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GS1 Logistic Label templates: print SSCC labels free online.
The GS1 Logistic Label identifies a pallet or case by its Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) in a GS1-128 barcode. Pick the template for your unit and enter your SSCC.
How to print a GS1 logistic label
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01
Enter your own SSCC
Take an 18-digit SSCC built on your company's GS1 Company Prefix. Each pallet or case needs its own number, and GS1 bars reusing one within a year of shipment.
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02
Pick the template that matches the unit
Use One Piece for a single trade item shipped on its own, such as a refrigerator, and a Homogeneous template for identical cases. Label a mixed pallet with the SSCC only and list its contents in the despatch advice.
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03
Print at 100% and apply it flat
Print the PDF at actual size: the template's 0.495 mm narrow bar is GS1's minimum, so any reduction falls below it. Stick the label on without wrinkles, where no wrapping covers it.
What is a GS1 logistic label?
A GS1 logistic label identifies a pallet, case or parcel by its SSCC, the only content GS1 makes mandatory. The SSCC is encoded in GS1-128 under Application Identifier (AI) 00. Further data, such as the GTIN (Global Trade Item Number), batch or ship-to postal code, is optional and must follow GS1's AI rules.
Three blocks, with the SSCC at the bottom
GS1 splits the label into three blocks. The top block is free-form, for sender, receiver or a logo, with text at least 3 mm high. The middle block repeats the barcode data under data titles such as SSCC, in English unless you and your customer agree otherwise.
Only the bottom block is mandatory: GS1-128 barcodes with text lines, the SSCC always lowest. On TEC-IT's One Piece template, markers 1–5 show the free text, SSCC, GTIN, serial number and production date. Its three barcodes hold (01) with (11), then (21), then (00).
Who asks for the SSCC label, and why
Scanning the SSCC lets your customer's receiving match the pallet automatically with your despatch advice, sent by EDI (electronic data interchange). Cross docking and routing use the same number. GS1's guideline makes the party that creates the label, usually the shipper, responsible for its correctness.
Retailers turn this into delivery terms. Lidl's guide of April 2021 lets Lidl refuse pallets with misplaced labels, faulty coding or wrong data. HOFER's Austrian specifications of October 2019 reserve the right to refuse wrongly labeled pallets and charge a fee for each unit HOFER's staff must label.
Printing SSCC labels at volume
After a free sign-in, you can fill a data sheet with one SSCC per row and download all the labels as one PDF. Set Copies to 2 for the two identical labels GS1 recommends per pallet.
Let your warehouse or ERP system issue the SSCCs, as GS1 advises. TFORMer Server then prints the labels on requests from SAP or Oracle, TFORMer Workstation from Excel or CSV records. TFORMer Designer adapts the GS1 layouts to a retailer's rules, such as Lidl's barcode order.
GS1 logistic label at a glance
- Defined in
- GS1 General Specifications 6.6 (2026); GS1 Logistic Label Guideline 1.3 (2019)
- Mandatory content
- The SSCC, AI (00), 18 digits, one per logistic unit
- Barcode
- GS1-128; GS1 DataMatrix or GS1 QR Code as an addition
- Narrow bar (X)
- 0.495–0.940 mm, target 0.495 mm
- Bar height
- At least 31.75 mm, without the text line
- Quiet zone
- 10X left and right
- Text line
- At least 3 mm high, AIs in parentheses
- Label size
- A6 or 4 × 6 in; A5 or 6 × 8 in with trade item data
- TEC-IT's templates
- 0.495 mm narrow bar, bars 32.3 mm high, SSCC 77.2 mm wide
Which data and template fit your unit
GS1 never allows GTIN (01) with CONTENT (02) or COUNT (37). The rest depends on the unit:
| Unit | GS1 data besides the SSCC | TEC-IT template |
|---|---|---|
| One trade item shipped on its own | GTIN (01), batch (10), serial number (21), one date | Std Homogeneous One Piece |
| Pallet that is itself a trade item | GTIN (01), batch (10), one date | Std Homogeneous Fixed/Variable Measure, no COUNT |
| Identical cases, pallet not traded | CONTENT (02), COUNT (37), batch, one date | Non-Std Homogeneous Fixed/Variable Measure |
| Mixed cases | None; contents go into the despatch advice | Non-Std Heterogeneous |
| Unit handed to a carrier | Routing code (403) or ship-to postal code (421) | STILL with Routing Code or Postal Code |
Each label holds one batch and one date of each kind, so a pallet with several batches shows none.
Before the first delivery: retailer rules and template limits
- Lidl's layout. Lidl's April 2021 guide fixes three barcodes in a set order and adds its order number under AI (400). It allows only A5 or A4 and wants the label at eye level, 150–180 cm.
- Approval. Lidl's guide and HOFER's 2019 specifications both require your label layout to be approved before the first delivery.
- Where TEC-IT's templates differ. They follow GS1's examples, not Lidl's barcode order, and print the SSCC 77.2 mm wide, short of the 105 mm HOFER's 2019 specifications ask for. Adapt the layout in TFORMer Designer for such customers.
- Text size. GS1 recommends at least 7 mm for the data in the middle block; on the One Piece template it is about 4 mm high.
Common SSCC label mistakes
- An SSCC with 17 digits. The barcode adds the check digit, but the middle block shows your 17 digits. Type all 18.
- A wrong check digit. The SSCC barcode turns into a red error box, in the preview and in the PDF. Check the number before printing.
- One SSCC on two units. Copies repeat the SSCC, which suits the two labels of one pallet only. Each other unit, stacked pallets included, needs its own.
