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GS1 Data Carrier

 

A Data Carrier is a means to represent data in a machine readable form used to enable automatic reading of the Element (a single bar or space of a bar code) Strings. Thus, enabling the timely, accurate and automatic capture of the information encoded in the data carrier. GS1 has an entire portfolio of Data Carriers: different kinds of media that can hold GS1 ID Keys and attribute data. The same content can, in fact, be encoded onto different kinds of carriers, depending on what use will be made of it. The GS1 Data Carriers consist of GS1 BarCodes and EPC/RFID Tags.

 

The GS1 System provides several types of bar code for use by GS1 members depending on the application. The reasons for this vary but because different bar code types have different strengths and weaknesses, GS1 selects the bar code that best fits the application. The bar codes used by GS1 include EAN/UPC, GS1 DataBar, GS1-128, ITF-14, GS1 DataMatrix, and Composite Component.

 

In choosing which data carrier to use, one must consider the following question:

 

  1. What information needs to be transmitted?
  2. Where will it be placed?
  3. What printing method will be used?
  4. In what environment will it be used?
  5. What are the cost-benefit considerations?

 

The answers to these questions will help determine the GS1 DataCarrier to be used.

 

For instance

 

  1. A consumer product that needs to be identified at the check-out counter – EAN/UPC.
  2. A consumer product that needs to be identified but does not pass through the POS – ITF-14.
  3. A pharmaceutical product that needs to be identified uniquely – GS1 Datamatrix or EPC/RFID.
  4. A consumer product that needs to be identified for traceability purpose – GS1-128.