Turn your ISSN into a scannable barcode for your magazine, newspaper or journal. We’ll email it to you as a PDF, PNG, and SVG.

Do you have an ISSN?

Yes: order your barcode images below. Enter your ISSN at checkout, and we’ll email you your images.

No: you’ll need one first. In the UK, ISSNs are issued free of charge by the British Library. Once you have your number, come back here for the barcode.

Note: We don’t issue ISSNs. We provide the barcode image for the number you’ve been given.

  • ISSN Barcode Images

    – Your ISSN as a scannable EAN-13 barcode
    – Print-ready images in 3 formats (PDF, PNG & SVG)
    – Choose a standard barcode or one with an issue number

    Select your format from the drop-down, then enter your 8-digit ISSN at checkout. If you chose the issue number option, add the issue number too (for example, 02 for issue 2).

    Quantity    Price per image
    1 € 15.00
    2 € 12.50 each
    3 € 10.00 each
    4 + € 8.00 each
    10 + € 6.00 each
    20 + € 4.00 each
    50 + € 2.00 each

     

    Select options

Which format do you need?

Standard (EAN-13): one barcode used on every issue. You only buy it once.

With issue number (EAN-13+2): adds a small two-digit code showing the issue number, so each issue needs its own barcode. A quarterly magazine would need four (01, 02, 03 and 04) and can reuse them the following year.

In Ireland and the UK, the issue number format (EAN-13+2) is most common. If you’re unsure, check with the shops or distributors you plan to sell through.

Is this the right barcode?

Magazines, newspapers and journals published on a repeating schedule need an ISSN barcode: order from this page.
Books and one-off publications need an ISBN instead: book barcodes.
Everything else needs an EAN or UPC: retail barcode packages.

Printing your barcode

Size: supplied at standard size. Check our dimensions guide before shrinking it.
Background: dark bars on a white or very light background, with clear space around the barcode.
Artwork: don’t print it over images, and avoid red or light-coloured bars.

Common questions

How many do I need? For the standard format, one per magazine title. For the issue number format, one for each issue number you use.

Do I need to register each issue? No. Barcode registration is optional, and you only need it once per title.

Will it work outside Ireland? Yes. ISSN barcodes use the international EAN-13 format.

More answers are in our FAQ, our ISSN guide and this short video.