GS1 System

 

EAN / UCC Family of Barcodes

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If a company wants to put a barcode on a trade item that can be scanned at any retail point of sale anywhere in the world, they need an EAN/UPC barcode.

 

The GS1 EAN/UPC barcode is the longest-established and most widely used GS1 Data Carrier. It is an indispensable product-marking method that is found on virtually every consumer product in the world. That little “beep” that people associate with the checkout of a supermarket is a laser scanning device reading the information encoded in an EAN/UPC barcode.

 

The EAN/UPC barcode is a linear omnidirectional barcode designed for the high volume scanning environment which makes it ideal for at the point-of-sales. There are four primary EAN/UPC barcode types, and all are linear symbologies.

 

	1. EAN-13 which encodes GTIN-13
	2. UPC-A which encodes GTIN-12
	3. EAN-8 which encodes GTIN-8
	4. UPC-E which encodes a special “zero-suppressed” GTIN-12

 

 

EAN/UPC does not encode any other GS1 ID Key or any other GS1 Application Identifier.

 

There are two supplementary EAN/UPC barcodes called the 2-digit and 5-digit add-on codes whose use is limited almost exclusively to books and periodicals.

 

 

GS1 - 128

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The GS1-128 is a subset of the more general Code 128 Symbology. By agreement between AIM (Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility) and GS1, the use of the Function 1 Symbol Character (FNC1) in Code 128 Symbols in the first symbol character position following the Start Character has been reserved exclusively for the GS1 System.

 

The GS1-128 Data Carrier was introduced as a GS1 BarCode in the 1990s primarily as a logistics process automation tool, for which the GS1 Application Identifier System was originally developed. Today, when it comes to logistics, it is considered the gold standard.

 

Since the GS1-128 barcode can carry all GS1 ID Keys, it provides great flexibility. It allows variable information like serial numbers, expiration dates, and measures to be added to the GS1 ID keys - GTIN and SSCC. For instance, the use of the GTIN and the batch or lot number allows a more specific identification of a trade item, and the GTIN and a serial allows the identification of individual trade items.

 

It is a linear symbology, with the advantage of being more compressed than other linear technologies. It has a 48 alpha-numeric capacity. It is not omnidirectional. Thus, it cannot be used to identify items crossing a retail point of sale. 

 

The main role of the GS1-128 barcode is used in the transport and logistics sector and the healthcare sector. The GS1-128 bar code has taken on considerably greater importance in recent years, owing to the increasing requirements of more stringent product traceability: indeed, a transport label with a GS1-128 barcode on it is the centerpiece of any global standards-based tracking and tracing system.

 

GS1 DataBar

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GS1 DataBar symbols can carry more information and identify small items than the EAN/UPC barcodes can. They can also be scanned at the retail point-of-sale. As a result, GS1 DataBar enables GTIN identification for fresh variable measure and hard-to-mark products like loose fresh fruits and vegetables, jewelry and do-it-yourself hardware products and cosmetics.

 

GS1 DataBar can carry GS1 Application Identifiers such as serial numbers, lot numbers, and expiration dates. This creates the opportunity for solutions supporting product authentication and traceability, product quality and effectiveness, fresh variable measure product identification, and couponing.

 

GS1 DataBar symbols were endorsed and adopted by GS1 after a compelling business case review by a global task force composed of retailers, fast-moving consumer goods manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, GS1 Member Organisations, and trade associations.

 

There are seven types of GS1 DataBar, four of which are omnidirectional (GS1 DataBar Omnidirectional, GS1 DataBar Stacked Omnidirectional, GS1 DataBar Expanded, GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked) and three which are not omnidirectional (GS1 DataBar Limited, GS1 DataBar Truncated, GS1 DataBar Stacked). Of interest at the moment are the 4 omni-directional GS1 DataBars.

 

These seven are as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

The decision of whether to use GS1 DataBar symbols or not will be left to the brand owner (the party responsible for specifying package design), as it is not obligatory to replace EAN/UPC barcodes where they work today. The date when GS1 DataBar can be used openly is set for 2014 at a global level, but earlier dates are being established on a country-by-country basis for specific applications (e.g., coupons in the USA in 2011, loose produce rolling out 2010 to 2014 in different markets).

