GS1 Philippines

#20 San Rafael St., Bo. Kapitolyo

1603 Pasig City
Philippines
Phone: + 63 2 6370897 to 98
Fax: + 63 2 6314631
Web site: http://www.gs1ph.org
Email: info@gs1ph.org

Barcodes
A Barcode is an optical machine readable representation of data or information about the object
which it is attached to. It consists of two elements: Data Content, namely the information being
transmitted, and the Data Carrier, namely the symbology used to carry the information. The
symbology (data encodation) consists of both patterns (lines, dots, squares, etc.) and space.
There are two types of barcodes: linear or 1-dimensional (1D) barcodes which represent data by
varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines; and two-dimensional (2D) barcodes which
represent data in patterns of squares, dots, hexagons, and other geometric figures within an
image.
Linear barcodes are designed to have omnidirectional capability or not. This means that a
barcode can be read only by a bi-directional scanner or by both an omnidirectional and bidirectional scanner. For example, an EAN/UPC barcode is omnidirectional while an ITF-14
barcode is not omnidirectionally. An onmidirectional scanner emits pattern of beams in varying
orientations allowing them to read barcodes presented to it at different angles while a non
omnidirectional scanner emits a single laser beam.

The use of barcodes was not commercially successful until they were used to automate
supermarket checkout systems. The very first scanning in a supermarket was on a pack of
Wrigley Company chewing gum at Marshs Supermarket in Troy, Ohio on June 26, 1974. The
pack was marked with a Universal Product Code (UPC) barcode. Since this very first scanning of

the Universal Product Code (UPC) Barcode back, the use of Barcodes has spread to many other
tasks that are generically referred to as Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC).
These little black and white images are a very common occurrence today and are seen almost
everywhere. One of the most commonly used barcode is the EAN-UPC barcode, which is widely
used in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector.
Barcodes deliver incredible value in many different environments such as retail, hospital
(healthcare), manufacturing, and transport.

AIDC
Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) is a term used to group the various
technologies employed to automatically identifying items, collecting data about them and the
ability to enter that data electronically into computer systems. In other words, it is the term used
to describe the direct entry of data into a computer system, programmable logic controller (PLC)
or other microprocessor-controlled device without using a keyboard. Among these technologies
are barcodes, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), biometrics, magnetic strips, Optical
Character Recognition (OCR), smart cards, and voice recognition. In the case of barcodes, it
works in the following manner:
The information (data) is encoded in a barcode format, which is then printed on a package. The
barcode on the package is read by a scanner and decoded. The data is then transmitted to a
computer which processes the data and stores it as information (data).

As such there are certain basic questions that have to be answered:

How will the INFORMATION be expressed?;

How will the DATA be transmitted? ; and

How will the DATA be read and checked?

In order to address these issues there is a need for voluntary agreements (standards) among the
users. These standards may be industrial, national or global. In todays world of commerce and
trade, where boundaries industrial or national no longer exist, standards have to be global.
Among the many global standards, which conform to the ISO AIDC standards approved by

ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31, is the GS1 System of Barcodes, which is used by more than a million
companies doing business in more than 156 countries.

Ten Steps to Barcode Implementation

Step 1: Get a GS1 Company Prefix

Step 2: Assign Numbers

Step 3: Select a Bar Code printing Method

Step 4: Select a Primary Scanning Environment

Step 5: Select a Bar Code

Step 6: Pick a Bar Code Size

Step 7: Format the Bar Code Text

Step 8: Pick a Bar Code Color

Step 9: Pick the Bar Code Placement

Step 10: Build a Bar Code Quality Plan

Step 1: Get a GS1 Company Prefix

Before a company can begin using bar codes, they must create the numbers that go inside the bar
code. These numbers are called GS1 Identification Keys. The first step in building a GS1 Key is
to obtain a GS1 Company Prefix from a GS1 Member Organization. GS1 Company Prefixes are
used by over 1 million companies worldwide as the basis for creating unique numbers to identify
everything in the supply chain. To obtain a GS1 Company Prefix contact the GS1 Philippines,
the

official

provider

of

GS1

Barcode

in

the

Philippines.

