Barcode · Print
Barcode size and magnification calculator.
Enter an X-dimension, a magnification or the width you have. Get the symbol width with quiet zones, the minimum bar height, and whether you are inside the GS1 range.
Inputs
Result
Enter a value and press Calculate.
The numbers behind it
GS1’s symbol specification table gives the EAN-13 and UPC-A an X-dimension (the width of the narrowest bar) of 0.264 mm minimum, 0.330 mm target and 0.660 mm maximum. The target is the 100% size; the minimum works out to 80% and the maximum to 200% of it. At 0.330 mm GS1 says an EAN-13 is 37.29 mm wide with a bar height of 22.85 mm. Bar height scales with the X-dimension: 18.28 mm at the minimum and 45.70 mm at the maximum.
Width is the number of modules times X. EAN-13 and UPC-A have 95 modules of bars; EAN-8 has 67 and UPC-E 51. Quiet zones from the same table: EAN-13 11X left and 7X right, UPC-A 9X and 9X, EAN-8 7X and 7X, UPC-E 9X and 7X. Add them for the total: EAN-13 is (95 + 11 + 7) × X = 113X, which is 37.29 mm at 0.330 mm. Heights at other X-dimensions are scaled in proportion to the table’s figures, and the width totals (and the EAN-8 and UPC-E module counts of 67 and 51, from the standard symbol structure) are our arithmetic, not figures printed in the GS1 table; only the EAN-13 total of 37.29 mm is quoted by GS1.
Limits
The height excludes the human-readable digits. Retail scanning also depends on print quality and contrast, which a calculator cannot judge. Verify real labels with a barcode verifier. Other symbologies (GS1-128, ITF-14, DataMatrix) have their own rows in the same specification.
Sources retrieved October 2026. GS1 General Specifications, Release 26.0 (ratified January 2026), section 5.12.3.1 and Table 5-44 (symbol specification table 1), and section 5.12.2.2 (magnification and the 37.29 mm / 22.85 mm figures).
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard size of a UPC or EAN-13 barcode?
GS1 gives 0.330 mm as the target X-dimension (100%). At that size an EAN-13 is 37.29 mm wide and its bars are 22.85 mm high.
What is the smallest allowed barcode?
The table minimum is an X-dimension of 0.264 mm (80%). GS1 notes 0.249 to 0.264 mm for on-demand print processes only.
Can I shrink a barcode to fit a small label?
Not below the minimum X-dimension. If the label is too small, use a shorter symbol such as EAN-8 or UPC-E where your number allows it, or enlarge the label.
Does bar height have to scale with width?
The table lists a minimum bar height for each X-dimension, and the bar height must not be truncated below it.
Why check printer dots?
A bar that falls between dots prints at an uneven width. Choosing a whole number of dots per module keeps the bars true.
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