Barcode guides for books

ISBN and price codes, KDP and IngramSpark covers, and print-ready files, by a prepress specialist.

Start here ISBN barcodes: what they are and how to make one for your book The number, the bars, the price code and the print rules, in one place. Start here. Read guide ISBN barcodes 90000 on a book barcode: what it means The add-on that says "no price here", and why many self-publishers choose it. Read guide ISBN barcodes The EAN-5 price add-on: what the small barcode on a book means The BISG price table up to US$499.99, what 90000 means, and how far other currencies go. Read guide ISBN barcodes ISBN vs barcode: what you buy, what you make One is an identifier you register, the other is a drawing of it. Only one costs money. Read guide ISBN barcodes UPC for books: do you need one? Short answer: no, a book carries its ISBN as an EAN-13. The exceptions, explained. Read guide ISBN barcodes Where to get an ISBN for your book Your country's agency, what it costs, and when a free platform ISBN is enough. Read guide Start here Barcodes for Amazon KDP and IngramSpark covers Both platforms side by side: who places the barcode, the size, the color and the traps. Read guide KDP & IngramSpark Barcodes on dark covers: how to make them scan Why reversed barcodes fail, which colors scan, and how to design the white box. Read guide KDP & IngramSpark Where to put the barcode on your book cover Lower part of the back cover, on white, clear of the spine and trim. Measurements and steps. Read guide KDP & IngramSpark IngramSpark barcode: what the cover template expects Black only, 1.75 x 1 in, the template barcode, and the color profile trap. Read guide KDP & IngramSpark KDP barcode: size, color and placement rules 2 x 1.2 in, 100% black, white box, 0.25 in clearance, and when to let KDP do it. Read guide Start here What makes a barcode print-ready The five checks a prepress operator makes on every barcode, and how to make them yourself. Read guide Print quality Why your barcode must be 100% K, not rich black Rich black vs 100% K: what happens on press, what the platforms require, and how black gets lost on export. Read guide Print quality ISBN barcode size: magnification, minimum and quiet zones What 80%, 100% and 200% mean, the smallest safe size, and why you should not squash it. Read guide Print quality Is my barcode really vector? How to check in Acrobat and Illustrator Four checks that take a few minutes and catch the problems you cannot see on screen. Read guide