ISBN barcode generator
Paste your ISBN (10 or 13 digits, hyphens fine). We convert ISBN-10 to ISBN-13, validate the check digit and draw the barcode with the ISBN printed above.
Books. Enter ISBN-13 (with or without the last digit) or an ISBN-10; we convert.
Rendering…
SVG stays sharp at any size and is best for print. Keep the white margin either side of 1D barcodes (the quiet zone, at least 10× the narrowest bar); cropping it is the most common reason a printed barcode will not scan.
Where ISBNs come from
ISBNs are issued by your country's ISBN agency (Bowker in the US, Nielsen in the UK, and national agencies elsewhere), not by GS1 directly. The barcode encodes the ISBN-13 as an EAN-13 starting 978 or 979. Many retailers also want a 5-digit price add-on to the right; if your distributor needs one, they will tell you the value (90000 means "no suggested price").
Print tips
- Use the SVG in your cover file so bars stay razor-sharp.
- Black bars on white. Keep it off the spine fold and away from the trim edge.
- The ISBN hyphen positions depend on your registration group and publisher prefix; copy them from your agency paperwork for the human-readable line.
Questions
Can I use an ISBN-10?
Yes. We convert it to ISBN-13 by adding 978 and recomputing the check digit, because book barcodes always encode 13 digits.
Do I need to buy an ISBN?
To sell through bookshops and most distributors, yes, from your national ISBN agency. Some self-publishing platforms assign a free one tied to their imprint.