Can I make a retail product barcode with this?
No. Products sold at retail use EAN-13 or UPC-A, which are different symbologies with a fixed digit count and an issued GS1 company prefix. Code 128 is for internal use: asset tags, shipping labels, warehouse bins, ticket numbers. A scanner will read this barcode, but a supermarket till will not recognise it as a product.
Why is my numeric barcode so wide?
Code 128 has a Code Set C that encodes pairs of digits in a single symbol, roughly halving the width of a numeric payload. This encoder uses Code Set B only, so each digit costs a full symbol. For a 20-digit serial that is a noticeably wider label.
What is the quiet zone and why does it matter?
The quiet zone is the blank margin either side of the bars, here 10 modules wide, and it is included in the SVG. Scanners rely on it to detect where the symbol begins and ends. If you crop it off or place artwork against the bars, the barcode may fail to scan even though it looks perfect to the eye.
Does the barcode include a check digit?
Yes. Code 128 requires a modulo-103 checksum symbol before the stop pattern, computed from the start value plus each data value multiplied by its position. It is calculated and appended automatically, which is why you should not hand-edit the SVG rects.
How do I get a PNG instead of SVG?
Copy the SVG markup, paste it into a design tool such as Figma, Illustrator, or Inkscape, and export a raster from there. SVG is the better format to print from anyway, because the bars stay perfectly sharp at any label size, while a resampled PNG can blur the module edges enough to break a scan.
Can it make an EAN-13 or UPC barcode for retail?
No, and for retail you would not want a homemade one anyway: EAN and UPC numbers are issued by GS1, and a made-up number will collide with someone else’s product at the till. Code 128 is the right symbology for what this tool is for: internal SKUs, asset tags, shelf labels, tickets, and anything scanned by systems you control.
Is Code 128 the same as a QR code?
No. Code 128 is a one-dimensional barcode read by laser and camera scanners, ideal for short identifiers on labels. A QR code is two-dimensional, holds far more data, and is aimed at phone cameras. If the scanner is a phone, you probably want the QR Code Generator instead.
Is this barcode generator free for commercial use?
Yes. The barcodes are generated locally, carry no watermark, and the Code 128 symbology itself is an open standard with nothing to license.