Barcode in Excel With a Free Barcode Font
Make a barcode in Excel with the free Libre Barcode fonts. Paste a column of values or open a CSV or Excel file, choose Code 128 or Code 39, and download an .xlsx file whose barcode column is already set in the font. Install the font first. EAN-13 and UPC-A go into Excel as images.
| Row | A · Value | B · Barcode |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | BIN-A-01 | ÌBIN-A-01mÎ |
| 3 | BIN-A-02 | ÌBIN-A-02uÎ |
| 4 | BIN-A-03 | ÌBIN-A-03}Î |
The file has the values in column A as text, so leading zeros stay, and the barcodes in column B, set in Libre Barcode 128 Text at 36 pt. Copy gives the barcode text, one row per line, to paste into a column you then set in the font.
Or use a formula in B2
No formula here: Code 128 needs start, check and stop characters that a plain formula does not make, and so does a Code 39 check character. Use the file or Copy.
Print a test page and scan it before you use the barcodes. Everything runs in your browser.
How to Create a Barcode in Excel
Install the barcode font, encode your column on this page, and open the Excel file it gives you.
- Download the font named in the Font card from Google Fonts and install it: on Windows, open the font file and select Install; on a Mac, open it and select Install in Font Book.
- Copy the column of values in Excel and paste it above, or open the CSV or Excel file, and choose the barcode type.
- Check the preview and the lines that do not encode, then select Download Excel file.
- Open the file in Excel: column B shows the barcodes in the font. Print a test page and scan it before you print many.
Barcode Fonts for Excel This Page Supports
In Excel, the page uses two free fonts of the Libre Barcode project, released under the SIL Open Font License 1.1: Code 128 and Code 39. EAN-13 and UPC-A need images.
Code 128 in Excel
- Font: Libre Barcode 128 Text, which prints each character under the bars, the check character included, so a letter or symbol can follow your value.
- What the cell needs: a start character, the data, a check character and a stop character. This page writes all four; typing the value alone in the font gives bars that scanners cannot read.
- Values: letters, digits and ASCII symbols, such as bin and part numbers.
Code 39 in Excel
- Font: Libre Barcode 39 Text (Code 39 is also called Code 3 of 9).
- What the cell needs: the value between two asterisks, such as *PART-1001*, which a formula can add.
- Values: capital letters A to Z, digits 0 to 9, space and - . $ / + %; a mod 43 check character only if you tick the box.
EAN-13 and UPC-A in Excel
The Libre Barcode EAN13 font builds the barcode from the digits with the font's OpenType features, and it replaces a ? with the check digit the same way. In our test in Excel for Windows, Excel drew each digit on its own and left the ? as it is, so the result is not an EAN-13 or a UPC-A. Use the IMAGE formula or pictures below for these types.
UPC barcode generator draws UPC-A and UPC-E as PNG, SVG or PDF at the GS1 size.
A Formula for a Barcode in Excel
Code 39 works with a short formula that adds the asterisks; Code 128 does not, because its check character must be calculated.
| Barcode | Formula in B2 | Set B2 in |
|---|---|---|
| Code 39 | ="*"&A2&"*" | Libre Barcode 39 Text |
| Code 39 with spaces in the values | ="*"&SUBSTITUTE(A2," ",UNICHAR(194))&"*" | Libre Barcode 39 Text |
| Code 128 | None: use the file or Copy from this page | Libre Barcode 128 Text |
The & operator joins text in every Excel version. CONCAT does the same, as =CONCAT("*",A2,"*"), in Office 2019 and Microsoft 365; earlier versions have CONCATENATE instead. Fill the formula down the column, then set the column in the font.
The Libre Barcode fonts draw a space as  (character 194): their ordinary space has no bars, and in our test Excel for Windows left a gap there that scanners could not read. The second formula swaps each space for Â, and the file and Copy on this page do the same for Code 39 and Code 128.
Keeping Leading Zeros
Excel stores a typed 036000291452 as the number 36000291452, and the barcode loses its first digit. Format column A as Text before you type or paste the numbers. The file from this page already stores the values as text.
