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GS1 has standards for five 2D barcodes that are currently in use across a variety industries. The two most widely recognised are QR Code (GS1 Digital Link URI) and GS1 DataMatrix barcodes which can both be used to store the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) as well as information such as an expiry date or a serial number.

The GS1 DataMatrix is already widely adopted in the Healthcare industry.

The QR Code (GS1 Digital Link URI) can extend a product’s packaging, acting as a gateway to consumer information online such as ingredients, allergens and nutrition, sustainability information, recipes or usage instructions.

Learn more about GS1 2D barcode standards

QR Code [GS1 Digital Link URI]

QR Code [GS1 Digital Link URI]

  • Symbol ID: ]Q1

  • Capacity: 7,089 Numeric capacity, 4296 Alphanumeric capacity

  • Supports GS1 Digital Link URI syntax

  • Supports all keys

  • Supports attributes

GS1 DataMatrix

GS1 DataMatrix

  • Symbol ID: ]d2

  • Capacity: 3116 Numeric capacity, 2335 Alphanumeric capacity

  • Support GS1 element string syntax

  • Supports all keys

  • Supports attributes

Find out more
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Standards Maintenance Groups (SMGs) improve existing standards

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2D barcodes are commonly used in the Healthcare sector and are beginning to be adopted in the Retail sector. For more information, follow the links below.

consumer engagement

Use of GS1 DataMatrix in Healthcare

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Learn about the migration to 2D barcodes in Retail