Keep what scans today
Your EAN or UPC stays on the pack. GS1's 2027 ambition is about scanners being able to read both — not about retiring linear codes.
Sunrise 2027
One 2D code instead of four.
GS1 DataMatrix and QR with GS1 Digital Link, printed alongside the linear barcode you already use.
A GS1 Digital Link turns a barcode into a web address — one 2D symbol that can give a shopper the batch, the expiry, the allergens or the recycling instructions, instead of a new code bolted on for each new demand.
The pack is running out of room, and the demands on it keep growing.
Connect product identity and online information in one GS1 Digital Link.
Retailers want richer product data at the till. Regulators want recycling and substance information on the packaging. Marketing wants a scannable destination. Bolting on another QR code for each one is how packs end up with four symbols and no space. A GS1 Digital Link collapses them into one 2D symbol carrying the GTIN and a resolvable URL — sitting next to the linear code the till already reads, not replacing it.
Add the 2D carrier
Generate GS1 DataMatrix or QR encoding a GS1 Digital Link URI, built from the same GTIN, batch and expiry fields you already hold.
Prove it decodes
Check module width, quiet zone and print quality before the artwork goes to press — not after the first pallet ships.
One 2D code, many jobs.
GS1 Digital Link, data and printing as one system.
One template, one code
A single GS1 Digital Link layout carries GTIN, batch and web link — designed once, reused everywhere.
Digital Link syntax checked
Each Digital Link URI is checked against GS1 syntax before it prints.
One code, ready to publish
Produce the approved 2D carrier for packaging lines, prepress files or connected applications.
The products behind 2D Barcodes & GS1 Digital Link.
Every solution maps to proven, licensable products.
Barcode Studio
Generates GS1 DataMatrix and QR with GS1 Digital Link for prepress, in vector formats.
TFORMer Designer
Puts linear and 2D carriers on the same label, bound to the same product data.
9 012345 678905
TBarCode SDK
Generates Digital Link symbols from your PIM or e-commerce platform.
// generate a barcode
var bc = new Barcode();
bc.Type = "QRCode";
bc.Save("out.png");
Online Barcode Generator
Test a Digital Link URI in the browser and check that it resolves.
barcode.tec-it.com
2D-ready
Ready for the 2027 ambition.
GS1 DataMatrix, QR and Digital Link from the product data you already master.
1 billion+
barcodes generated with TEC-IT software
100+
barcode symbologies including GS1 DataMatrix and QR
30 years
of barcode software, from Steyr, Austria
One code, every channel.
Consumer, logistics and compliance from a single mark.
Resolves to context
The same QR serves a consumer page, a GS1 scan and a compliance check.
One source of truth
GTIN, batch and URL are encoded once and read by every system.
Serves every reader
Add a channel and the same code already answers it.
Customer stories
How companies run identification, labeling and data capture on TEC-IT software – in production, logistics and IT.
Frequently asked questions
Learn more about 2D Barcodes & GS1 Digital Link.
Is there a GS1 deadline in 2027?
No. Sunrise 2027 is an industry ambition, not a mandate: GS1 aims for retail point-of-sale systems to be able to read 2D carriers by the end of 2027. GS1 states that linear barcodes will coexist for as long as there are uses for them, so nothing on your packs becomes illegal or unscannable on a fixed date.
Do we have to remove our EAN or UPC barcode?
No. The 2D carrier is added alongside the linear code, not in place of it. Most brands print both: the EAN or UPC continues to serve the till, and the GS1 DataMatrix or QR carries the richer data. TEC-IT places both on the same layout, generated from the same product fields, so the GTIN cannot differ between them.
What is a GS1 Digital Link?
A way of expressing GS1 identifiers as a web URI, so one 2D symbol resolves to an address rather than only encoding digits. A Digital Link built from GTIN plus batch, serial or expiry can lead a scanner to product data, a recall notice or recycling instructions — while still carrying the GTIN a business system needs.
Should we use QR or Data Matrix?
QR is the usual choice on consumer packaging because consumer phone cameras read it reliably and it is what shoppers recognise. Data Matrix is preferred where space is tight or the surface is marked directly, which is why it dominates in healthcare and part marking. Both are supported; the deciding factor is who scans the code and on what.
More resources
Guide
Application Identifiers inside a 2D code
See how application identifiers structure GTIN, lot, date and serial data inside a 2D carrier.
GuideWhat Sunrise 2027 changes at the point of sale
See how GS1 Digital Link and the move to 2D codes affect retail scanning.
GuideWhen to use GS1 DataBar or Composite codes
Compare compact DataBar and composite symbols with other 2D carriers.