Quick answer: enter your ISBN (with or without hyphens) and, if you want, a 5-digit price code such as 51299 for US$12.99 or 90000 for “no price”. The ISBN is checked, hyphenated correctly and drawn as an EAN-13 with the ISBN printed above. Download the vector PDF or SVG and place it on the back cover.
What goes into a book barcode
The bars are a normal EAN-13 – the “Bookland” EAN – made from your ISBN-13. The 978 or 979 at the start marks the number as a book. Above the bars the ISBN is printed with its hyphens, which separate the registration group (language or country area), the publisher and the title. The hyphens are not decoration: their positions come from the ranges published by the International ISBN Agency, and this generator uses that data to place them correctly.
| Price add-on | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 5xxxx | US dollars – 51995 = $19.95 |
| 6xxxx | Canadian dollars |
| 90000 | No suggested retail price |
| 90001–98999 | Internal codes used by some publishers |
Many UK and European retailers do not need the price add-on at all. US bookstores and distributors such as Ingram generally want it, even if it is 90000.
How to make an ISBN barcode for a book
- Enter your ISBN. Type the 13-digit ISBN from your ISBN agency. An old 10-digit ISBN is converted to its 978 equivalent.
- Add a price code (optional). For the US market add a 5-digit add-on: 5 followed by the price in cents (51299 = $12.99). Use 90000 if you do not want to print a price.
- Check the result. The text above the bars shows the hyphenated ISBN, and the scan test confirms the EAN-13 under it.
- Place it on the cover. Download PDF or SVG and put the barcode in the lower right of the back cover, on a white box with a little space around it.
Self-publishing tips
- One ISBN per format. The paperback, hardback and e-book each need their own ISBN and therefore their own barcode.
- Size: the standard size works on every cover. Don’t shrink it below about 80 % or stretch it out of proportion.
- Colour: black bars on a white box are safest, even on a dark cover.
- Print-on-demand: KDP and IngramSpark can add a barcode for you, but if you design the full cover yourself, a vector PDF from here drops straight into InDesign, Affinity or Canva.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use this barcode with my ISBN from my national agency?
Yes. Any valid ISBN works. The tool checks the check digit and hyphenates the number according to the official ISBN ranges.
What if I only have an ISBN-10?
Type it in. It is converted to the matching ISBN-13 (978 prefix with a new check digit), which is what the barcode must contain.
Do I need the 5-digit price code?
Only if your distributor or retailers ask for it – mainly in the US. If you leave it out, the barcode is still a valid book barcode.
Why does it say my ISBN cannot be hyphenated?
The number is not in any range assigned by the ISBN agencies, which usually means a typing mistake. Check it against your ISBN certificate.
Is an ISBN barcode the same as an EAN-13?
Yes, the bars are an EAN-13. The difference is the “ISBN …” line above the barcode and the 978/979 prefix.
Can I make barcodes for sheet music (ISMN)?
ISMNs starting with 979-0 use the same kind of barcode. Choose ISMN in the main barcode generator.