EAN-13 Barcode Dimensions
Symbol Dimensions (at 100% magnification):
Barcode Magnification Standards:
The recommended magnification range for an EAN-13 Bar Code Symbol being scanned at retail POS is 80% – 200% (X-dimension 0.26 mm-0.66 mm).
Note: To calculate the total barcode width (from the chart below), you need to include not only the “Bar Width” but also the “Left Quiet Zone” and the “Right Quiet Zone” dimensions. Therefore, an EAN-13 barcode at 80% magnification (the smallest recommended size) should be at least 29.83mm wide.
Dimensions (All measurements in millimetres)
| Magnification | X-dimension | Width | Bar height | Left Quiet Zone | Right Quiet Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.80 | 0.26 | 25.08 | 18.28 | 2.90 | 1.85 |
| 0.85 | 0.28 | 26.65 | 19.42 | 3.09 | 1.96 |
| 0.90 | 0.30 | 28.22 | 20.57 | 3.27 | 2.08 |
| 0.95 | 0.31 | 29.78 | 21.71 | 3.45 | 2.19 |
| 1.00 | 0.33 | 31.35 | 22.85 | 3.63 | 2.31 |
| 1.05 | 0.35 | 32.92 | 23.99 | 3.81 | 2.43 |
| 1.10 | 0.36 | 34.49 | 25.14 | 3.99 | 2.54 |
| 1.15 | 0.38 | 36.05 | 26.28 | 4.17 | 2.66 |
| 1.20 | 0.40 | 37.62 | 27.42 | 4.36 | 2.77 |
| 1.25 | 0.41 | 39.19 | 28.56 | 4.54 | 2.89 |
| 1.30 | 0.43 | 40.76 | 29.71 | 4.72 | 3.00 |
| 1.35 | 0.45 | 42.32 | 30.85 | 4.90 | 3.12 |
| 1.40 | 0.46 | 43.89 | 31.99 | 5.08 | 3.23 |
| 1.45 | 0.48 | 45.46 | 33.13 | 5.26 | 3.35 |
| 1.50 | 0.50 | 47.03 | 34.28 | 5.45 | 3.47 |
| 1.55 | 0.51 | 48.59 | 35.42 | 5.63 | 3.58 |
| 1.60 | 0.53 | 50.16 | 36.56 | 5.81 | 3.70 |
| 1.65 | 0.54 | 51.73 | 37.70 | 5.99 | 3.81 |
| 1.70 | 0.56 | 53.30 | 38.85 | 6.17 | 3.93 |
| 1.75 | 0.58 | 54.86 | 39.99 | 6.35 | 4.04 |
| 1.80 | 0.59 | 56.43 | 41.13 | 6.53 | 4.16 |
| 1.85 | 0.61 | 58.00 | 42.27 | 6.72 | 4.27 |
| 1.90 | 0.63 | 59.57 | 43.42 | 6.90 | 4.39 |
| 1.95 | 0.64 | 61.13 | 44.56 | 7.08 | 4.50 |
| 2.00 | 0.66 | 62.70 | 45.70 | 7.26 | 4.62 |
“Width” = the width of the bars only (does not include the width of the Quiet Zones).
“Bar Height” = the height of the bars only. It would be best to allow extra space to include the barcode number (which must be printed below the bars).
“Quiet Zone” = the blank space on either side of the barcode. These are compulsory (scanners need them to read the barcode bars). Many bar code images have a > on the right-hand side after the numbers – this is optional but is used to indicate the right side quiet zone needed visually.
A minimum allowable magnification of 75% (X-dimension 0.25mm) applies only to on-demand (e.g. thermal) print processes. The bar height should never be truncated below the minimum required height for an 80% magnification barcode symbol.
An item may also be scanned in a General Distribution Scanning environment (automated scanning). The allowable magnification range is 150% to 200% (X-dimension 0.50mm – 0.66mm).