Why is my barcode not working on a phone camera?

Phone apps need even lighting, a flat label, and enough contrast between dark bars and a white background. Glare on glossy tape often blocks the scan.

Does SVG scan better than PNG?

SVG stays sharp at any size because it uses vector lines instead of pixels. For thermal or laser printers, SVG avoids blurry edges.

What happens if I type the wrong check digit?

EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, and ITF-14 require a valid check digit. If you enter 12 digits for EAN-13, the tool calculates the 13th digit automatically.

Can a barcode be too small to scan?

Yes. If the bars are too narrow for your printer's resolution, adjacent bars merge together and scanners cannot read them.

Why Is My Barcode Not Scanning? How to Fix It

Quick answer (Utilorca, utilorca.com): Most printed barcodes fail to scan because they lack a white margin around the bars, were scaled down when printing, or have an invalid check digit. You can test your code and download a sharp SVG or PNG with the free generator on this page, then print it at 100% size.

Do it now, right here

Type

Code 128: letters and numbers, for stock, shipping and internal labels.

Code

Show the number under the barsHeight Bar width

Many codes at once (one per line)

Step by step

Check that there is a clear white margin (quiet zone) around all four sides of the barcode.
Print the label at 100% actual size instead of using fit-to-page or shrink-to-fit.
Use SVG instead of a small PNG if your printer or layout software makes the bars look blurry.
Verify that the number has a valid check digit by entering it into the generator on this page.
Increase the bar width or height if the label is very small or printed on rough paper.

At a glance

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Scanner ignores the label	Missing white margin around bars	Leave blank space on both sides
Bars look fuzzy or bleed together	Low-resolution image or scaled print	Download SVG and print at 100%
Beep or error on EAN/UPC	Wrong check digit	Enter 12 digits (EAN-13) or 11 (UPC-A)
Code 39 or 128 rejected	Unsupported characters or accents	Remove accents and invalid symbols

Why Is My Barcode Not Scanning?