GS1 DataBar Overview

GS1 DataBar, formerly known as RSS or Reduced Space Symbology, was developed by GS1 to encode item identification numbers and supplementary data, which enables them to support both current and future supply chain applications. Because they can encode a lot of data in a small area, these symbologies are often used for identifying small items, particularly in the food, retail, health care, and pharmaceutical markets.

GS1 DataBar is a family of seven different symbologies of varying sizes and specifications: four that are intended for point-of-sale use, and three that are not. All symbologies have the following characteristics in common:

• All encode application identifier data and primary identification (such as 14-digit Global Trade Identification Numbers [GTINs]).

• All use data compaction methods to increase encoding efficiency and capacity.

• All are linear (one-dimensional) symbologies.

• All can be combined with a two-dimensional component to create a composite symbology. (The first digit is a flag, either "0" or "1", that indicates whether the barcode is part of a composite barcode.) The two-dimensional component is placed above the GS1 DataBar symbol.

The GS1 DataBar symbologies differ from one another in their space-saving strategies, capacities, and symbol structures.

All versions of GS1 DataBar are defined in ISO/IEC 24724 - Information technology - Automatic identification and data capture techniques - GS1 DataBar bar code symbology specification and the GS1 General Specifications document.