GS1 DataBar & Composite Symbology Barcode FAQ and Tutorial

INDEX:

• About GS1 DataBar
• GS1 DataBar Expanded
• GS1 Composite Components
• Printing GS1 DataBar Barcodes
• Scanning or Reading GS1 DataBar

Notice: GS1.org recently renamed the RSS Symbology to GS1 DataBar to avoid confusion with the popular RSS XML Feed technology. The name change does not change the barcode standards, therefore documentation referring to the "RSS Symbology" is the same as GS1 DataBar. GS1 also recently renamed several barcode standards built on Code 128 such as EAN-128 and UCC-128 to GS1-128.

The GS1 DataBar & Composite symbologies are the latest barcode types for space-constrained identification from GS1 (Formerly EAN International and the Uniform Code Council, Inc.). GS1 DataBar & Composite barcodes have been identified to solve many problems in the grocery industry and in healthcare, where items are too small to allow for older barcode symbologies, or additional information needs to be encoded such as expiration dates or serial numbers. DataBar is also the only symbology approved by the GS1 for use in all retail checkout systems after January 1, 2010 to encode GTIN-14 numbers that do not begin with zero.

Within all DataBar symbologies, the first 13 digits of the GTIN-14 may be encoded, with the required AI of 01 and a non-visible DataBar check digit. The last digit of the GTIN-14 is a MOD 10 check digit, which is not encoded in the DataBar symbology. If the full 14-digit GTIN is needed after reading the symbol, it may be generated with a MOD10 calculation.

The following is a summary of the different symbologies within the GS1 DataBar barcode specification, as they relate to IDAutomation's products that print or create GS1 DataBar barcodes. The images below may be printed for testing purposes; they were all created with the GS1 DataBar (RSS) Image Generator.

GS1 DataBar (previously referred to as RSS-14) is capable of encoding up to 20,000,000,000,000 (20 trillion) values.

• The first character is a linkage flag which determines if there is a Composite 2D barcode associated with the bar code. This is the first character encoded and it should not be included in the DataToEncode property. The control encodes either a "1" (true) or "0" (false) value as the first character in the barcode based on the IsComposite property of the barcode control.
  
• The next 14 characters in GS1 DataBar are the 13 data characters plus an implied check digit. The check digit is not actually encoded in the barcode (as per the GS1 DataBar standards), but should be included as part of the DataToEncode property.
  
• If less than 14 characters are entered in the DataToEncode property, zeroes are padded to the front after the linkage flag. Non-numeric characters are stripped from the DataToEncode property.
  
• There is an implied AI for standard for RSS-14 of 01 that should not be part of the DataToEncode. This symbology may be scanned omni-directionally. The sample below is encoding the GTIN of 20012345678909:
  
  
  Note: The text interpretation of this symbol is not showing the linkage flag of zero.
  The last digit, which is a MOD 10 of the GTIN, is shown, however it is directly encoded in the symbol.

GS1 DataBar Truncated (RSS-14 Truncated) has the exact same data characteristics as the GS1 DataBar barcode, except the bar height is set to the GS1 DataBar standard of 13 times the X dimension. This symbology may be scanned omni-directionally. The sample below is encoding the data 00012345678905:

GS1 DataBar Stacked (RSS-14 Stacked) has the exact same data characteristics as GS1 DataBar. The data to encode is split in half and encoded as a split level barcode. This format is used if the width of the barcode will be an issue. The height of the top row of the GS1 DataBar Stacked barcode is 5 times the X dimension and the height of the bottom row is 7 times the X dimension. The barcode contains a separator pattern, containing no data, which has a height equal to one X dimension. This symbology can not be scanned omni-directionally. This symbology does not allow for human readable text with the barcode. The sample below is encoding the data 00012345678905:

GS1 DataBar Stacked Omni-directional (RSS-14 Stacked Omni-directional) has the exact same data characteristics as GS1 DataBar. The data to encode is separated to create a split level barcode. The height of each row is ascertained from the bar height property of the control. The barcode contains a separator pattern, containing no data, which has a height equal to 3 times the X dimension. This symbology may be scanned omni-directionally. This symbology does not allow for human readable text with the barcode. The sample below is encoding the data 00034567890125

GS1 DataBar Limited (RSS-14 Limited) has the same data characteristics as the GS1 DataBar barcode, except that it may only include values up to 4,000,000,000,000 (4 trillion). This symbology is specifically designed to be read by wands and handheld laser scanners. It can not be read efficiently by omni-directional scanners. The sample below is encoding the data 15012345678907:

GS1 DataBar Expanded (RSS-14 Expanded) is a variable length, expanded version of the DataBar symbology capable of encoding up to 74 numeric or 41 alphabetic characters. Omni-directional is not normally part of the title of this symbology, even though it is omni-directional. This symbology does allow for the linkage flag, which determines if there is a 2D composite barcode associated with the linear barcode. This symbology may be used in a variety of ways and has specific encoding methods for particular AI's and encodes data more efficiently for certain AI combinations. AI's must be entered manually to ensure the proper encoding method. It encodes any value following an initial AI of (01) into a compressed format. Any other AIs at the beginning of the barcode, get compressed in the General Purpose area of the barcode. When using this barcode symbology with IDAutomation's products, the parenthesis must be placed around each AI as in the examples below.

