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Free Bulk ISBN Barcode Generator (Bookland EAN)

Bookland barcode built from a book's ISBN-13 for covers and dust jackets.

Input data

3 items

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Output

Generate a batch to preview it here

Your generated barcodes will appear here.

What is ISBN?

The ISBN barcode is the Bookland EAN-13 printed on the back cover of almost every book. It is built directly from the book's ISBN-13: the 978 or 979 prefix makes the ISBN a valid EAN-13, and the barcode is that EAN-13 rendered at book-retail size. Retailers, libraries and distributors worldwide scan it to identify the title, so every print run - from a self-published paperback to a trade hardback - needs one on the cover.

Common Uses for ISBN

  • Back-cover barcodes for self-published and print-on-demand books
  • Trade paperback and hardback cover artwork
  • Library and distributor stock barcodes
  • Reprints where the cover layout must be rebuilt at correct size

ISBN-13 and the Bookland EAN-13

Since 2007 every ISBN has 13 digits, and a 978/979-prefixed ISBN is numerically an EAN-13 - that is why the book barcode is called the Bookland EAN. If you still hold an old ISBN-10, convert it to ISBN-13 by prefixing 978 and recomputing the check digit before generating the barcode. The last digit of the ISBN is a check digit, and this tool verifies it: a mistyped ISBN produces an invalid barcode that retail systems would reject.

Where the barcode goes on a book cover

Convention places the ISBN barcode in a white rectangle at the bottom-right of the back cover, with the human-readable ISBN printed above or below the bars. Leave a quiet zone of 3-6mm on all sides, keep the area free of artwork and foil, and export your cover PDF at print resolution so the bars stay sharp. Bookstores scan the cover straight from the shelf, so placement and contrast matter as much as the number itself.

ISBN barcodes for print-on-demand

Print-on-demand services (KDP, IngramSpark and similar) ask for your ISBN and either print the barcode for you or expect it embedded in the cover artwork. Generate the barcode here at 100% scale, place it in the reserved box of your cover template, and flatten the artwork before upload. Because the barcode encodes only the ISBN, the same generated image is reusable across every format and reprint of that ISBN.

Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

What number do I enter?
Enter the book's ISBN-13 with its hyphens - for example 978-0-306-40615-7. The tool validates the check digit and renders the Bookland EAN-13 barcode, the same code you see on the back cover of a printed book.
Where do I get an ISBN?
ISBNs are issued by your national ISBN agency - for example Bowker in the US and Nielsen in the UK. Self-publishing platforms like Amazon KDP can assign one for free, but an agency-issued ISBN lets you publish under your own imprint everywhere.
How big should the ISBN barcode be on a cover?
Print it 80-200% of nominal size - roughly 32-38mm wide by 20-25mm high - in the bottom-right of the back cover, on a white rectangle with clear quiet space. Keep it at 100% scale; never stretch it to fit.
What about the small price add-on next to the barcode?
Many trade books carry a 5-digit EAN add-on encoding the price (90000 means no price printed). This generator produces the main ISBN barcode; if your distributor requires the price add-on, check their spec - most print-on-demand and online-only books ship without it.

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