How to use it
- Enter your 7-digit number to calculate the check digit, or the full 8 digits to check it.
- Keep the recommended 0.33 mm bar width unless your artwork needs a different size.
- Download SVG or PDF for packaging, and test-scan a printed proof.
What EAN-8 is for
EAN-8 carries an 8-digit GTIN on items where an EAN-13 barcode genuinely won't fit, such as lipsticks, pens and small confectionery. At nominal size it's about 26.7 × 21.6 mm including margins, roughly two-thirds the width of an EAN-13.
An EAN-8 number isn't a shortened EAN-13. GS1 issues EAN-8 numbers individually, and usually only when a product's packaging is too small for EAN-13, because the supply of 8-digit numbers is very limited.
Structure and check digit
The 8 digits are split into two groups of four between the guard bars, with the last digit being the check digit. It's calculated the same way as for EAN-13: weight the first seven digits 3, 1, 3, 1, 3, 1, 3 from the left, add them up, and take the amount needed to reach the next multiple of 10. For 9638507 that gives 4, so the complete number is 96385074.
EAN-8 numbers starting with 0 or 2 are reserved for restricted, in-store use, and aren't valid for trading between companies.
Before choosing EAN-8
- Check whether an EAN-13 could fit if the bars are made slightly shorter or the barcode is placed on a different face; retailers are generally happier with EAN-13.
- If you're in North America, UPC-E is the usual small-pack alternative.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make an EAN-8 by removing digits from my EAN-13?
No. EAN-8 numbers are allocated separately by GS1. Cutting digits from an EAN-13 creates a different, unassigned number.
Do scanners read EAN-8 automatically?
Retail scanners and ScanHatch's barcode scanner read EAN-8 alongside EAN-13 and UPC.
Related formats
Further reading
Need another format? The full Barcode Generator supports 15 barcode and 2D code types.