If I am selling a music or film product, what kind of barcode do I need?

Depending on where you are selling your product you may need a Universal Product Code(UPC) and/or an Bookland EAN. Contact the retailer(s) where your item will be sold to find out what format you need.

Once I get my barcode can I re-use it for other items?

No. Barcodes and ISBNs uniquely identify an item. You must have a new ISBN for each title as well as revisions. Videos and other supplemental packages for your books also need their own ISBNs.

Do I need to register my Bookland EAN before using it?

Before using your Bookland EAN you need to register it with the retailers who will be selling your book(s). They will need to know the ISBN that corresponds to the titles you are selling. Additionally, information, like the price of your book(s), may be required by the retailer. This information is stored in a database and is referenced when the barcode is scanned in the store.

What does 978 stand for?

In a typical EAN-13, the first several digits signify a country of origin. Since the publishing industry uses the EAN as an industry standard barcode, it was given its own country called "Bookland." Bookland is designated by the prefix 978.

Can I encode letters in a Bookland EAN?

No. Only numbers can be encoded in a Bookland EAN. Although ISBNs can have a check digit of X, no letters can be encoded in the Bookland EAN barcode.

How can I utilize barcodes on items that have already been printed without a barcode in the artwork?

Bar code labels can be printed to affix to the book after printing. If your item is shrink-wrapped, you may affix the bar code label to the outside of the shrink-wrap packaging. For a list of bar code label suppliers, click here.

What information will I need to give a supplier in order to get a film or electronic master?

There are some things you will need to know before you order a film master. For example your printer may need to tell you whether you need negative or positive film, how much room you have for your barcode in the artwork, emulsion type, etc. For more information on film or electronic masters, contact a barcode film master supplier.

What do I do with a film or electronic master?

Film or electronic masters are typically sent to the printer or graphic artist so that it can be incorporated into your artwork. Once the barcode is incorporated into your artwork, the printing process can begin.

Are there size requirements for Bookland EANs?

Yes. The magnification can range from 80% (approximately 1" wide by .80 tall) to 200% for a Bookland EAN code. The largest size used is typically a 100% code, although 92% is the most common size used.

What is the difference between the EAN and the Bookland EAN?

EANs are used as standard point of sale barcodes in other countries much like the UPC is used here is in the United States. The Bookland EAN is used specifically to relate a title to the ISBN and is restricted for use only by the publishing industry.

In a Bookland EAN, can I encode other currencies besides US dollars?

Yes. It is possible to encode other currencies in the Bookland EAN price add on code. But you can only encode one currency per barcode, so if you are selling your book in the US and in Canada you would encode the US currency and then have the Canadian price as a line of text above or below the barcode.

Canadian Retail Price $15.87

What affect will the Sunrise 2005 initiative have on publishers?

Publishers do NOT need to change their internal systems by January 1, 2005, to handle 13-digit ISBNs. What they DO need to have in place by this date is the ability to communicate with trading partners that MAY now be using Bookland EAN-13s as part of conforming to the EAN-13 "sunrise" date. It is to be noted that this need to support EAN-13 identifiers with trading partners by this date will exist independent of any decision made by the publishing community on the overall 13-digit ISBN timetable.

For more information on the Sunrise 2005 date go to:
http://www.uc-council.org/2005sunrise/

What should I do if my barcode is being rejected by my retailer?

There are many possibilities why a retailer may reject a "bad" barcode. "Bad" barcodes can be the result of data input errors, incorrect magnification, smudged labels that can't be read by scanners and many more variables. You should select a supplier that guarantees high quality bar codes to avoid these issues.

Click here for a list of barcode suppliers.

When were the EAN and UPC first created for use?

The Universal Product Code was the first bar code symbology widely adopted. Its birth is usually set at April 3, 1973, when the grocery industry formally established UPC as the standard bar code symbology for product marking. Foreign interest in UPC led to the adoption of the EAN code format, similar to UPC, in December 1976.

For more information on the UPC, click here: www.UC-council.org

For more information on the EAN, click here: www.isbn.org