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ISSN generator

A periodical barcode: the ISSN written as EAN-13 with the 977 prefix and an optional issue number.

Qreska does not issue ISSNs

ISSNs are issued by the national ISSN centre (in Poland: the ISSN centre of the National Library). Qreska only draws the code from a number you already have.

Code settings

Enter the 8-character ISSN, e.g. 0317-8471.

2 digits, e.g. a magazine issue number, or 5 digits, e.g. a book price. Leave empty if you do not need it.

The narrowest bar of the code. Recommended 0.264 to 0.66 mm.

From 3 to 300 mm.

Blank margin around the code required by the standard. Keep it on.

Appearance

The human readable digits or characters, set in OCR-B.

Height of a digit, from 1 to 30 mm.

Hexadecimal, for example #000000.

Fills the quiet zone too.

Preview

Size with quiet zone: 37.29 × 25.28 mm. The on-screen preview is enlarged.

Download the code

PNG file: 452 × 306 px, 307.9 DPI. Each module gets whole pixels and the DPI is set so the printout has exactly the size in mm shown above.

What is ISSN

Periodicals carry an EAN-13 with the 977 prefix, followed by the 7 digits of the ISSN (without its check digit), a 2-digit variant code, usually 00, and a new check digit.

The issue number goes into a 2-digit add-on next to the code, e.g. 01 for the first issue of the year. Every issue then has a different code without changing the ISSN.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I get an ISSN?

ISSNs are issued by the national ISSN centre (in Poland: the ISSN centre of the National Library). Qreska does not issue numbers; it only draws the code from a number you already have.

How do I mark consecutive issues?

Enter the issue number in the add-on field as 2 digits, e.g. 07. The main code stays the same; only the add-on changes.

What is the variant code 00?

These are the two digits between the ISSN and the EAN check digit. Publishers can use them to tell apart, e.g., versions with different prices. The generator uses 00, the basic version.

Can an ISSN end with the letter X?

Yes. X stands for the check digit 10. The barcode does not contain the ISSN check digit, so the X never appears in it.

Which size should I choose?

The same as for EAN-13: the nominal size is X = 0.33 mm, scaling from 80% to 200%. Leave a blank margin around the code and the add-on.

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