ISSN Magazine & Newspaper Barcodes

International Standard Serial Numbers are allocated to all periodical publications such as magazines, newspapers or journals. These numbers are applied for through an international organisation that allocates all ISSN numbers. If you already have an ISSN number, you can purchase the barcode images below. If you require an ISSN Number, these can be applied for here.

Please watch our short video explainer on how ISSN barcodes work.

For more information, please see: ISSN Barcodes: A Publisher’s Guide.

Before purchasing your ISSN barcode, you may wish to consider which format you want it in.

ISSN Barcodes come in 3 main formats:

1. The 8-digit ISSN number is converted to a 13-digit number (EAN-13) by adding a 977 to the beginning, removing the check digit, adding two numbers (00) to the end and recalculating the check digit. The number is then created as an image using EAN-13 Symbology, which can easily be read by all barcode scanners and is essentially the same as other products with EAN-13 barcodes on them that go into stores. The same number would be printed on each magazine issue in this case.

2. Again, the 8-digit ISSN number is converted to a 13-digit number; however, this time, the ’00’ added on the end is changed various times to create a different EAN-13 image each time. In this case, a separate barcode image would be created for each issue of the magazine.

3. The final format involves converting the ISSN number in exactly the same way as option one; however, in this case, an additional 2-digit supplement code is added to the end, creating a 15-digit (EAN-13+2) number. The supplement changes for each issue and can be done on a monthly (01-12) or weekly (01-52) basis (or any other way you wish).

In the UK, the 13+2 format (option 3) is the most common. Other countries tend more towards the 13-digit formats (options 1 and 2). It is a good idea to check the stores you hope to stock your magazine to establish which format is the most common.

It should be noted that options 2 and 3 involve creating multiple images for the ISSN number and are, hence, more expensive.

Once we receive your order, we will manually create the ISSN barcode and email it to you.

If you have a book and require barcodes, please see our book barcodes section.

If you have printed music, you’ll need to get an International Standard Music Number (ISMN) and then have that turned into barcode images. A 13-digit ISMN, e.g., 979-0-2600-0043-8, can be turned into a 13-digit EAN-13 barcode (exactly the same way that book ISBN numbers are turned into barcodes). If you have an ISMN number and need the barcode images (the vertical black bars and white spaces), please purchase “ISBN Barcode Images” and enter your ISMN number into the additional information section.

Look here for CD barcodes and  DVD barcodes.

Do I need an ISSN Barcode?

You need an ISSN number (and corresponding barcode) for anything considered a “serial” – e.g., magazines, newspapers, journals, yearbooks, directories, and monographs in series.

The following items are not considered ” serials,” so they shouldn’t have an ISSN number: instruction manuals, one-off ‘book-a-zines’, posters, magazine or newspaper special editions, serials not intended for public circulation, diaries, calendars, mail-order catalogues, and fill-in crossword or puzzle books.

Items that aren’t eligible for an ISSN will need a standard “EAN-13 Barcode Package” instead (you can purchase this from our shop page). If the item is a book (e.g. a manual), it might be eligible for an ISBN number and corresponding barcode.