BY3 sets the narrow bar to 3 dots; N,120,Y,N means no rotation, 120 dots tall, human-readable text below, none above.
Open this example in the ZPL preview → · ^BE command reference
What do the 13 digits mean?
The 13-digit number in an EAN-13 barcode (the GTIN-13) has four parts: a
GS1 country prefix (2–3 digits — it identifies the GS1
office that issued the number, not where the product was made), a
company number, the product number the company assigns, and a
single check digit.
The check digit is computed from the first 12 digits: multiply them
alternately by 1 and 3 from right to left, add everything up, and the digit
that rounds the sum up to the next multiple of ten is the check digit. Every
scanner repeats this maths on each read, which is why a single mistyped
digit is caught instantly. In Labelixa you only enter 12 digits — the
ZPL ^BE command computes the check digit itself:
^XA
^FO60,60^BEN,120,Y,N
^FD869012345678^FS
^XZ
EAN-13 vs UPC-A: both belong to the same GTIN family. UPC-A is the
12-digit barcode used in North American retail; add a leading zero and it
becomes a valid EAN-13, which is why modern scanners read both.
Related solutions
Frequently asked questions
What is EAN-13?
EAN-13 is a linear barcode that carries the 13-digit international article number (GTIN-13) used on retail products. It is the standard product barcode scanned at supermarket checkouts; its first digits encode the country and manufacturer.
How much data can EAN-13 hold?
EAN-13 capacity: 12 digits + check.
Where is EAN-13 used?
Main uses: Scanning store products at the checkout, Stock and inventory tracking, A global product identity that includes country/manufacturer code, E-commerce product matching.
Is EAN-13 1D or 2D?
EAN-13 is a linear barcode.
