How to get a barcode for your book.

Do you actually need one?

Not always. A barcode, and the ISBN behind it, exists so bookstores, distributors, and retail systems can scan and sell your book. Selling only direct — at readings, through your own site, or handing out copies — you can skip it entirely. Same if you’re only submitting a manuscript to journals or presses.

You need one the moment your book has to travel through a channel that scans inventory: independent bookstores, IngramSpark distribution, or most print-on-demand services outside Amazon KDP, which handles this automatically. For chapbooks specifically, see Do You Need an ISBN for a Chapbook?

ISBN vs. barcode, quickly

The ISBN is the 13-digit number identifying your book. The barcode is the scannable picture of that number. You need the ISBN first — the barcode is just a machine-readable version of it, not a separate thing to apply for.

Step 1: get your ISBN

If you don’t have one, buy it from your country’s agency — Bowker in the U.S. Each edition, paperback, hardcover, ebook, technically needs its own ISBN if sold separately, though most self-published authors publishing print-only get by on one.

Already have your ISBN? Skip to Step 2.

Step 2: generate the barcode itself

This is the part that trips people up, because it feels like it should need design software. It doesn’t. Head to the free ISBN barcode generator, type in your ISBN exactly as issued, dashes included, and it converts it into a real EAN-13 barcode — the same standard used at retail checkout — as a downloadable PNG. No account, no watermark, no charge for the basic version.

Step 3: decide on the price add-on

This is where the question usually turns into “wait, does it need my price too?” Optionally. A price add-on is a 5-digit code, 02499 for $24.99 say, printed alongside the main barcode so a register can pull your price automatically instead of looking it up. Common on trade paperbacks, not required. If your price might change, leave it off.

Step 4: match the file to your printer

The free PNG covers most self-publishing workflows, but the file you actually need depends on how you’re printing:

• Amazon KDP — skip this whole process. KDP places its own barcode automatically.
• IngramSpark, offset printers, local print shops — usually a specific width (2″–8″ depending on trim size), sometimes a vector file (EPS/PDF) instead of a raster PNG, especially if your cover is laid out in InDesign.
• Small-run digital printing — a high-resolution PNG (600 dpi) or JPG (300 dpi) is usually enough.

Need a size or format past the free 3-inch PNG? The barcode generator’s one-time $10 package produces all of the above at once — vector files, every common width, and a placement guide — so you’re not guessing at what your printer wants.

Where the barcode actually goes

Standard placement is the bottom-right corner of the back cover, with clear space around it so nothing overlaps the scan lines. A barcode crowded by text or trimmed too tight at the press can fail to scan, which matters more than people expect. If you bought the premium package, its optional guard marks show exactly how much clear space to leave.