ISSN

ISSN

An ISSN barcode is an EAN-13 with prefix 977 used to identify periodicals.

Also known as: International Standard Serial Number.

Standards: ISO 3297, ISO/IEC 15420, BS EN 797, GS1 General Specifications.

Data and Options

• The data should contain the seven or eight digits ISSN separated by a dash characters -, followed by a two-digit sequence variant, optionally followed by two or five digits if a two-digit add-on or five-digit add-on is required.
  • A two-digit add on is typically used to represent the issue number.
  • A five-digit add on is not typically used with ISSN.
• If the last digit of the ISSN data is not given then the ISSN check digit is calculated automatically, otherwise it will be verified.
• The includetext option should normally be supplied.
• The guardwhitespace option enables the display of whitespace guard marks.
• The following options control the placement and styling of the ISSN text above the symbol. Each is equivalent to the corresponding extratext* option:
  • issntext: Override the ISSN label content
  • issntextfont: PostScript font name for text above symbol
  • issntextsize: Font size for the text above symbol, in points
  • issntextcolor: Colour for the text above symbol
  • issntextxalign, issntextyalign: Alignment of the text above symbol
  • issntextxoffset, issntextyoffset: Position of the text above symbol, in points
  • issntextdirection: Direction of the text above symbol
  • issntextgaps: Gap between characters in the text above symbol, in points
  • issntextsubspace, issntextsplit, issntextlinegaps: See Text Properties

A sequence variant is a two-digit number that usually starts at zero and is incremented whenever the recommended retail price is amended, where applicable.

Examples

Identical symbols, input provided with and without an ISSN check digit and having sequence number 00:

Data:    0317-8471 00
Options: includetext guardwhitespace
Encoder: issn

Data:    0317-847 00
Options: includetext guardwhitespace
Encoder: issn

An ISSN with sequence number 03 and a two-digit add-on representing issue number 17:

Data:    0317-8471 03 17
Options: includetext guardwhitespace
Encoder: issn

Data:    0317-847 03 17
Options: includetext guardwhitespace
Encoder: issn

The ISSN label can be styled using the issntext* options (or the equivalent extratext*):

Data:    0317-8471 00
Options: includetext guardwhitespace issntextcolor=FF0000 issntextxalign=center
Encoder: issn