The global packaging and retail industries are entering one of the most significant changes to product identification and packaging in decades. Through the GS1 Sunrise 2027 initiative, retailers, brand owners, and supply chain partners are preparing their systems to scan and process two-dimensional (2D) barcodes, such as QR codes and GS1 Data Matrix symbols, alongside traditional linear barcodes.
While the traditional 1D barcode has served the industry well for more than fifty years, its primary purpose is product identification. Today’s retailers, consumers, and regulators increasingly require access to richer product information, including batch and lot details, expiry dates, traceability information, sustainability data, and consumer-facing digital content.
The adoption of 2D barcodes and GS1 Digital Link enables this transition by allowing significantly more information to be associated with a single, compact, web-enabled code. While retailers and consumers benefit from enhanced traceability, inventory visibility, and data transparency, much of the operational impact falls on manufacturers, who must adapt production, packaging, and data systems to support these new capabilities.
Why the Industry is Shifting
The move toward 2D barcodes is being driven by a combination of regulatory developments, retailer initiatives, and supply chain efficiency requirements.
Enhanced Traceability and Food Safety
Governments and retailers continue to strengthen traceability expectations across food and consumer goods sectors. Improved product identification can help businesses isolate affected batches more precisely during recalls, reducing waste and improving consumer safety.
The European Digital Product Passport (DPP)
Emerging European sustainability initiatives are expected to increase demand for accessible product lifecycle information, including environmental data, repairability, recycling guidance, and carbon footprint reporting. For many UK and international manufacturers supplying European markets, digital product information is becoming an increasingly important consideration.
Smarter Inventory Management and Waste Reduction
Major retailers are already exploring how 2D barcodes can support improved inventory management, expiry-date visibility, and consumer engagement. By incorporating dynamic product data, 2D barcodes have the potential to support more efficient stock rotation, waste reduction initiatives, and enhanced customer experiences.
The Operational Challenge for Manufacturers
For production facilities, Sunrise 2027 is about far more than packaging design. It represents a shift from simple product marking toward data-driven coding and traceability processes.
1. The Shift Away from Fully Static Packaging
Historically, manufacturers could order pre-printed cartons, labels, or flexible films containing a static barcode linked to a product GTIN.
With 2D barcodes, there is an increasing requirement to include variable production data such as batch numbers, expiry dates, and serialisation information. Where this information is required, manufacturers must generate and print the final barcode during production so that it accurately reflects the specific product being packed.
As a result, many manufacturers are moving toward on-line generation and printing of 2D codes directly on the production line.
2. Print Quality Matters More Than Ever
Because 2D barcodes contain significantly more information within a smaller space, print quality becomes increasingly important.
Many organisations use internationally recognised standards such as ISO/IEC 15415 to assess barcode quality. These standards evaluate factors including contrast, edge definition, grid accuracy, and overall symbol quality.
While acceptance thresholds vary between trading partners and applications, poor-quality symbols can increase the risk of scanning failures, rework, operational inefficiencies, and supply chain disruption.
3. The Growing Importance of Inline Verification
Manual visual inspection alone is increasingly insufficient for verifying the quality of high-density 2D barcodes.
As a result, many manufacturers are adopting inline vision verification systems that assess code quality in real time. These systems can identify print defects, monitor barcode readability, and support quality assurance processes before products leave the factory.
For higher-risk applications, vision systems may also be integrated with automated rejection mechanisms to remove non-conforming products before they enter secondary packaging or distribution.
Choosing the Right Hardware Strategy
There is no single technology that is ideal for every Sunrise 2027 application. The appropriate solution depends on factors such as packaging material, production speed, code complexity, maintenance requirements, and sustainability objectives.
Thermal Inkjet (TIJ)
Thermal Inkjet is particularly well suited to flat, stable packaging materials such as folding cartons. It delivers high-resolution printing and excellent code quality but requires relatively tight control of printhead-to-substrate distance.
Thermal Transfer Overprinting (TTO)
TTO remains one of the most widely used technologies for flexible films, flow-wrap packaging, and pouches. It delivers high-quality codes at production speed and performs well in demanding packaging environments. However, it relies on consumable ribbons, creating ongoing operating costs and material waste.
Laser Marking (UV, CO₂, and Fiber)
Laser marking offers a consumable-free alternative by permanently altering the packaging surface rather than applying ink or ribbon.
For manufacturers focused on sustainability and reducing consumable usage, laser technology can provide significant long-term benefits. However, successful implementation depends on substrate compatibility, code complexity, and line-speed requirements.
Continuous Inkjet (CIJ)
CIJ remains a highly versatile and widely adopted technology for coding bottles, cans, and other fast-moving products.
While modern CIJ systems can print 2D barcodes, achieving consistently high-quality symbols can be more challenging than with some alternative technologies due to droplet-based printing characteristics and substrate variability. Manufacturers should carefully evaluate code quality requirements before relying on existing CIJ equipment for high-density retail applications.
Print & Apply Labelling (P&A)
Print & Apply systems remain the preferred solution for outer cases, logistics labels, and pallet identification.
They provide excellent barcode quality on corrugated surfaces and support warehouse and distribution requirements. However, they are generally not considered a practical solution for primary product packaging due to consumable costs, throughput considerations, and waste generation.
The Bottom Line
For manufacturers, Sunrise 2027 represents more than a coding upgrade, it is a broader transition toward data-driven product identification and traceability.
Success will depend not only on selecting the right printing technology, but also on ensuring that production systems, packaging processes, quality controls, and data management infrastructure can support future requirements.
The most important questions are often not about printers at all:
- Do we need to act now?
- What information should be included in our 2D barcode?
- Can our existing systems generate, manage, and maintain that data?
These are the questions operations, manufacturing, and supply chain leaders are increasingly asking before they even begin evaluating coding hardware.
Organisations that approach Sunrise 2027 as both a data and operational transformation project, rather than simply a packaging change, will be best positioned to reduce risk, improve traceability, and support future retailer and consumer expectations.
Download the Full Compliance Strategy
Preparing for Sunrise 2027 requires more than simply selecting a printer. Manufacturers must evaluate production speeds, packaging materials, data requirements, verification processes, and total cost of ownership.
Our comprehensive Sunrise 2027 guide to factory floor coding technologies, provides practical insights to help manufacturers assess their current capabilities, understand barcode quality requirements, and identify the most suitable coding technologies for their operations.
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