ISBN barcode generator
An ISBN identifies a specific book title, edition and product format. A barcode makes that assigned number easier to scan. The barcode generator does not issue an ISBN, register a publisher or add copyright protection.
Use the ISBN assigned to the publication you are labeling. Different product formats or editions can require different ISBNs under the ISBN rules.
Start with a valid ISBN-13
Modern ISBNs contain 13 digits and begin with an allocated 978 or 979 range. A matching prefix and check digit do not, by themselves, prove that an ISBN is correctly assigned. See the International ISBN Agency's explanation.
For ISBN-13, multiply the first 12 digits alternately by 1 and 3 from the left. The final digit makes the weighted total divisible by ten. Spaces and hyphens help humans read the number but are not encoded as data in its EAN-13 bars.
Older ISBN-10 numbers need proper conversion
An ISBN-10 does not become ISBN-13 by retaining its old check character. Conversion to the corresponding 978 ISBN drops the old check character, adds 978 to the nine data digits, then calculates a new ISBN-13 check digit. A final X in ISBN-10 is a check character, not a character to encode in EAN-13.
ISBNs beginning with 979 have no equivalent ISBN-10. Do not invent one. The International ISBN Agency explains that incompatibility.
Check the cover before printing
The ISBN-13 can be represented as an EAN-13 barcode. The International ISBN Agency's barcode guidance recommends the lower right of the outside back cover for scanning. Preserve quiet zones and follow the distributor's layout requirements.
Compare the human-readable ISBN and the scanned digits with your publication record. Drawing a barcode does not make an unassigned number usable for a book.
Method and transparency
Last updated: 6 November 2026. Local technical preview only.