๐ ISBN Barcode Generator
A book's ISBN is printed as an EAN-13 barcode (often called "Bookland EAN"), starting with 978 or 979.
Enter a book's ISBN (either ISBN-10 or ISBN-13) to validate its check digit and generate the corresponding ISBN-13 / EAN-13 barcode.
How to use
- Enter an ISBN-10 or ISBN-13 (with or without hyphens).
- The check digit is validated, and the barcode is shown if valid.
- Download the generated barcode as SVG or PNG.
How the calculation works
Generate the barcode printed on the back of a book (EAN-13) from its ISBN (International Standard Book Number). ISBN-13 works directly; an older ISBN-10 is converted to ISBN-13 first. Hyphens and spaces are ignored. Check digits ISBN-13: multiply the digits alternately by 1 and 3, add them up and choose the digit that makes a multiple of 10 (the same as EAN-13) ISBN-10: multiply the digits by 10 down to 2, add them up and take the remainder modulo 11 (โXโ when it comes to 10) No barcode is made for a number with a wrong check digit.
Worked example
ISBN-10 โ4-10-101001-3โ โ add 978 and recalculate the check digit โ ISBN-13 โ978-4-10-101001-4โ Parts of an ISBN-13 (978-4-10-101001-4) 978: prefix for books 4: Japanese publications 10: publisher 101001: title 4: check digit
Things to be aware of
- Japanese books carry a second barcode under the ISBN one for classification and price (the book JAN code). This tool makes the first, ISBN barcode.
- ISBN-13s starting with 979 cannot be converted to ISBN-10.
- Publishers in Japan obtain new ISBNs from the Japan ISBN Agency.
FAQ
What's the difference between ISBN-10 and ISBN-13?
ISBN-13 is the 13-digit format adopted since 2007 to be compatible with the international EAN product code system. It's derived from ISBN-10 by prefixing "978" and recalculating the check digit.
How is the check digit calculated?
ISBN-13 uses the same method as EAN-13: multiply each digit alternately by 1 and 3, sum them, and choose a check digit that makes the total a multiple of 10. ISBN-10 uses weights 10 down to 2 with mod 11, using "X" when the remainder is 10.
Is the generated barcode the same as the one printed on the back of the actual book?
Yes โ a book's ISBN-13 is printed as a standard EAN-13 barcode, and this tool generates it using the same symbology.