GS1 DataBar · server-powered
GS1 DataBar Expanded generator.
GS1 DataBar Expanded is the member of the DataBar family that carries full GS1 Application Identifier strings, not just a product number. It exists for variable measure products at retail checkout, where one omnidirectionally scannable symbol must hold the GTIN plus weight, price, dates, or batch. Plume lints the AI syntax before drawing anything, so a typo produces a plain error message instead of a barcode that fails at the register.
Any GS1 AIs: weight, dates, batch.
Standards-based quiet zones are always on. For production packaging, verify a printed sample with a barcode verifier.
Preview
Sample: type to make it yours- Renders on our servers, the one Plume tool that does.
- We keep the code type and content length, never what you encode.
- Free SVG vector + up to 600 DPI PNG, commercial use allowed.
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Valid GS1 DataBar Expanded input
Input is one or more GS1 element strings with every Application Identifier written in parentheses: (01)09521234543213(3103)000123 means GTIN plus net weight. AI (01) takes exactly 14 digits ending in a valid check digit, measure AIs like (3103) take exactly 6 digits, and date AIs use YYMMDD with real calendar values. Alphanumeric AIs such as batch (10) accept CSET 82, the GS1 character set of letters, digits, and limited punctuation.
Total capacity is 74 numeric or 41 alphabetic characters across all element strings. Every AI is checked against GS1 rules before render: length, character set, check digit, and date sanity all have to pass first.
Working sample: (01)09521234543213(3103)000123 The placeholder pairs GTIN 09521234543213 with AI 3103, a net weight of 0.123 kg.
Where GS1 DataBar Expanded is used
- Variable weight meat, cheese, and produce labels where the register needs GTIN plus net weight in a single scan
- Fresh food carrying best before, sell by, or expiry dates in AIs 15, 16, and 17
- North American paper coupons, which travel in this symbology using coupon AIs such as 8110
- Retail items that need a batch (10) or serial (21) readable at point of sale, not just in the warehouse
Common errors and how to fix them
- AI 01: Bad checksum
- The 14th digit of the GTIN is a check digit computed from the first 13. Copy the GTIN exactly as issued or recalculate the final digit; the tool refuses to render a wrong one.
- AI 17: Invalid month
- Dates are YYMMDD, so (17)251332 fails because 13 is not a month. An expiry of 31 December 2025 is written (17)251231.
- AIs must start with '('
- Raw digit runs are ambiguous, so each identifier must be bracketed. Turn 0109521234543213 into (01)09521234543213 and the lint can tell the AI from its value.
- AI 999: Unrecognised AI
- 999 is not an assigned Application Identifier. Check the GS1 AI list and use a real one, for example (10) for batch or (21) for serial number.
Size and printing
This symbology sizes itself: the generator computes the bar layout from your data and hides the height and text controls, leaving module width in mm and DPI (up to 600) as your levers. Width grows with content, so a bare GTIN plus weight stays compact while adding dates, batch, and serial stretches the symbol into a long strip; in our tests a five AI payload rendered more than three and a half times wider than its stacked twin. For retail point of sale, GS1 permits module widths from 0.264 mm with 0.33 mm as the common target, so pick a print preset near that and download the SVG if your label software rescales.
GS1 DataBar Expanded questions
What is GS1 DataBar Expanded used for?
Mostly variable measure fresh food at retail: one checkout scannable symbol holds the GTIN together with weight, price, dates, or lot data. It is also the carrier for North American paper coupon codes.
How much data fits in GS1 DataBar Expanded?
Up to 74 numeric or 41 alphabetic characters of GS1 element strings, enough for a GTIN plus several companion AIs.
What is the difference between GS1 DataBar Expanded and GS1-128?
Both encode Application Identifiers, but DataBar Expanded is approved for point of sale scanning, while GS1-128 is not a POS symbology and belongs on logistics and case labels that never cross a checkout.
Does GS1 DataBar Expanded need a check digit?
The GTIN inside AI (01) does: digit 14 is computed from the first 13, and this generator validates it before rendering, answering with AI 01: Bad checksum when it is wrong.