What size does an EAN-13 have to be?
Short answer
At 100 percent an EAN-13 including quiet zones measures 37.29 by 26.26 millimetres. Retail allows 80 to 200 percent of that, so 29.83 to 74.58 millimetres wide. Smaller is not released, because the bars then become too narrow to print.
| Magnification | Narrowest element | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 % | 0.26 mm | 29.83 mm | 25.38 mm |
| 90 % | 0.30 mm | 33.56 mm | 25.60 mm |
| 100 % · Standard | 0.33 mm | 37.29 mm | 26.26 mm |
| 110 % | 0.36 mm | 41.02 mm | 26.21 mm |
| 120 % | 0.40 mm | 44.75 mm | 26.51 mm |
| 130 % | 0.43 mm | 48.48 mm | 26.82 mm |
| 140 % | 0.46 mm | 52.21 mm | 27.12 mm |
| 150 % | 0.49 mm | 55.94 mm | 27.43 mm |
| 160 % | 0.53 mm | 59.66 mm | 27.73 mm |
| 170 % | 0.56 mm | 63.39 mm | 28.04 mm |
| 180 % | 0.59 mm | 67.12 mm | 28.34 mm |
| 190 % | 0.63 mm | 70.85 mm | 28.65 mm |
| 200 % | 0.66 mm | 74.58 mm | 28.95 mm |
This table is calculated when the page is built, from the same rules that produce your code. It cannot go stale.
Why quiet zones count towards the size
3.63 millimetres must stay clear on the left and 2.31 on the right, which is 11 and 7 module widths. A scanner needs those empty areas to find the start and the end of the symbol. Put the code hard against the edge of the label and you cut them off, and then nothing reads it, even though the code itself is perfect. The quiet zone is part of the code, not the margin beside it.
Every permitted size
The narrowest element, called the X dimension, drives everything else. At 100 percent it is 0.33 millimetres wide. Height grows more slowly than width, because the human readable digits below the bars grow with it.
Which size to pick
When in doubt, 100 percent. Go smaller only when the label forces you to, and then run a test print on exactly the material and printer that will produce the job. Inkjet and direct thermal both spread dark areas, and what looks clean on screen at 80 percent can close up on paper.
Last checked: 7 September 2026