ISBN
The book trade's EAN-13 — an ISBN-13 product number, usually with a 5-digit price add-on.
ISBN Specification
| Character set | Digits 0-9 only (13-digit ISBN/EAN; 5-digit add-on) |
| Data length | ISBN-13: exactly 13 digits; plus optional 5-digit price supplement |
| Check digit | Mandatory Mod 10 check digit (same algorithm as EAN-13) |
| Density | Same as EAN-13 plus EAN-5 add-on width |
| Module width (X-dimension) | Nominal 0.33 mm X at 100% magnification |
| Print ratio | Variable-width bars and spaces (EAN structure) |
| Magnification | 80%-200% of nominal, add-on matching the main symbol |
| Quiet zone | 11X left / 7X right (EAN-13 geometry) |
| Standard | ISO 2108 (numbering); GS1 General Specifications (symbol) |
| Origin | Gordon Foster, David Whitaker, Emery Koltay (ISBN); EAN-13 carrier since 2007 (979 prefix expansion), 1970 |
| Sample data | 978-1-56581-231-4 90000 |
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What Is ISBN?
Since 2007 every ISBN (International Standard Book Number, ISO 2108) is a 13-digit number sharing the EAN numbering space: it starts with 978 or 979 (the GS1 "bookland" prefixes), continues with registration-group, registrant, and publication identifiers, and ends with a Mod 10 check digit. Printed on book back covers it is an EAN-13 barcode, almost always accompanied by an EAN-5 add-on encoding the price (90000 meaning price not specified).
The barcode is the retail interface to the entire book supply chain: POS price lookup, distributor inventory, sales-data aggregation (Nielsen BookScan and equivalents), and library acquisition systems all key on the ISBN. Pre-2007 10-digit ISBNs convert to ISBN-13 by replacing the old Mod 11 check digit with the 978 prefix plus a new Mod 10 digit — publishers were required to dual-label during the transition, and today only ISBN-13 is valid.
Common Applications
- Book retail POS scanning and price lookup
- Publisher, distributor, and retailer inventory
- Library acquisition and circulation systems
- Sales-data tracking for the book trade
Related Barcode Types
The 13-digit retail point-of-sale barcode used on consumer products worldwide outside North America.
A 5-digit add-on barcode printed beside EAN-13/UPC on books and magazines, typically carrying price.
The EAN-13-based identification number for printed music — scores, sheet music, and parts.
The EAN-13-based identification number for serials — journals, magazines, and newspapers — with a 2-digit issue add-on.
ISBN FAQ
How do I convert a 10-digit ISBN to 13 digits?
Drop the old final check digit, prepend 978 to the first nine digits, then compute the standard EAN Mod 10 check digit over the resulting 12. Example: 0-306-40615-2 becomes 978-0-306-40615-7. The 979 prefix space is only used for new numbers, not conversions.
What goes in the 5-digit add-on next to a book barcode?
The publisher's suggested retail price: 5xxxx maps to US$ (51999 = $19.99), while 90000 means no price is encoded and the retailer sets it. Outside the US, price add-ons are often omitted entirely — the plain ISBN-13 EAN-13 is fully valid alone.