GS1 DataBar Omnidirectional
One row, 96 modules wide, read in any direction by checkout scanners: the choice for checkouts where one row fits.
Create GS1 DataBar Omnidirectional ›Used by 700,000+ people
Free GS1 DataBar barcode generator.
GS1 DataBar holds a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) in a smaller symbol than EAN-13, for loose produce and small items. Enter it padded to 14 digits with zeros.
Create barcode →
No credit card required
How to create a GS1 DataBar barcode
-
01
Pad the GTIN to 14 digits with zeros
Put one zero before a GTIN-13, two before a GTIN-12, six before a GTIN-8. Enter all 14 digits, or 13 and let the generator add the check digit. It adds the Application Identifier (AI) (01) itself.
-
02
Pick the variant and a whole-dot module width
For checkouts, pick Omnidirectional: the generator draws Stacked Omnidirectional below the checkout height. Set the module width in whole printer dots, such as 4 pixels at 300 dpi (0.339 mm).
-
03
Check the bar height, then download
Checkout scanners need bars at least 46 modules high. At 300 dpi and 4 pixels the generator draws 67.5 (22.86 mm); at 6 pixels 41.5, at the default settings 39. Download PNG, or SVG with a plan.
What is GS1 DataBar?
GS1 DataBar is a family of linear barcodes in the GS1 system. The four variants here carry only the GTIN, held as 14 digits behind Application Identifier (AI) (01), and need no quiet zones. Omnidirectional and Stacked Omnidirectional are approved for retail checkouts; Stacked and Limited mark small items scanned elsewhere.
Loose produce at the till, small items elsewhere
GS1 treats loose fruit and vegetables sold by the each like a can of soup: they carry a GTIN in EAN/UPC or GS1 DataBar. For produce weighed at the till, GS1 permits Stacked Omnidirectional with a 0.203 mm module, 10.15 mm wide.
Away from checkouts, GS1 recommends Limited or Stacked for small items. Pharmaceuticals and medical devices scanned neither at a retail point of sale nor in distribution may use a 0.170 mm module: Limited is then 13.43 mm wide.
Less label area, but taller bars at checkouts
With no quiet zones, an Omnidirectional symbol with a 0.330 mm module covers about 44% less area than an EAN-13 with its quiet zones. Checkout scanners can read it in four separate segments. The check digit and a modulo 79 check character let scanners reject misreads.
Checkout scanners are built for over-square symbols, so GS1 requires Omnidirectional bars at least 46 modules high instead of the symbology's 33, and Stacked Omnidirectional 95 instead of 69.
DataBar codes for a whole product range
Without an account, the online generator creates one GS1 DataBar at a time; a data sheet makes many at once after a free sign-in. Barcode Studio reads GTINs from text or CSV files, exports thousands of codes in one run and writes vector files in its Pro edition.
TBarCode Office updates GS1 DataBar in Word and Excel from linked cells or mail-merge fields. TBarCode/SAPwin prints barcodes from SAPscript, Smart Forms and ABAP.
GS1 DataBar at a glance
- Type
- Linear; stacked variants in two rows
- Specification
- GS1 General Specifications 26.0, section 5.5; ISO/IEC 24724
- Data
- AI (01) and a 14-digit GTIN; Limited: first digit 0 or 1
- Error detection
- Check digit plus a modulo 79 check character (Limited: 89)
- X-dimension
- 0.264–0.660 mm at retail checkouts, target 0.330 mm
- Quiet zones
- None required
- Print quality
- Minimum grade 1.5, 0.15 mm aperture, 660 nm
- Number issuer
- GS1 Member Organisations
GS1 DataBar sizes by use
| Variant | Minimum height | Width × height at X = 0.330 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Omnidirectional, checkout | 46X | 31.68 × 15.19 mm |
| Stacked Omnidirectional, checkout | 95X | 16.50 × 31.37 mm |
| Stacked | 13X | 16.50 × 4.29 mm |
| Limited | 10X | 26.07 × 3.30 mm |
Items also scanned in distribution need a module of at least 0.495 mm.
Common GS1 DataBar mistakes
- Typing a GTIN-13 without the zero. The first digit becomes the indicator and a new check digit is added: 9520123456788 turns into (01)95201234567880.
- Stacked variants without digits. The generator prints no text line under them, but GS1 requires the GTIN in readable digits except where space is extremely tight. Add it next to the symbol.
GS1 DataBar compared with related barcodes
GS1 DataBar Expanded ›
Adds AIs such as weight or a coupon number to the GTIN.
EAN-13 ›
Carries the same GTIN-13 without the zero and needs 11X and 7X quiet zones.
UPC-A ›
Carries a GTIN-12, which DataBar holds with two zeros in front.
GS1 Composite ›
Prints a 2D component above the DataBar for data such as batch or expiry.
The four GS1 DataBar variants
GS1 DataBar Stacked
Two short rows, 50 × 13 modules: the smallest variant, but harder to scan and not for checkouts.
Create GS1 DataBar Stacked ›GS1 DataBar Stacked Omnidirectional
Two full-height rows, 50 modules wide. The generator draws it 69 modules high, below the 95 GS1 requires at checkouts.
Create GS1 DataBar Stacked Omnidirectional ›GS1 DataBar Limited
One row, 79 modules wide, for small items away from checkouts; first digit 0 or 1 only.
Create GS1 DataBar Limited ›Frequently asked questions
Learn more about GS1 DataBar.
Is GS1 DataBar the same as RSS-14?
Yes. Reduced Space Symbology (RSS) is the old name, which GS1 has deprecated. RSS-14 is today's GS1 DataBar Omnidirectional; RSS-14 Stacked, RSS-14 Stacked Omnidirectional and RSS Limited are the other three variants here.
Can GS1 DataBar replace the EAN-13 on my product?
GS1 advises keeping it: DataBar is not meant to replace other symbologies, and working EAN/UPC applications should keep them. Scanning systems must be programmed to read DataBar. If a pack carries both, they must encode the same GTIN and should sit side by side.
Can GS1 DataBar hold a weight, expiry date or coupon code?
Not these four variants: they carry only the GTIN. A weight, expiry date or coupon number needs GS1 DataBar Expanded, which GS1 names for variable measure fresh food and North American coupons. A GS1 Composite symbol adds such data above the DataBar.
Why does the barcode have no white margin?
GS1 DataBar needs no quiet zone. Limited ends with a 5-module space of its own, which scanners check so they do not misread a UPC-A as Limited. Its end spaces may blend into a background of the same colour; on a dark background, keep them light.
More resources
Guide
GS1 DataBar
GS1 DataBar is a newer global bar code standard which has been adopted in 2010. GS1 DataBar should be available on all trade item scanning systems, and retail…
ProductBarcode Studio
100+ barcode types, a live quality check and batch export.
ProductTBarCode Office
Add compliant barcodes to documents, mail merges and spreadsheets.
ProductTBarCode/SAPwin
The Barcode DLL for SAP: print barcodes from SAPscript, Smart Forms and ABAP on almost every printer – via SAPSprint, SAPGUI or WWI.