GS1 DataBar · server-powered
GS1 DataBar Stacked Composite generator.
GS1 DataBar Stacked Composite has the smallest linear footprint in the GS1 composite family: the GTIN splits across two short rows of bars, only 50 modules wide and 13 tall, with the attribute component perched above. You trade omnidirectional checkout scanning for that footprint, which suits packages where label width is the binding constraint. In Plume you enter both halves on one line with a pipe between them.
Stacked DataBar + 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.
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Valid GS1 DataBar Stacked Composite input
The linear half follows one strict rule: a single (01) application identifier holding all 14 GTIN digits and nothing more. Plume checks the entry before rendering, so a letter among the digits, a wrong check digit, or an extra AI ahead of the pipe each surface as a specific message instead of a corrupt symbol. Holders of a GTIN-13 should type a leading zero, not 13 digits.
After the pipe come the attribute AIs, for example (10)LOT42(17)270331. Values are checked against GS1's CSET 82 character list, which allows digits, letters, and limited punctuation but rejects spaces and characters like ~. The rows above the bars are CC-A or CC-B, chosen automatically to match what you type.
Working sample: (01)09521234543213|(10)ABC123 The familiar 14-digit test GTIN, here folded into two stacked rows, with ABC123 standing in as its lot code
Where GS1 DataBar Stacked Composite is used
- Vials, ampoules, and other tiny healthcare packs carrying GTIN, lot, and expiry in one symbol
- Narrow hang tags and cosmetics artwork with only a corner left for the barcode
- Items where GS1 DataBar Composite fits vertically but overflows the printable width
Common errors and how to fix them
- "GS1 DataBar Stacked must be 13 or 14 digits"
- Something besides a lone GTIN is sitting in the linear half. This symbol cannot carry (10), (17), or any other attribute in its bars, so move them all behind the pipe.
- "AI 01: Not numeric"
- A GTIN is digits only. Remove letters and stray characters, and check that no letter O has crept in for a zero.
- "AI 11: Invalid day of month"
- (11)260231 fails because February has no 31st. Plume validates dates against the real calendar, not just the YYMMDD shape.
- "AI 10: Invalid CSET 82 character"
- Batch and lot values are limited to the GS1 character set. Swap out spaces, tildes, and similar symbols before rendering.
Size and printing
Everything about this symbol's proportions is fixed by specification, so autoLayout hides the height and text controls: the two bar rows measure 5 and 7 modules tall with a 1-module separator, and the composite rows add whatever the data requires. Module width in millimeters and DPI are the controls that remain, and at this scale they matter more than usual, because a small X dimension rendered at 300 DPI can land bar edges on fractional pixels. Export at 600 DPI, or take the free SVG and let your label software rasterize at print resolution.
GS1 DataBar Stacked Composite questions
How is this different from DataBar Stacked Omnidirectional?
The plain Stacked form used here keeps its two rows short to save space and is meant for handheld and imager scanning. The Omnidirectional variant stretches the same layout much taller so checkout slot scanners can pick it up.
Can a checkout scanner read DataBar Stacked Composite?
Slot scanners generally cannot, because the truncated rows lack the height omnidirectional optics need. Handheld imagers read both halves, and many phone scanning apps can decode at least the linear GTIN.
How small can a DataBar Stacked barcode be printed?
The linear area is 50 modules across, so width equals 50 times your module setting: about 13 mm at a 0.264 mm module. Shrink by lowering module width, never by scaling the exported image down, and confirm with a test scan at final size.
Does DataBar Stacked Composite need a 2D part?
In this tool, yes: the type is defined as linear plus composite, and rendering stops with a clear message when the 2D half is missing. If you only need the GTIN, use the ordinary DataBar Stacked generator instead.