 

The size of the 4 omndirectional GS1 DataBar is given in the following table:

 

	X-dimension	Size
GS1 Data Bar	0.25 mm	24 mm x 8.25 mm
GS1 Data Bar Stacked	0.25 mm	12.5 mm x 17.25 mm
GS1 Data Bar Expanded	0.25 mm	37.75 mm x 8.5 mm
GS1 Data Bar Expanded Stacked	0.25 mm	25.5 mm x 17.75 mm

 

GS1 DataMatrix

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Unlike the other GS1 symbologies, GS1 DataMatrix is a two-dimensional symbology that allows a wealth of information to be encoded in a very compact space. However, it is not  intended to be used at high volume “omni-directional” retail point-of-sale environments like supermarkets, because it is only compatible with applications whose reading systems use camera-based scanners.

 

A particularly noteworthy feature of the GS1 DataMatrix is that it can be used to apply markings directly to products, components, or individual parts. In such cases, the code is etched or laser-engraved directly onto the surface of an item, making it indelible, even under harsh operating conditions. For example, a GS1 DataMatrix engraved in this way can be used in the presence of grease in industrial applications or for items that are exposed to the elements. This makes the GS1 DataMatrix quite suitable for applications whose conditions do not allow for the use of conventional barcodes.

 

GS1 DataMatrix is gaining popularity in the healthcare sector, as it meets many needs and opens up many opportunities to improve patient safety. For example, because it can carry GS1 Application Identifiers, batch and serial numbers and expiration dates can be encoded onto medical products. Moreover, due to its compact size, a GS1 DataMatrix symbol can fit onto just about any medical device. In the past, individual surgical instruments could not be labeled automatically. However a GS1 DataMatrix can be marked directly onto such instruments, thus simplifying their tracking and tracing in hospitals. Based on its popularity, GS1 DataMatrix is being promoted for use in retail pharmacies and all regulated trade item scanning environments.

 

ITF - 14

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ITF-14 barcodes only encode GTINs. Because they cannot be used to identify items that will cross a point of sale, they are usually used for trade items where printing directly onto corrugated cartons is required.

 

The ITF-14 barcode is a subset of interleaved 2-of-5 symbology. A numerical digit in interleaved 2-of-5 symbology is represented by a combination of five (5) bars - two wide and three narrow - encoded as either five bars (dark bars) or five spaces (light bars). Digits are encoded in pairs - the leading digit of each pair into bar patterns and the second digit of each pair into space patterns.

 

An example of interleaving is the following: The digit 9 is represented by a narrow bar, wide bar, narrow bar, wide bar, narrow bar, while the digit 8 by wide bar, narrow bar, narrow bar, wide bar, narrow bar

 

 

 

The digit 98 is encoded by interleaving the bar representing 9 are encoded as the bar patterns of 89 and the bars representing 8 as the space patterns of 89.

GS1 Composite Symbology

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The Composite Symbology integrates both a GS1 System linear symbol and a 2D Composite Component as a single symbology. There are three types of Composite Symbols A, B and C,  each with different encoding rules.

 

The linear component encodes the item’s primary identification. The adjacent 2D Composite Component encodes supplementary data, such as a batch number and expiration date. The Composite Symbol always includes a linear component so that the primary identification is readable by all scanning technologies. The Composite Symbol always includes a multi-row 2D Composite Component that can be read with linear- and area-CCD scanners, and with linear and rastering laser scanners.

 

The linear component will be GS1-128, EAN-8, EAN-13, UPC-A, UPC-E or any barcode in the GS1 DataBar family.

 

The 2D component may be a CC-A or CC-B component (a variant of Micro PDF417) or, in the case of GS1-128 linear components, may be a CC-C component (a variant of PDF417). The choice between CC-A and CC-B components is made on the basis of the amount of data to be encoded in the 2D component. CC-A can accommodate up to 56 digits (excluding any control characters), while CC-B can hold up to 338 digits. A CC-C component may be used only with a GS1-128 linear component, but can hold up to 2360 digits.

 

 

The 2D component includes a linkage flag to distinguish the component from a stand-alone 2D barcode and to ensure that the 2D component does not scan without the linear component.

 

EAN-13 Composite	GS1 DataBar Expanded Composite	GS1-128 Composite