1. Decide whether you need a number or an image
If a supplier or your own assignment records already provide a GTIN, start there. An EAN-13 barcode represents a 13-digit identifier; a missing picture is not necessarily a missing product number.
If no identifier exists, ask the retailer or marketplace what it requires. For GS1 identifiers, use the applicable GS1 member organization’s process. Requirements, licence options and fees can vary, so this guide does not quote a universal price or approval time.
2. Confirm that the number belongs to the intended item
Check your assignment records, the product variant and the details expected by the receiving channel. Do not reuse a number copied from a different product just because it passes a checksum.
Verified by GS1 can help check identity information associated with a GTIN. A missing or mismatched result needs investigation with the data owner; generating a new image cannot fix assignment records.
3. Check the digits, then generate the artwork
Keep the identifier as text so leading zeroes are not lost. An EAN-13 body has 12 data digits followed by one check digit. Validate a full number, or calculate the last digit only when you have the correct body.
In the EAN-13 generator, enter the existing number and download SVG for scalable artwork or PNG for a raster image. A successful preview proves that the software could encode that value, not that a retailer has approved it.
4. Test before printing a full run
Use the final label size, material, printer and receiving scanner for a sample. Keep the bars proportional and preserve their clear margins. Confirm that the scan returns the expected item in the actual system.
For internal assets rather than retail trade items, a managed internal identifier and Code 128 may be more suitable. Check the workflow instead of inventing a retail EAN.