When the Barcode Font Is Missing
A font is installed on a computer, not saved in the workbook, so another computer without it shows letters instead of bars.
Microsoft notes that a custom font works only on the computer it is installed on, and that text in a missing font is shown in Times New Roman or the default font. Before you send the file, have the recipient install the same Libre Barcode font, which its license allows you to share. If the file must look the same everywhere without a font, use barcode pictures instead.
Barcode Pictures in Excel Without a Font
Excel can also hold barcodes as pictures in cells, which need no font and suit 2D codes such as QR codes.
Place in Cell
Make the barcodes as PNG files with the bulk barcode generator, then choose Insert, Pictures, Place in Cell in Excel. When you insert several pictures at once, Excel fills the column down from the selected cell and overwrites what those cells hold, so start in an empty column and check that each picture sits next to its value.
Bulk barcode generator makes a ZIP of barcode images from a list, CSV or Excel file, named after the values.
The IMAGE Function
IMAGE shows a picture from an https address in a cell, in BMP, JPG, GIF, TIFF, PNG, ICO or WebP; SVG is not listed. The Barcode.codes barcode API serves PNG, so a formula can build the address of each value's barcode, as in the table below.
| Barcode | Formula in B2 |
|---|---|
| Code 128 | =IMAGE("https://barcode.codes/render/code128/"&A2&".png") |
| QR Code | =IMAGE("https://barcode.codes/render/qrcode/"&A2&".png") |
| EAN-13 from 12 digits | =IMAGE("https://barcode.codes/render/ean13/"&A2&".png") |
Microsoft notes that Excel blocks an address that redirects, that the whole address may have up to 255 characters, and that access to linked images may have to be turned on. Values with spaces or symbols must be percent-encoded in the address, and each image loads from the internet, so a sheet without a connection shows no barcodes.
Barcode API the address format, the barcode types and the options, such as the size and the DPI.
How to Print a Barcode in Excel
Print at a font size big enough for your scanner, and test one page before you print the rest.
- Font size: the file sets the barcode column to 36 pt; Excel takes sizes from 1 to 409 points. Smaller barcodes are harder to scan.
- Row height and column width: keep the whole barcode inside its cell: a cut-off barcode or one that runs into the next cell does not scan.
- Quiet zone: leave white space to the left and right of the bars; do not put borders or text right against them.
- Labels: for label sheets such as Avery 5160, the barcode label generator lays the barcodes out as a PDF, which is easier than fitting cells to labels.
Barcode label generator barcode labels on Avery and custom sheets, as a print-ready PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need the Font on Every Computer?
Yes. A font is installed in Windows or macOS, not in the workbook, so each computer that opens or prints the file needs the same Libre Barcode font. Without it, Excel shows the encoded text in the default font.
Why Does My Barcode in Excel Not Scan?
Most often the cell holds the value without the characters the barcode needs: asterisks for Code 39, or start, check and stop characters for Code 128. A font size that is too small or a cell that cuts off the bars cause the rest; EAN-13 and UPC-A do not work with the font in Excel, so use images for them.
Is the Barcode Font for Excel Free?
Yes. The Libre Barcode fonts are free under the SIL Open Font License 1.1, also for commercial work, and this page is free with no account.
Can I Make a QR Code in Excel With a Font?
Not with these fonts, which draw linear barcodes only. Make QR codes as PNG files with the bulk QR code generator and place them in cells.
Does It Work in Excel for Mac?
Yes. Open the font file on the Mac and select Install, which adds it in Font Book; Excel for Mac then lists it. The .xlsx file from this page is the same on Windows and Mac.
Are My Values Uploaded?
No. The values and the file you open are read and encoded in your browser, and the Excel file is written there too.
Related Barcode Tools
- Barcode font encoder
The text for one value, with what each character is.
- Bulk barcode generator
Barcode images from a list, CSV or Excel file, as a ZIP.
- Barcode scanner to Excel
Scan barcodes into an Excel count sheet.
- Barcode label generator
Barcode labels on Avery and custom sheets.
- Bulk QR code generator
QR codes from a list or a file.