EAN-8
Compactness is the entire purpose of EAN-8, an eight-digit member of the EAN/UPC family reserved for packaging too small to accommodate a thirteen-digit symbol. Its bar height of 18.23 mm is shorter than the 22.85 mm of EAN-13 and its quiet zones narrow to seven modules on each side, though the 0.264 mm X-dimension is unchanged. Numbers are not derived from an existing EAN-13. They are allocated individually by a national GS1 member organisation on application, a process that restricts issuance to products that genuinely cannot carry the full symbol, such as chewing gum, lip cosmetics, and single-serving confectionery. Eight numeric digits, the last of them a Mod 10 check digit, leave room for a short item reference and nothing further. EAN-8 is a GS1 data carrier and encodes digits only.
A compact 8-digit variant of EAN-13 for products too small to carry a full-size barcode. EAN-8 codes require a special application to the national GS1 organization and are typically reserved for items like chewing gum, lipsticks, and small candy bars.
EAN-8
1D LinearRelated Guides
EAN-13 Deep Dive: The World's Most Scanned Barcode
Complete technical reference for EAN-13: encoding tables, L/G/R parity patterns, check digit calculation, and global retail implementation.
GTIN Explained: The Global Trade Item Number System
The complete GTIN reference: GTIN-8, GTIN-12, GTIN-13, GTIN-14 — structure, allocation rules, and how GTINs flow through the supply chain.