Step 2: Assign Numbers

After receiving a GS1 Company Prefix, a company is ready to begin assigning identification
numbers to their trade items (products or services), themselves (as a legal entity), locations,
logistic units, individual company assets, returnable assets (returnable pallets, kegs, tubs), and
service relationships.
The process is fairly simple. You learn about how to format each number then use the GS1
Company Prefix in combination with reference numbers you assign. Your local GS1 Member
Organization can provide you with specific information about how many numbers you can
assign

based

on

the

length

Step 3: Select a Bar Code Printing Company

of

your GS1

Company

Prefix.

To begin, you should decide what you are bar coding and if the bar code will carry static or
dynamic information inside it. An example of static information would be simply a product
identification number (GTIN) on a cereal box. An example of dynamnic information would be
printing serial numbers on product labels.
If your bar code has static information and you need a large volume of labels then you will likely
ask a printing company to print your labels. If you need a small volume of labels or need to print
labels with dynamic information you will likely need an on-demand printer like a laser printer in
your office or thermal transfer printer in your warehouse.
Knowing how you will print your bar code is an important question to answer in developing a
good bar code implementation plan. Again, your local GS1 Member Organization is there to
assist you in making the right selection and many Member Organizations can also help you find
a

printer

in

your

local

area.

Step 4: Select a Primary Scanning Environment

The specifications for bar code type, size, placement, and quality all depend on where the bar
code will be scanned.
There are four basic scanner environment scenarios for trade items:
1. Product package scanned at the retail point-of-sale (POS)
2. Product package scanned in a general distribution
3. Product package scanned at POS but also scanned in distribution
4. special environments like medical device marking
By knowing where your bar code will be scanned you can establish the right specifications for its
production. For example, if a product package is scanned at Point-of-Sale (POS) and in general
distribution, you will need to use an EAN/UPC symbol to accommodate POS but print it in a
larger size to accommodate distribution scanning and ensure the placement meets automated
distribution scanning requirements.
You can find more information in the GS1 General Specifications (available from your local
GS1 Member Organization, for on scanner environments see Section 5.4, for symbol placement
consult
Step 5: Select a Bar Code

Section

6.0).

Selecting the right bar code is critical to the success of your bar code implementation plan, but
here are some high level tips:

If you bar code a trade item that will be scanned at the retail point-of-sale (POS), you
must use an EAN/UPC symbol.

If you are printing a bar code with variable information like serial numbers, expiry dates,
or measures, then you will use GS1-128, GS1 DataBar (RSS), or in special cases
Composite Component or GS1 DataMatrix symbols.

If you just want to print a bar code carrying GTIN on a corrugated carton, ITF-14 may be
the choice for you.

There are other factors to consider so contact your local GS1 Member Organization to see what
implementation

products

and

services

they

offer.

Step 6: Pick a Bar Code Size

After the correct bar code symbol is specified together with the information to encode in it, the
design stage begins. The size of the symbol within the design will depend on the symbol
specified, where the symbol will be used, and how the symbol will be printed.
EAN/UPC Symbols
EAN/UPC Symbols differ from ITF-14 and GS1-128 Symbols because they are scanned by retail
omni-directional scanners. This means that EAN/UPC Symbols have a fixed relationship
between symbol height and width. When one dimension is modified, the other dimension should
be altered by a proportional amount.
Because of this relationship, EAN/UPC Symbols have a nominal height and width specified. A
range of allowable sizes from 80% to 200% of the nominal size are also specified and a figure
showing the range of dimensions can be found in GS1 General Specifications, Section 5.1,
Appendix 7. This range of sizes is often referred to as magnification factors" on purchase
orders specifying EAN/UPC Symbol sizes. The minimum, nominal, and maximum
magnification for EAN/UPC Symbols are shown in Figure 1.3.1-1.
EAN/UPC Magnification
Minimum (80%)

Nominal (100%)

