How it works
A book's barcode is the ISBN-13 drawn as an EAN-13 symbol, with the ISBN printed above it, as booksellers expect. US bookshops sometimes also look for a 5-digit price add-on to its right (90000 means no price is set): this tool draws the ISBN barcode on its own.
The barcode is drawn at the standard size: bars of 0.33 mm modules, 22.85 mm tall, with clear quiet zones on both sides, so scanners read it first time. The digits are real outlines, not a font that might go missing.
The ISBN is checked before anything is drawn: a wrong check digit is caught here, not at the printer.
A worked example
For the ISBN 978-1-234-56789-7, the tool checks the last digit, then draws the barcode with "ISBN 978-1-234-56789-7" above it, ready to place on the back cover.
Questions authors ask
- Do I need a barcode on a KDP paperback?
- No: if your cover has none, KDP prints one in its barcode area, and IngramSpark's cover template comes with the barcode on it. You need your own for a printer that doesn't add one, or for a cover you lay out yourself that should look the same everywhere.
- Which file should I use?
- The PDF or SVG for print: they're vectors, so they stay sharp at any size. The PNG is for previews and mock-ups.
- Can I use a barcode without an ISBN?
- Not for books sold in shops: the barcode encodes the ISBN. Get the ISBN from your country's ISBN agency first.
Sources
Checked on 17 October 2026 against KDP: Barcodes, KDP: Create a paperback cover (the barcode area), GS1: EAN/UPC barcodes. Stores change their rules: their own pages have the final word.
Build the whole edition here. Ebook, paperback and hardcover from one manuscript, covers from your own artwork, ISBNs and a paste-ready kit for every store. You upload and publish yourself.
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