What is the GS1 2D barcode ambition for 2027?
GS1 describes an industry ambition for retail point-of-sale systems globally to be capable of reading and processing GS1-compliant 2D barcodes by the end of 2027, while existing linear barcodes remain part of the transition. It is not a blanket instruction that every producer must remove its current barcode immediately.
The packaging project should start with the brand owner, retailer and GS1 requirements that apply to the actual product. Decide which data must be encoded, which data remains static, which values change by batch or pack, and whether a linear code must remain during migration.
Which 2D barcode should be printed on the pack?
The correct symbol depends on the retail, sector and data-use requirement. Common GS1 routes include QR Codes carrying GS1 Digital Link URI syntax and GS1 DataMatrix in applications that permit it. The code type, size, placement, data content and human-readable information should be confirmed through the relevant GS1 application guidance and customer specification.
Do not choose a symbol solely because a printer can produce it. Confirm that the intended scanners, software and downstream partners can decode and use the data. Where more than one barcode appears on a pack, the scanning behaviour must also be considered.
What changes are needed on the packaging line?
The line may need a suitable printer or print-and-apply system, a reliable source of product and batch data, code-position control, a verifier or vision system, reject handling, records and clear line-state logic. The exact scope depends on whether the code is pre-printed, printed online, applied as a label or produced elsewhere.
Define who creates the data, how a recipe selects the right item, what happens after a data change, how printers are enabled, where inspection occurs, and whether the line can prevent mixed or unverified packs from continuing. If code grading is required, agree the method, sample state and acceptance threshold with the responsible customer or standards owner.
Can an existing printer be used for GS1 2D barcodes?
An existing printer may be usable only if it can create the required symbol and module quality on the real substrate at the intended line condition. A desktop demonstration is not enough: the test should use production film, labels or containers, normal line speed, actual data length and the expected print-to-pack distance.
Check resolution, ink or ribbon compatibility, drying or curing, print contrast, vibration, pack movement, surface curvature, coding window and maintenance condition. Confirm the result after normal starts, stops and consumable changes.
Is a readable scan the same as barcode verification?
No. A successful scan only shows that a particular reader decoded the symbol under that test condition. Verification assesses defined symbol-quality characteristics against an applicable standard and test method. The project should state whether simple presence checking, decoding, data validation or formal verification is required.
Inspection also needs a response: alarm, stop, reject, rework or record. Agree how false rejects, unreadable packs, duplicate codes and incorrect data are handled, and retain representative failed samples for the acceptance review.
What should be included in the packaging trial and FAT?
The trial and factory acceptance test should use the approved packaging material, representative data strings, every relevant pack format and the intended production print method. Test code creation, position, readability or verification, recipe change, data change, missing-code detection, reject handling, recovery after stops and the records required by the user.
Include the most difficult combinations, such as long data, small print areas, curved packs, reflective material, low contrast or variable line speed. The agreed test should distinguish printer capability, packaging-material capability and data-system responsibility.