Maximum

In order to decrease the amount of space EAN/UPC Symbols take up on a design, a decreased
symbol height might be specified. This process, called truncation, is not permitted within
EAN/UPC Symbology specifications and should be avoided. This is because of the negative
impact it has on scan rates for retail omni-directional scanners. For more information on
truncation, refer to the GS1 General Specifications, Section 6.3.3.4 (available from your local
GS1 Member Organization).
When EAN/UPC Symbols are used in logistics (shipping and distribution) as well as at the
Point-of-Sale (POS), the range of magnification allowed is limited to between 150% and 200%.
An example of this would be the symbol on a carton used for a large appliance (e.g. TV or
microwave oven).
ITF-14 and GS1-128 Symbols
ITF-14 and GS1-128 Symbols also have a range of sizes specified. ITF-14 and GS1-128 Symbol
sizes are often specified by the width of the X-Dimension instead of magnification values. You
can find information on the sizes for ITF-14 and GS1-128 Symbols based on the application
where they are used or the identification number they carry in GS1 General Specifications,
Section 5.4.2 (available from your local GS1 Member Organization).
Consideration of the Printing Process
The final major consideration for symbol size is the capability of the selected printing process.
The minimum size (magnification) and correct Bar Width Reduction (BWR) for a symbol varies
by printing process and even from press to press. Printing companies should establish a
minimum symbol size (magnification) and BWR to achieve acceptable and repeatable quality
results.
As always, be sure to contact your local GS1 Member Organization for additional
implementation

guidance.

Step 7: Format the Bar Code Text

The text beneath a bar code is important because if the bar code is damaged or of poor quality to
begin with, then the text is used as a back-up. Click here for some examples of text formatting.

The best way to cover questions about the Human Readable Interpretation for GS1 System Bar
Code Symbols is to answer some of the more frequently asked ones.
Does the Human Readable Interpretation need to be a certain size?
The OCR-B font was originally specified for use with EAN/UPC Symbols, but GS1 System
specifications now permit any font as long as it is clearly legible. For detailed size specifications
for EAN/UPC Symbols, see GS1 General Specifications Section 5.1, Appendix 6 (available from
your local GS1 Member Organization).
The human-readable text for ITF-14 and GS1-128 Symbols must be clearly legible and in a size
proportional to the symbol size as per GS1 General Specifications Section 5.2.1.6 (ITF-14) and
Section 5.3.7.4 (GS1-128) (available from your local GS1 Member Organization).
Is the Human Readable Interpretation supposed to be above or below the symbol?
It depends on the symbol you are using. For EAN/UPC Symbols, refer to the drawings in the
GS1 General Specifications Section 5.1, Appendix 6. For ITF-14 and GS1-128 Symbols the text
can be printed above or below the symbol as per GS1 General Specifications Section 5.2.1.6
(ITF-14) and Section 5.3.7.4 (GS1-128) (available from your local GS1 Member Organization).
Is the layout of the human readable characters under the bar code important?
Yes. For EAN/UPC Symbols the human readable characters should be as the drawings
referenced in the question above. The spacing of Human Readable Interpretation characters
under ITF-14 and GS1-128 helps make the text easier to read and key enter. While including
spaces is perfectly appropriate for the Human Readable Interpretation, the spaces must not be
encoded in GS1 symbols.
I see parentheses around the Application Identifiers (AI) in the GS1-128 Symbol. Are they
supposed to be there and are they encoded in the bars and spaces of the symbol?
All AIs must be enclosed in parentheses in the Human Readable Interpretation, but the
parentheses are not encoded in the symbol per the GS1 General Specifications Section 5.3.7.4.
(available from your local GS1 Member Organization).
How many digits do I print beneath the EAN/UPC Symbol in the Human Readable text?
You must, absolutely and without exception, print 12 digits, no more, no less, below the UPC-A
Symbol.
You must, absolutely and without exception, print 13 digits, no more, no less, below the EAN-13
Symbol.

You must, absolutely and without exception, print eight digits, no more, no less, below UPC-E
and

EAN-8

Symbols.

Step 8: Pick a Bar Code Color

The optimum color combination for a bar code symbol is black bars with a white background
(spaces and Quiet Zones). If you want to use other colors, the following may help you in
choosing satisfactory ones:

GS1 Bar Code Symbols require dark colors for bars (e.g., black, dark blue, dark brown,
or dark green).

