EAN-13

EAN-13 (European Article Number) is the most widely used retail barcode format globally. It consists of 13 digits and is also known as GTIN-13 (Global Trade Item Number).

Basic Usage

import { barcode } from '@stacksjs/qrx'

barcode('#barcode', '5901234123457', { format: 'EAN13' })

[!NOTE] Image needed: Basic EAN-13 barcode example

Structure

An EAN-13 barcode consists of:

• First 2-3 digits: Country/GS1 prefix
• Next 4-5 digits: Manufacturer code
• Next 5 digits: Product code
• Last digit: Check digit (automatically calculated)

Auto Check Digit

The check digit is automatically calculated if omitted:

import { barcode } from '@stacksjs/qrx'

// These generate the same barcode
barcode('#barcode', '590123412345', { format: 'EAN13' })  // Auto-calculates check digit
barcode('#barcode', '5901234123457', { format: 'EAN13' }) // Manual check digit

Advanced Options

import { barcode } from '@stacksjs/qrx'

barcode('#barcode', '5901234123457', {
  format: 'EAN13',
  width: 2,
  height: 100,
  displayValue: true,
  font: 'OCRB',
  fontSize: 18,
  textMargin: 0,
  flat: false,
  lastChar: '>'
})

Flat Mode

Remove guard bars for special applications:

import { barcode } from '@stacksjs/qrx'

barcode('#barcode', '5901234123457', {
  format: 'EAN13',
  flat: true
})

[!NOTE] Image needed: EAN-13 barcode in flat mode

Last Character

Add a character after the barcode (commonly '>')

import { barcode } from '@stacksjs/qrx'

barcode('#barcode', '5901234123457', {
  format: 'EAN13',
  lastChar: '>'
})

[!NOTE] Image needed: EAN-13 barcode with last character

Add-on Support

Combine with EAN-2 or EAN-5 supplemental barcodes:

import { barcode } from '@stacksjs/qrx'

barcode('#barcode')
  .EAN13('9781234567897')
  .blank(20)
  .EAN5('12345', { height: 85, textPosition: 'top' })
  .render()

[!NOTE] Image needed: EAN-13 barcode with EAN-5 add-on

Common Applications

1. Retail Products

   • Standard retail products
   • Point of sale scanning
   • Inventory management

2. Books (ISBN)

   • Prefix: 978 or 979
   • Used with EAN-5 for price

3. Periodicals (ISSN)

   • Prefix: 977
   • Used with EAN-2 for issue numbers

[!NOTE] Image needed: Real-world application examples

Error Handling

import { barcode } from '@stacksjs/qrx'

barcode('#barcode', '5901234123457', {
  format: 'EAN13',
  valid: (valid) => {
    if (!valid) {
      console.error('Invalid EAN-13')
      // Handle invalid input
    }
  }
})

Best Practices

1. Always validate input length (12-13 digits)
2. Use OCR-B font for standard compliance
3. Ensure adequate quiet zones
4. Test scanner compatibility
5. Consider add-on requirements