Introducing the EAN-5 Price Barcode Generator - Complete Your Book's Barcode System
We're thrilled to announce the launch of our newest tool: the EAN-5 Price Barcode Generator! This addition complements our existing ISBN barcode generator, providing authors and publishers with a complete barcode solution for retail distribution.
What is an EAN-5 Price Barcode?
An EAN-5 (European Article Number 5) is a supplementary barcode that appears alongside the main ISBN barcode on book covers. This 5-digit barcode encodes pricing and currency information, making checkout faster and more accurate for retailers worldwide.
The EAN-5 barcode consists of:
- 1st digit: Currency code (0-9)
- Next 4 digits: Price in the smallest currency unit (cents, pence, etc.)
For example, the code 51299 represents $12.99 in US Dollars, while 10850 represents £8.50 in British Pounds.
Why Authors and Publishers Need Price Barcodes
Streamlined Retail Operations
Traditional bookstores and retail chains rely on barcode scanning for efficient inventory management and checkout processes. When both ISBN and price information are encoded in barcodes, it:
- Reduces checkout time by automatically populating price information
- Minimizes pricing errors at point of sale
- Simplifies inventory management for retailers
- Ensures pricing consistency across different retail locations
Professional Presentation
Books with complete barcode systems (ISBN + EAN-5) demonstrate professionalism and attention to industry standards. This is particularly important for:
- Print-on-demand publications entering retail channels
- Independent publishers competing with established houses
- Authors self-publishing who want their books to look professional
- Educational and academic publications distributed through bookstores
Global Distribution Requirements
Many international retailers and distributors expect or require books to have complete barcode systems, especially for:
- Physical bookstore placement
- Library system integration
- Educational market distribution
- International retail chains
How Our Tool Works
Our EAN-5 Price Barcode Generator is designed with the same attention to quality and standards compliance as our ISBN generator:
Simple Input System
Enter your 5-digit price code directly:
51299for $12.99 (US Dollar)10850for £8.50 (British Pound)31995for A$19.95 (Australian Dollar)90000for "No Price" (BISG recommended for internal use)
Multiple Export Formats
Download your price barcode in the format that works best for your workflow:
- PNG: Perfect for digital layouts and web use
- PDF: Ready for print production
- JPG: Universal compatibility
High-Quality Output
Every barcode is generated at 300 DPI resolution, ensuring crisp, scannable results whether you're printing a single copy or sending files to a commercial printer.
Currency Support as per Wikipedia
Our tool now supports the official EAN-5 currency codes as defined by Wikipedia:
Special Industry Codes
Our generator also supports special industry codes as defined in the EAN-5 standard:
Barcode Examples
Here are examples of how different pricing scenarios look with our generator:
Standard US Pricing Example
Input: 51299 (US Dollar, $12.99)
Output: A clean EAN-5 barcode showing "$12.99" above the barcode with the digits "5 1 2 9 9" spaced below
British Pound Pricing Example
Input: 10850 (British Pound, £8.50)
Output: EAN-5 barcode displaying "£8.50" above with properly spaced digits below
No Price Example (BISG Standard)
Input: 90000 (No set price - BISG recommended)
Output: EAN-5 barcode showing "No Price" above the barcode bars
Combining ISBN and EAN-5 Barcodes
The real power comes from using both barcodes together. Here's how to create a complete barcode system for your book:
Step 1: Generate Your ISBN Barcode
Use our main ISBN Barcode Generator to create your primary barcode with:
- Proper hyphenation based on official ISBN Agency data
- High-resolution output suitable for printing
- Multiple format options
Step 2: Generate Your Price Barcode
Use our new Price Barcode Generator to create your EAN-5 barcode with:
- Wikipedia-compliant currency coding
- Proper price formatting
- Matching resolution and quality
Step 3: Combine in Your Design Software
Using any image editing software (Photoshop, GIMP, Canva, etc.):
- Place the ISBN barcode on the left
- Position the EAN-5 barcode to the right
- Maintain 3mm minimum spacing between barcodes
- Ensure both barcodes align at the same baseline
- Include adequate quiet zones around each barcode
Best Practices for Implementation
Design Guidelines
- Spacing: Maintain at least 3mm between ISBN and EAN-5 barcodes
- Alignment: Keep both barcodes at the same baseline height
- Quiet Zones: Ensure adequate white space around all barcode edges
- Size: Standard barcode height is 100% scale (approximately 26mm)
Quality Assurance
- Test Scanning: Always test both barcodes with a scanner before printing
- Resolution Check: Use 300 DPI or higher for print production
- Color Considerations: Use pure black bars on pure white background
- Positioning: Place barcodes where they won't be obscured by spine creases
Production Tips
- Generate barcodes early in your design process
- Keep master files of your barcodes for reprints
- Consider barcode placement during cover design
- Verify barcode readability at your intended print size
Standards Compliance and Updates
Our EAN-5 Price Barcode Generator has been updated to comply with the latest Wikipedia standards for EAN-5 currency codes. This ensures:
- International compatibility with global retail systems
- Accurate currency representation based on established standards
- Support for special industry codes used by educational and trade markets
- Future-proof implementation that aligns with industry best practices
Industry Impact and Future
The addition of EAN-5 price barcodes represents our commitment to providing complete solutions for the publishing industry. As retail automation continues to evolve, having standardized, machine-readable pricing information becomes increasingly valuable.
This tool is particularly relevant as:
- Print-on-demand services expand globally
- Independent publishing grows in market share
- Retail automation becomes more sophisticated
- International distribution becomes more accessible
Getting Started Today
Ready to create professional price barcodes for your books? Our EAN-5 Price Barcode Generator is available now at isbnbarcode.org/price-barcode.
The tool is completely free to use, requires no registration, and provides instant downloads. Whether you're publishing your first book or managing a catalog of hundreds of titles, our generator scales to meet your needs.
Quick Start Guide:
- Visit isbnbarcode.org/price-barcode
- Enter your 5-digit price code (e.g.,
51299for $12.99) - Preview the formatted price
- Generate and download your barcode
- Combine with your ISBN barcode in your design software
Community Feedback Welcome
As with all our tools, we're committed to continuous improvement based on user feedback. If you have suggestions for enhancements, additional currency support, or integration features, we'd love to hear from you.
The publishing landscape continues to evolve, and we're here to ensure that authors and publishers have access to the professional-grade tools they need to succeed in today's market.
Looking Ahead
This launch is part of our broader mission to democratize access to professional publishing tools. We're already working on additional features and integrations that will further streamline the book production process.
Stay tuned for more announcements as we continue to expand our suite of publishing tools, always with the same commitment to quality, standards compliance, and ease of use that defines ISBNBarcode.org.
Start generating professional price barcodes today at ISBNBarcode.org/price-barcode - completely free, no registration required.