Home / JAN Generator
JAN Generator
Create JAN barcodes (Japanese Article Number) online for free – the EAN-13-compatible standard in Japan.
Open the generator →
What is a JAN barcode?
JAN (Japanese Article Number) is the Japanese flavor of EAN-13 used in Japanese retail. Its structure and readability match the international EAN standard.
Enter your article number and get a compliant barcode that scans at Japanese checkouts.
Technical details
- Category
- 1D retail barcode (Japan)
- Data & character set
- 13 digits (GTIN-13, country prefix 45/49)
- Capacity
- 12 payload digits + 1 check digit
- Check / error correction
- Modulo-10 check digit (automatic)
- Norm / standard
- GS1 / ISO/IEC 15420
- Size & printing
- like EAN-13 (37.29 × 25.93 mm)
- Good to know
- JAN is bit-identical to EAN-13 – only the name differs in Japanese retail.
Compared to related codes
| Code | Category | Data & character set |
|---|---|---|
| JAN barcode | 1D retail barcode (Japan) | 13 digits (GTIN-13, country prefix 45/49) |
| EAN barcode | 1D retail barcode | 13 digits (GTIN-13) |
| EAN-8 barcode | 1D retail barcode (compact) | 8 digits (GTIN-8) |
| UPC-A barcode | 1D retail barcode (North America) | 12 digits (GTIN-12) |
This helps you pick the right code type for your use case faster.
How to create a JAN barcode
- The type “JAN barcode” is preselected – you can change it anytime in the generator.
- Enter your value (example: 4901234567894).
- Adjust colors, module size and the quiet zone and check the live preview.
- Download the JAN barcode as PNG, SVG or PDF, or print an A4 label sheet.
Use cases
- Retail in Japan
- Product identification
- POS systems
Tips for clean printing & scanning
- Keep enough quiet zone left and right (at least 10× the module width) so checkout scanners trigger reliably.
- Print black on white with high contrast – light, glossy or metallic backgrounds hurt readability.
- Do not scale below 80 % of the nominal size; oversized-down retail barcodes get rejected at the till.
Features
- Free and no sign-up
- Instant live preview
- Export as PNG, SVG and PDF
- Customizable colors, size and caption
- Batch generation & A4 label printing
- Works on desktop and mobile
FAQ
- How do I create a JAN barcode?
- Choose the type, enter your value (e.g. 4901234567894), adjust the design and download the JAN barcode as PNG, SVG or PDF.
- What is a JAN barcode used for?
- Typical use cases are Retail in Japan, Product identification, POS systems.
- What is an example value for a JAN barcode?
- A valid example is “4901234567894”. Just enter your own value and the JAN barcode is generated instantly in the preview.
- Is the JAN Generator free?
- Yes. Barcode Studio is completely free and requires no sign-up.
- Which download formats are available?
- You can export as PNG, SVG or PDF and print directly.
- Does it work on mobile?
- Yes, Barcode Studio runs in any modern browser on desktop and mobile.
Related codes
Related guides
Trustpilot