ISSN Barcodes for Magazines & Newspapers
If you already have an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN), you can buy barcode images for your publication (magazine, newspaper, or periodical) below.
If you don’t yet have an ISSN number, please first get the ISSN from the National Library. Once you have your ISSN number, come back to this page and order the barcode. For more information about acquiring an ISSN please see this guide.
The barcode images we supply are standard GS1 format barcodes that are used internationally.
On the checkout page please let us know the ISSN number and confirm which format you want (with or without issue number), along with any preferences for the digits in the code (e.g. the price code).
For more information about ISSN barcodes, watch our short video explainer.
Purchase ISSN Barcode images for your publication in 5 minutes. Once the order has been received, the barcode images will be emailed to you in three formats (png, svg and pdf). You can then add the barcode image to your publication layout design. After your magazine or newspaper has been printed and distributed to your retailers, they will enter the barcode number and product information into their inventory system. After that, when your barcode is scanned, the product details will appear on the retailer’s screen.
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Buy product This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
ISSN Barcode Images
Select either a standard ISSN (for all issues) or an ISSN with a two-digit issue number (01 to 99) from the drop-down options below.
No Issue Number (all editions use same barcode)
Enter your 8-digit ISSN number(s) here in the format xxxx-xxxx OR as 977xxxxxxxxxx if you know the full number you want.
Examples: 1234-5670 or 9771234567003
With Issue Number (each edition has a different two-digit supplement from 01 to 99)
Enter your ISSN number(s) in the format xxxx-xxxx-yy where xxxx-xxxx is the ISSN and yy is the 2-digit supplement (01-52 for weekly, 01-12 for monthly).
Example: 1234-5678-01
Quantity Price per image 1 $ 30
2 $ 25
3 $ 20
4 + $ 15
10 + $ 8
20 + $ 5
50 + $ 2.50
Enter your ISSN number(s) in the format xxxx-xxxx-yy where xxxx-xxxx is the ISSN and yy is the 2-digit supplement (01-52 for weekly, 01-12 for monthly).
ISSN Barcode Image
ISSN Barcode Format
An 8-digit ISSN number is converted into a 13-digit EAN13 barcode by removing the last eight digits (this is a checksum). Then, 977 is added to the front of the number, a nominal price code is added to the number (usually 00), and then the last digit checksum is added. For example, ISSN 1234-5678 would become 9771234567003. The 2-digit price code should be changed if the price was increased, e.g. from 00 to 01, and a new barcode created, e.g., 9771234567010.
Some publications add a 2-digit supplement barcode after the main barcode. This can then vary with the issue number. For example, it could be 01-12 for 12 monthly issues, 01-52 for weekly issues, or 01-04 for quarterly issues. These barcodes can be reused each year – they only need to be changed when the price changes.
How to use your ISSN barcode:
Note: If you want us to send you a barcode with supplement digits at the end (like in the example below), please let us know when you make your order. We can give you barcode images that have either 2-digit or 5-digit supplement numbers. Supplements are used on some publications to represent the issue number of the magazine/newspaper.
- Magazine Barcode (with two supplement numbers) (jpg format)
- Magazine Barcode (with two supplement numbers) (eps format)
Check out some of the great magazines we make the barcodes for.
