An EAN barcode is used on books or other products that are for sale. EAN used to stand for European Article Number, but it has changed to International Article Number even though the acronym has remained the same. EAN barcodes are used worldwide on products that are for sale. EAN barcodes include a code number that is made up of a check digit, a company code, item reference code and an ISBN or product specific code.

Use the free web-based barcode generator on the Terry Burton website (see Resources). Just select EAN for your “symbology,” enter in your main code number and leave the “options” field as it is. Click on “Make Barcode” and it will appear on the lower portion of the screen, complete with download links.

Pay to have your EAN barcode created online via the barcode creation wizard on the Create Barcodes website (see Resources). As of June 2010, the price is $10 per barcode. Choose a type of barcode, format and enter in your main code number. The finished EAN bar code will be emailed to you once you pay the fee.

Purchase the Barcode X software from the Peninsula Group website (see Resources) if you plan on creating a lot of EAN barcodes. As of June 2010, the price starts at $147.51 for the ability to create EAN barcodes. The program works on both Mac and Windows-based computers. Enter your main code number and export the code to create your EAN barcode in one click.