GS1 DataBar · server-powered
GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked Composite generator.
GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked Composite folds a full multi-AI element string into several short bar rows and seats the 2D component on top of the stack. Readers stitch the rows and the 2D layer back into one element string. It exists for narrow labels, above all the scale labels on packaged meat and deli where width is the scarce dimension.
Expanded Stacked + 2D, | separated.
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.
- Full details in the privacy policy.
Valid GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked Composite input
Everything before the pipe follows the Expanded grammar: a parenthesized element string opening with (01) and a valid GTIN, extended with AIs like (3103), (13), or (15), within the family ceiling of 74 numeric or 41 alphabetic characters. A string such as (01)09521234543213(17)260930(10)LOT42 is legal in the linear half here, unlike in the GTIN-only DataBar composites. The folding into rows happens for you; the GS1 specification allows up to 11 rows and the renderer picks the arrangement.
After the pipe, list the AIs destined for the 2D component. If an AI appears on both sides of the pipe, its values must match exactly.
Working sample: (01)09521234543213(3103)000123|(10)ABC123 the shown input splits the weight into the stacked bars and the ABC123 lot into the composite layer
Where GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked Composite is used
- Supermarket scale labels where a wide single-row symbol would overrun the label edge
- Long element strings (GTIN, weight, date, lot) on small fresh food packaging
- Checkout-scannable variable-measure items printed on narrow thermal stock
Common errors and how to fix them
- AI 17: Invalid day of month
- The date is YYMMDD and the day must exist in that month; 260931 fails because September has 30 days.
- AIs must start with '('
- Both halves use parenthesized AI syntax, and this message also appears when the part after the pipe is empty. Write (01) at the start and put at least one AI such as (10) behind the pipe.
- AI 240: Too long
- AI (240), additional product identification, caps at 30 characters. Shorten the value or move the data into a different AI.
- Repeated AIs (10) must have the same value
- You gave (10) different values in the linear and 2D halves. Encode the lot once, or make both occurrences identical.
Size and printing
Because the layout is fully automatic, the tool exposes no bar height or text controls for this type: row count, row widths, separators, and 2D placement all follow from the data. Overall scale comes from the Size preset or an exact module width in millimeters, with PNG export at up to 600 DPI. The stacked form trades width for height, so a long payload becomes a taller, narrower block that fits standard scale label stock.
GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked Composite questions
How many rows does GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked have?
Up to 11 rows of bars, chosen automatically from the payload length. The composite strip then sits above the top row.
When should I pick the stacked layout over flat DataBar Expanded?
The data rules are identical. Choose the flat symbol when label width is generous. Choose the stacked form when the label is narrow and a taller symbol is acceptable.
Can I put the same AI in the linear part and the 2D part?
Only if both carry an identical value; the linter rejects conflicting duplicates. In practice each AI should appear once, on whichever side you prefer.
How many barcodes can I generate for free?
The generator needs no account and allows 20 free downloads per UTC day, in PNG or SVG, with commercial use permitted.