- What Sunrise 2027 means for a brand
What the industry target covers, what it does not require, and how a brand can prepare for retailer adoption.
- GS1 Digital Link and plain QR codes at checkout
A retail POS system can read the GTIN only when the QR URL uses GS1 Digital Link syntax.
- Print requirements for GS1 QR codes on retail packaging
Module size, quiet zones, contrast, and placement determine whether a 2D code can be scanned at checkout.
- How the GTIN check digit works (and why yours might be wrong)
The mod-10 algorithm behind every UPC, EAN, and GTIN, with the spreadsheet errors that corrupt product identifiers.
- Dual marking: running UPC and a 2D code on the same package
Why both codes coexist through the transition, where to place them, and how to avoid the double-scan problem at checkout.
- How Excel silently destroys your GTINs (and how to get them back)
Leading zeros, scientific notation, and the export settings that corrupt product identifiers before you notice.
- What a GS1 resolver does
How link types, linksets, and lot-specific routes differ from a basic URL redirect.
- Which brands need 2D barcodes first
A category-by-category way to assess retailer, traceability, and regulatory pressure before changing packaging.
- GS1 Application Identifiers used in retail 2D codes
The identifiers for GTIN, batch, expiry, serial, and product variant, including their required order in the URL.
- The EU Digital Product Passport, in plain terms
How Digital Product Passport requirements are introduced by product category, and where GS1 Digital Link may fit.
- FSMA 204 and 2D barcodes: what the rule does and doesn't require
The FDA food traceability rule, its July 2028 compliance date, and how lot-level 2D codes help without being mandated.
- Choosing the domain that goes on your packaging
How a brand-owned subdomain keeps a printed URL portable when resolver providers or websites change.
- What a 2D barcode migration can cost
A cost breakdown for artwork, printing, resolver software, and printed-sample verification.
- A working checklist for Sunrise 2027
Twelve steps in the order they should happen, with the reason each one comes when it does.
- Common questions about GS1 Digital Link
Straight answers on cost, mandates, phone compatibility, existing QR codes, and what happens if your resolver goes down.