Barcode size calculator
Get the right EAN-13 or UPC-A size, bar height and quiet zones at any magnification, drawn to scale.
Magnification is a percentage of the nominal symbol size. The usual allowed range is 80% to 200%. Rougher substrates and direct printing need a bigger symbol.
Why the quiet zone matters more than the size
A barcode is read by the widths of its bars and spaces, measured in X, the width of the narrowest module. At nominal size (100%) an EAN-13 has an X of 0.33 mm and the whole symbol including quiet zones is about 37.29 mm wide by 25.93 mm high. Scale everything together, never one dimension on its own.
The quiet zone is the empty margin at each end, 11X on the left and 7X on the right for EAN-13. Artwork that crowds it is the most common reason a scanner fails, and it is invisible in a proof. Keep the bars dark on a light background, avoid red bars, and never print a barcode on a transparent or metallic area without testing it.
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