Skip to content
barcodes.tools

GS1 DataBar generator

Type 13 digits and the check digit is added, or all 14 and it is checked. Switch on Expanded to write Application Identifiers such as a weight, an expiry date or a lot.

13 digits, or 14 with the check digit. For an EAN-13 or UPC-A, put zeros in front to make 14.

36.3 × 14.52 mm printed size, module 0.33 mm.Encodes 09501101530003

Need many? Make a batch or a label sheet.

Print check: whole dots and a read-back test

Use the resolution in your printer’s settings or data sheet.

At 300 dpi one dot is 0.085 mm, so your module of 0.33 mm is 3.9 dots. A printer places whole dots, so bars of the same width may come out a dot apart in width.

Read-back test

The read-back test does not cover GS1 DataBar yet. The dots per module above still apply; test-scan a real print.

This is a quick test of the data, not a print-quality grade, and your scanner may behave differently. Test-scan a real print before a run.

Size and colour

mm
mm
mod.
#000000
#FFFFFF

What is GS1 DataBar?

GS1 DataBar is a family of GS1 barcodes for items that are too small for an EAN-13 and for data an EAN-13 cannot hold. DataBar Omnidirectional carries one thing, a 14-digit GTIN, as a single row of bars. DataBar Expanded is also a single row, but carries a GTIN together with other GS1 data, written as Application Identifiers: for example a weight, an expiry date or a lot.

This page draws those two. DataBar has more versions (Limited and the stacked ones) that are not drawn here. The last digit of a GTIN is a check digit worked out from the other thirteen with the GS1 mod 10 method; it is added or verified for you, as on the EAN-13 page.

Where it is used

  • Small items where an EAN-13 does not fit
  • Fresh food sold by weight or with an expiry date (DataBar Expanded)
  • Coupons and promotions (DataBar Expanded)
  • Labels that must carry a GTIN and a lot or date in one row of bars

What it holds

What a GS1 DataBar barcode holds
GS1 DataBar
OmnidirectionalOne GTIN of 14 digits, the last one being the check digit
ExpandedA GTIN plus other Application Identifiers, written in brackets
Check digitGS1 mod 10, added here when you type 13 digits
Human-readable textThe GTIN in the form (01) followed by its 14 digits

Printing GS1 DataBar barcodes

  • To draw the number of an EAN-13 or UPC-A, put zeros in front to make 14 digits: one for an EAN-13, two for a UPC-A. The check digit does not change.
  • Ask the retailer or marketplace whether it accepts GS1 DataBar before you print. For ordinary shop items, EAN-13 and UPC-A are the formats every checkout takes.
  • Keep the bar height the generator starts with unless your label forces less: the symbol is a tight pattern and short bars leave a scanner little to catch.
  • Print one sample on the printer and label stock you will use, and scan it with the scanners that have to read it, before a full run.

Need a sheet of them? The batch generator makes up to 1,000 GS1 DataBar barcodes at once and lays them out on Letter or A4 label sheets.

Where the numbers come from

A GS1 DataBar barcode is only as good as the number in it. For products sold through retailers, the number is a GTIN built from a GS1 Company Prefix that the brand owner licenses from its local GS1 office, and retailers check numbers against GS1 records. The guide from GS1 New Zealand linked below walks through that process as one example.

This site draws barcodes for numbers you already have. It does not issue, sell or register GS1 numbers, and a correct check digit does not mean a number is registered.

Questions about GS1 DataBar

Can I use my EAN-13 or UPC number in a GS1 DataBar?

Yes, because a DataBar holds a GTIN of 14 digits. Put one zero in front of an EAN-13 (or two in front of a UPC-A) and type all 14 digits: the check digit stays the same, and it is verified here. If you type only 13 digits, they are read as the first 13 digits of a GTIN-14 and a check digit is added.

What is DataBar Expanded?

The member of the family that holds more than a GTIN. Switch on “Expanded” and write each Application Identifier in brackets, for example (01)09501101530003(3103)000123, a GTIN with a net weight of 0.123 kg. The encoder checks the length and format of every AI it knows.

Will a checkout read a GS1 DataBar?

It depends on the scanner and on the rules of the retailer. Many scanners read DataBar, but some older ones do not, and some retailers and marketplaces accept only EAN-13 and UPC-A. Ask before you print.

Does the print check test GS1 DataBar?

It shows how many printer dots a module takes and offers whole-dot widths. The read-back test is not offered for DataBar yet, so test-scan a real print. The Scanner page can read a GS1 DataBar from the camera or from a picture.

Sources

Other formats