We can provide barcode images for your ISSN number (please purchase barcode images below).

How to Order:

On the checkout page, please enter your ISSN number in the “Additional Information” field and let us know whether you require EAN-13 or EAN-13+2 format barcode images. We will generate the barcode images based on your ISSN number and send them to you via email (file formats include: JPEG, EPS, TIFF, BMP, and PDF). Unless you specifically request EAN-13+2 (15-digit format) at checkout, we will send the barcode images in EAN-13 (13-digit format) by default. If you require the EAN-13+2 format, please also specify the 2-digit supplement code you need, for example: “02 (representing issue 02)”.

The Difference Between EAN-13 and EAN-13+2:
EAN-13 magazine barcodes use the same 13-digit barcode for all issues of a periodical.
EAN-13+2 magazine barcodes add a 2-digit supplement at the end to represent the issue number (e.g., “01” for issue 1). In this format, the barcode for each issue will be different. For example, a quarterly magazine published 4 times a year would require 4 different barcodes (with supplement codes 01, 02, 03, and 04) if using the EAN-13+2 format. These barcodes can be reused the following year.
If using the EAN-13 format, the same 13-digit barcode can be used for all 4 issues throughout the year.

There are three main formats for ISSN barcodes:

1. Converting an 8-digit ISSN to a 13-digit (EAN-13) Barcode Format
   The method for converting an 8-digit ISSN number into 13 digits is to add “977” to the front, remove the original ISSN check digit, add two digits “00” to the end, and then recalculate a new check digit.
   The resulting number is used to create a barcode image using EAN-13 encoding, which is easily recognized by all barcode scanners and is essentially the same as the EAN-13 product barcodes commonly found in supermarkets.
   In this format, every issue of the magazine uses the same barcode number.

2. Converting an 8-digit ISSN to Different 13-digit Numbers (Different for Each Issue)
   Similar to the first method, the ISSN is converted to a 13-digit number, but the “00” added at the end is changed as needed to generate a different EAN-13 barcode image for each issue.
   In this case, each issue of the magazine uses a different barcode image.

3. Converting an 8-digit ISSN to a 15-digit Barcode (EAN-13+2) Format
   This is exactly the same as the first method, but with a 2-digit supplement added at the end, creating a total 15-digit EAN-13+2 barcode.
   The supplement code can change by month (01–12), by week (01–52), or in any way you wish to identify the issue number.

In the UK, the 13+2 (Option 3) format is the most common. Other countries typically use the 13-digit formats (Options 1 and 2) more frequently. We recommend checking with the stores where your magazine will be sold to find out which format they use most often.

Please note that Options 2 and 3 require generating multiple barcode images for the same ISSN, and therefore the price will be higher.

Upon receipt of your order, we will manually generate the ISSN barcodes for you and send them via email.

If you have books that require barcodes, please visit our Book Barcodes section.

If you have printed sheet music, you must first apply for an International Standard Music Number (ISMN) and then have it converted into a barcode image. A 13-digit ISMN (e.g., 979-0-2600-0043-8) can be converted into an EAN-13 barcode just like a book ISBN. If you already have an ISMN number and require barcode images (black and white barcode graphics), please purchase “ISBN Barcode Images” and enter your ISMN number in the additional information field.

Please view CD Barcodes and DVD Barcodes here.

Do I need an ISSN barcode?

If your publication is considered a “serial,” then you need to apply for an ISSN number and use the corresponding barcode. Serials include: magazines, newspapers, journals, yearbooks, directories, and monographs in series.

The following items are not considered “serials” and should not apply for an ISSN number:
Instruction manuals, one-off “book-a-zines,” posters, special editions of magazines or newspapers, non-publicly distributed journals, diaries, calendars, mail-order catalogs, and crossword or puzzle books.

Products that do not qualify for an ISSN should use a standard “EAN-13 Barcode Package” (available on our shop page). If the item is a book (such as an instruction manual), it may qualify for an ISBN and its corresponding barcode.

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