Code128 vs EAN — which barcode for labels and retail
People search “barcode generator 128” and “ean barcode generator” for different jobs. Picking the wrong symbology wastes label stock and confuses scanners.
Code128 — flexible alphanumeric
Code128 encodes letters, digits, and many ASCII symbols. It is common for warehouse SKUs, internal asset tags, and shipping references where you control the string format. LocalBarcode’s Code128 mode uses JsBarcode’s auto variant so you can paste typical inventory codes without picking A/B/C subsets by hand.
EAN-13 / EAN-8 — retail product numbers
EAN barcodes are numeric product identifiers used at retail point-of-sale. EAN-13 is 13 digits (including a check digit); EAN-8 is the shorter form. Scanners and marketplaces expect valid checksums — our tool rejects bad check digits rather than silently printing a dead barcode.
Neither is GS1 registration
Drawing bars from a number you typed is not the same as owning that GTIN. Official product barcodes for commerce usually require a GS1 company prefix (or numbers assigned by your brand owner). LocalBarcode never claims to register numbers.