- COUNT left empty with CONTENT. The Non-Std Homogeneous templates then end the barcode with an AI (37) without data, though GS1 requires a count with AI (02). Enter the number of cases.
- 20 letters in a batch or serial number. At 0.495 mm a barcode holding only that number is 142.6 mm wide, over its 138 mm box, which then shows an error. Keep to 19 letters (20 digits fit), fewer where the batch shares a barcode, as on the Variable Measure and STILL templates.
The fields of the One Piece SSCC label
TEC-IT's GS1 Std Homogeneous One Piece template prints no field numbers; 1–5 match the markers in the picture above. The captions are the printed data titles, which GS1 defines; the free text has none, so its row names the editor input.
| No. | Field | Caption on the label | Content | Barcode | Max. length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free text | Top Section (Line 1) | Two lines for the top block, such as sender, address or product description; line 2 is the input Top Section (Line 2). GS1 requires text at least 3 mm high here. | — | — |
| 2 | SSCC | SSCC: | Your 18-digit SSCC, such as 195212340000047114. With 17 digits the barcode adds the check digit but the text keeps 17; a wrong check digit prints an error box instead of the barcode. | GS1-128, AI (00) | 18 |
| 3 | GTIN | GTIN: | GTIN of the trade item that forms the unit: 8, 12, 13 or 14 digits including the check digit, which the template does not verify. The barcode pads it to 14 digits. | GS1-128, AI (01) | 14 |
| 4 | Serial number | SERIAL: | Serial number of that item, such as an appliance's. GS1 allows 20 characters; 20 digits fit the barcode, 20 letters overflow its box. | GS1-128, AI (21) | 20 |
| 5 | Production date | PROD DATE (DD.MM.YYYY): | Day, month and year in three inputs, printed with dots as you type them and encoded as YYMMDD after the GTIN. Leave the day empty and the barcode carries 00, which GS1 reads as the month's last day; regulated healthcare products must show the actual day. | GS1-128, AI (11) | — |
All GS1 logistic label templates
Twelve templates print the SSCC in the lowest GS1-128 barcode, ten in A5 and two in A6. The two GS1 Digital Link templates are 87 × 47 mm product labels without an SSCC.
| Template | Size | Use | Open in the generator |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS1 Digital Link QR Code | 87 × 47 mm, portrait | Product label without SSCC: a QR Code holds a GS1 Digital Link address with GTIN, batch, net weight and date. | Open in the generator › |
| GS1 Digital Link Data Matrix | 87 × 47 mm, portrait | The same product label with the GS1 Digital Link address in a Data Matrix code instead of a QR Code. | Open in the generator › |
| GS1 Std Homogeneous One Piece | A5, portrait | One trade item shipped as its own unit, such as an appliance: GTIN, serial number and production date. | Open in the generator › |
| GS1 Std Homogeneous Fixed Measure | A5, portrait | Pallet GTIN (01), or CONTENT (02) with COUNT (37) once a count is entered; batch and best before date (15). | Open in the generator › |
| GS1 Std Homogeneous Variable Measure | A5, portrait | Like Std Homogeneous Fixed Measure for variable-weight goods, with net weight in kg (310n) and a use-by date (17). | Open in the generator › |
| GS1 Std Heterogeneous | A5, portrait | Mixed contents traded as one item: GTIN (01), batch and a date the barcode encodes as packaging date (13). | Open in the generator › |
| GS1 Non-Std Homogeneous Fixed Measure | A5, portrait | Identical cases, unit not traded as a whole: CONTENT (02), COUNT (37), batch and best before date (15). | Open in the generator › |
| GS1 Non-Std Homogeneous Variable Measure | A5, portrait | Identical variable-weight cases: CONTENT (02), net weight (310n), COUNT (37), use-by date (17) and batch. | Open in the generator › |
| GS1 Non-Std Heterogeneous | A6, portrait | Mixed pallet in A6: the SSCC alone, as GS1 advises when the cases carry different GTINs. | Open in the generator › |
| GS1 Non-Std Heterogeneous Fixed Data Matrix | A5, portrait | As Std Heterogeneous, plus an optional GS1 DataMatrix with GTIN, batch and SSCC that encodes the date as AI (17). | Open in the generator › |
| GS1 STILL Std Homogen. with Supplier Section | A6, portrait | STILL label in A6: sender and receiver, SSCC, and GTIN with batch in a second barcode. | Open in the generator › |
| GS1 STILL Label with GTIN (AI 01) | A5, portrait | STILL label in A5: addresses, carrier, delivery date and gross weight, plus GTIN, order number (400) and batch. | Open in the generator › |
| GS1 STILL Label with Routing Code (AI 403) | A5, portrait | STILL label in A5 with the transport data and the carrier's routing code under AI (403). | Open in the generator › |
| GS1 STILL Label with Postal Code (AI 421) | A5, portrait | STILL label in A5 with the transport data and the ship-to postal code with country code under AI (421). | Open in the generator › |
Frequently asked questions
Learn more about GS1 Logistic Label.
What is an SSCC?
Is a GS1 logistic label the same as an SSCC label?
Can I create SSCC numbers with this generator?
What size is a GS1 logistic label?
Where does the label go on a pallet?
What is a STILL label?
More resources
Logistics Labeling FAQ
The Serial Shipping Container Code identifies one logistic unit — a pallet, case or parcel. Encoded under Application Identifier (00) , it is the key a…
FAQGS1 Compliance FAQ
A prefix that tells the receiving system what the following data means — (00) SSCC, (01) GTIN, (10) batch/lot, (15) best-before. Encoding them incorrectly is…
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