Specific AI formats are optimized to create the most efficient barcode. The following is a table of optimized AI combinations:
Data containing AI's -- (01) and (3103); Example: (01)90012345678908(3103)001750
Data containing AI's -- (01) and either (3202) or (3203); Example: (01)90012345678908(3202)000156
Data containing AI's -- (01) and (392x) where x ranges from 1 to 3 Example: (01)90012345678908(3922)795
Data containing AI's -- (01) and (393x) where x ranges from 1 to 3 Example: (01)90012345678908(3932)0401234
Data containing AI's -- (01) and either (310x) or (320x) where x ranges from 1 to 9 and either AI's (11) or (13) or (15) or (17); Example (01)90012345678908(3103)012233(15)991231

The sample below is encoding the data (01)98898765432106(3202)012345(15)991231:

GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked Omni-directional (RSS-14 Expanded Stacked Omni-directional) has the exact same data characteristics as GS1 DataBar Expanded, except that it may be stacked to decrease width and increase height. GS1-DataBar Expanded is converted to a stacked symbol by setting the "Segments" Property. The number of segments chosen (between 2 to 11) may produce 2 or 3 rows. This symbol is omni-directional, even when stacked.

The GS1 (EAN.UCC) Composite Symbology consists on a linear component, which encodes the item's primary data, and an adjacent 2D composite component, which encodes supplementary data to the linear component.

The linear component will be a symbology of types: GS1-128, EAN8, EAN13, UPCA, UPCE, or any of the GS1 DataBar family of components listed above. The composite component will be either:

• Composite Code A barcode, which is derived from the MicroPDF417 specification, for EAN8, EAN13, UPCA, UPCE, or GS1 DataBar barcodes, or
• Composite Code C barcode, which is derived from the PDF417 specification, for GS1-128 barcodes.

MicroPDF417 barcodes, that make up the 2D composite barcodes, are assigned a specific matrix of row/column combinations. This matrix limits the amount of data that may be encoded in 2D composites. The 2D composites can encode up to 56 numeric characters. Alpha characters and certain punctuation characters may be encoded in the composite, but will reduce the maximum number of characters that can be encoded. * Please note that the GS1 DataBar (RSS) .NET Forms control will automatically truncate any extraneous data when inputting composite data.

The Composite Code C barcodes, used as composites for UCC/EAN-128 barcodes and based on the PDF417 standards, can encode approximately 2000 characters. The maximum characters to encode is based on encoding just numeric characters. Therefore, the maximum amount of characters that can be encoded will be reduced if alpha characters or punctuation characters are encoded in place of numeric characters.

The following are examples of the various types of composite components used in GS1 symbols:

EAN-13 Composite encoding 0100641414997 in the linear portion and 21012345678914 in the composite portion:



EAN-8 Composite encoding 01006414 in the linear portion and 12ABC883788398 in the composite portion:



UPC-A Composite encoding 010064149096 in the linear portion and 727728928871662663774889039938484754757758 in the composite portion:



UPC-E Composite encoding 063000008261 in the linear portion and 727728928871662663774889039938484754757758 in the composite portion:



GS1 DataBar Expanded Composite encoding 010064149094388 in the linear portion and CB938872772892887166266377488 in the composite portion:



GS1 DataBar Limited Composite encoding 2015064149094 in the linear portion and CB9383872772892887166266377488 in the composite portion (The maximum value of the linear portion for both stand-alone GS1 DataBarLimited barcodes and GS1 DataBar Limited barcodes w/ composites is two trillion, fifteen billion, one hundred thirty-three million, five hundred thirty-one thousand, ninety-six (2,015,133,531,096).):


Note: the text interpretation of this symbol is showing the linkage flag of one (1) and not showing the last digit, which is a MOD 10 of the GTIN.

GS1 DataBar Composite encoding 1010064149094 in the linear portion and CB9383872772892887166266377488 in the composite portion:


Note: the text interpretation of this symbol is showing the linkage flag of one (1) and not showing the last digit, which is a MOD 10 of the GTIN.

GS1 DataBar Stacked Composite encoding 1010064149094 in the linear portion and 72772892887166266377488 in the composite portion:



GS1 DataBar Stacked Omni-Directional encoding 1010064149094 in the linear portion and 72772892887166266377488 in the composite portion:



GS1 DataBar Truncated encoding encoding 1010064149094 in the linear portion and 72772892887166266377488 in the composite portion:


Note: the text interpretation of this symbol is showing the linkage flag of one (1) and not showing the last digit, which is a MOD 10 of the GTIN.

GS1-128 (Code 128) Composite encoding Ê00030123456789012340 in the linear portion and 02130123456789093724Ê101234567ABCDEFG in the composite portion (Code 128 values containing composite data must start with FNC1 character.):

The following components are available that support the printing of GS1 DataBar barcodes:

• GS1 DataBar Font - allows creation of all DataBar and DataBar Expanded symbols as a font.
• Barcode Image Generator - an end-user application that creates bar code image files for PhotoShop, Quark, CorelDraw and others for printing purposes. It can also paste barcodes into many Windows applications.
• Barcode Label Design Software Pro Version - used to design and print bar-code labels from data that is incremented or retrieved from a database.
• .NET Forms Controls - create and print barcodes from Microsoft Visual Studio.NET applications.

IDAutomation offers the following hand-held scanners that support the reading of GS1 DataBar barcode types*:

• The Metrologic Voyager Laser Scanner reads GS1 DataBar, GS1 DataBar Limited and GS1 DataBar Expanded.
• The Hand Held Products IT3800LR long range CCD scanner reads GS1 DataBar plus Linear and PDF417.
• The Symbol Laser Scanner reads GS1 DataBar and Linear barcode types.
• The MS9535 Wireless Voyager is a wireless hand-held that can read GS1 DataBar plus Linear.
• The Symbol M2004 Cyclone Adaptive Scanner reads 1-D, 2-D, GS1 DataBarbar and Composite.

* Some scanners do not read all GS1 DataBar and Composite symbologies. Refer to the manufacturer specifications data sheet for details.

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