2D Barcodes

Barcodes have become widely popular because of their reading speed, accuracy, and superior functionality characteristics.

As barcodes became popular and their convenience universally recognised, the market began to call for codes capable of storing more information, more character types, and that could be printed in a smaller space.

As a result, various efforts were made to increase the amount of information stored by bar codes, such as increasing the number of barcode digits or laying out multiple bar codes.

However, these improvements also caused problems such as enlarging the barcode area, complicating reading operations, and increasing printing cost.

2D barcodes have emerged in response to these needs and problems.

As shown in the diagram above, a 2D barcode contains information in both the vertical and horizontal directions, whereas a conventional barcode contains data in one direction only.

A typical 2D barcode can hold considerably more information than a conventional barcode - most barcodes can comfortably store a maximum of around 20 digits, while QR Code, for example, is able to hold much more information - up to 7,089 digits, or up to 4,296 alphanumeric characters.

Two of the most popular types of 2D barcodes, QR Code and GS1 Databar (RSS) are outlined below.

QR Code

QR Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional (2D) barcode) created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The "QR" is derived from "Quick Response", as the creator designed the code to allow it to be decoded at high speed. QR Codes are common in Japan where they are currently the most popular type of two-dimensional code.

QR Code was created as a step up from a barcode. QR Code contains data in both vertical and horizontal directions, whereas a bar code has only one direction of data, usually the vertical one. Because of this, QR Code can hold a lot more information - up to 7,089 digits, or up to 4,296 alphanumeric characters in a single symbol.

QR Code also has an error-correction capability, allowing the data to be scanned even if the symbol is quite damaged.

GS1 Databar

GS1 DataBar (formerly called RSS) is a new point-of-sale bar code joining the EAN/UPC family of barcodes to allow more product marking.

GS1 DataBar enables GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) identification for small hard-to-mark consumer product goods like fresh foods, jewelry and do-it-yourself hardware products, and can carry additional information such as weight, expiration date, and lot numbers.

GS1 DataBar not only increases the percentage of products that can be automatically identified at point-of sale, it creates new options to solve today's business problems such as product authentication and traceability, product quality and effectiveness, variable measure product identification, and couponing.

In 2006, the GS1 Board and General Assembly set January 1st, 2010 as a global implementation target (Sunrise Date) for GS1 DataBar for use at retail Point-of-Sale.

Which ASP Scanners read 2D Barcodes?

Listed below are some of the units that are able to scan 2D barcodes:

• Denso BHT-700
• Denso BHT-300Q
• Denso AT-10Q
• Denso GT-10
• Casio DT-X7
• Casio DT-X30
• Casio IT-3000
• Casio IT-600
• Casio DT-X11
• Casio DT-X5

Further Information

For more information, please email the ASP sales team at