Practical guides on barcode standards, QR code best practices, retail product labeling, and how to choose the right format. Written for business owners, developers, and anyone working with product identification.
An honest comparison of free online barcode generators vs paid barcode software — what features matter for different use cases, and when it's worth paying for a dedicated tool.
Everything about ITF-14 barcodes — what they encode, GS1 size specifications, bearer bars, when to use them, and how to generate ITF-14 for your outer shipping cartons.
Professional QR code guidelines for print and digital — minimum size requirements, placement rules, error correction levels, contrast requirements, and how to test before publishing.
How to set up a barcode-based inventory system for your small business — choosing barcode types, generating labels, scanner options, and connecting to inventory software.
A detailed comparison of Code 128 and Code 39 barcodes — data capacity, character support, size efficiency, scanner compatibility, and which to choose for your application.
Everything you need to print barcodes at home or in the office — printer requirements, label stock options, DPI settings, and how to get sharp, scannable results every time.
How to create and use QR codes for restaurant digital menus — setup steps, best placement, design tips, and how to update your menu without reprinting QR codes.
Official GS1 barcode size specifications for EAN-13, UPC-A, Code 128, QR codes, and ITF-14. Includes minimum sizes, magnification ranges, quiet zone requirements, and X-dimension explained.
Your barcode won't scan? Here are 8 proven fixes — covering print quality, quiet zones, contrast, size, damage, scanner compatibility, and how to verify your barcode before printing.
Everything you need to know about GS1 barcodes — what a company prefix is, how to register with GS1 US or your national organization, costs, and how to assign GTINs to your products.
How to scan barcodes online using your browser — camera scanning, image upload, browser compatibility, and tips for reliable barcode detection without installing any app.
How to generate hundreds of barcodes at once — sequential numbering strategies, CSV formats, export options, and common use cases for inventory, ticketing, and asset management.
A practical comparison of 1D barcodes and QR codes — data capacity, scanning requirements, use cases, and how to choose the right format for your project.
Learn how ISBN barcodes work, why ISBN-13 is just an EAN-13 with a 978 prefix, and how to generate the correct barcode for your book.
A practical guide to using QR codes in your business — from creating QR codes for menus, business cards, and marketing to best practices for size, placement, and testing.
UPC vs EAN: what's the difference, which one you need, and how they relate to each other. A practical guide for retailers, e-commerce sellers, and product manufacturers.
A complete step-by-step guide to creating product barcodes for retail, Amazon, Shopify, and small business. Covers getting a GS1 number, choosing the right format, and generating your barcode.
A comprehensive guide to every major barcode type — EAN-13, UPC-A, Code 128, QR Code, ITF-14, and more. Learn which barcode format is right for your product, industry, and use case.
Free online barcode and QR code generator — no registration required.
The BarcodeGenerate blog covers barcode standards, retail product labeling, and QR code best practices. Our guides are written for a practical audience — small business owners registering their first product barcodes, developers integrating barcode scanning into applications, and publishers preparing book barcodes for print.
Topics include: how EAN-13 and UPC-A retail barcodes work and how to get them, the differences between barcode formats (Code 128 vs EAN vs QR), GS1 registration, ISBN barcode requirements for books, and practical tips for scanning and printing.