The bars should always consist of a single line color and should never be printed by
multiple imaging tools (e.g., plate, screen, cylinder).

GS1 Bar Code Symbols require light backgrounds for the Quiet Zones and spaces (e.g.,
white).

In addition to light backgrounds, reddish" colors may also be used. If you have ever
been in a darkroom with red lighting and tried to read red copy, you know it can virtually
disappear. This is also true of similar colors such as orange, pink, peach, and light
yellows. Given the fact that most bar code scanners use a red light source, you can
quickly see why these colors may be suitable for backgrounds, but should be avoided for
bars.

In many cases the symbol background is not printed. It is the color of the substrate that is
being printed. If the symbol background is printed beneath the bars, the background
should be printed as solid line colors.

If you use multiple layers of ink to increase the background opacity, each layer should be
printed as a solid.

If you use a fine screen to deliver more ink to the substrate, be sure there are no voids in
the print caused by the screen not adequately filling in.

Again, by staying with black bars and white spaces, you have selected the optimal combination,
but other color combinations can be used. Consult an experienced printer recommended by your
GS1

Member

Organization

for

additional

guidance.

Step 9: Pick the Bar Code Placement

When discussing symbol location we are referring to the symbol placement on the design. When
assigning symbol placement the packaging process should be considered. You should consult the
packaging engineer to make sure the symbol will not be obscured or damaged (e.g., over a carton
edge, beneath a carton fold, beneath a package flap, or covered by another packaging layer). To
determine the proper location for GS1 bar codes, see the following sections of the GS1 General
Specifications (available from your local GS1 Member Organization):

Logistics Label Design, Section 2.2.4.4

General Placement Principles, Section 6.2

General Placement Guidelines for the Retail Point of Sale, Section 6.3

Placement Guidelines for Specific Package Types, Section 6.4

Symbol Placement for Clothing and Fashion Accessories, Section 6.5

General Format Guidelines for Clothing and Fashion Accessories Labels, Section 6.6

General Placement Guidelines for Symbol Placement on Items used in Distribution,

Section 6.7

After determining the proper placement, the printing company should be consulted before
assigning the symbol rotation. This is because many printing processes require bar codes to be
printed in a specific orientation to the feed direction of the web or sheet.
If possible, when using flexographic printing, the bars should run parallel to the press web
direction or in the picket fence orientation. If the bars are required to run perpendicular to the
press direction or in the ladder orientation, try to avoid distorting the symbol for the plate roll
circumference.
When using either silk screen or rotogravure printing processes, the symbol should be aligned
parallel to the cell structure on the screen or gravure plate cylinder to provide the smoothest bar
edge possible.
For more information or to obtain a copy of the GS1 General Specifications, contact your local
GS1

Member

Organization.

Step 10: Build a Bar Code Quality Plan

ISO/IEC 15416 Bar Code Print Quality Test Specifications for Linear Symbols describes a
method for assessing the quality of bar code symbols after they are printed. An ISO-based
verifier looks at the symbol in the way a scanner does, but goes further by grading the symbols
quality.
GS1 utilizes the ISO/IEC method, but specifies the minimum grade necessary for every GS1 bar
code based on which symbol is used, where it is used, or what identification number it is
carrying. In addition to the minimum grade, GS1 also specifies the verifier aperture width and
wavelength.
Setting up different minimum specifications is similar to a university using a standardized test to
determine whether applicants qualify for admission. Several universities may utilize the same
standardized test, but each sets the minimum score necessary for its applicants to be admitted.

GS1 General Specifications Section 5.4.2.8 (available from your local GS1 Member
Organization) provides a quick reference list of symbol quality specifications depending on the
symbol type, the application, or the identification number the symbol is carrying.
GS1 members may choose to perform their own quality control of bar code production but today
many GS1 Member Organization offer bar code quality verification services.

Need a Barcode
To obtain a GS1 Barcode contact GS1 Philippines, the official provider of GS1 barcodes in the
Philippines.

GS1 PHILIPPINES, INC.

20 San Rafael Street, Bo. Kapitolyo
Pasig City 1603, Philippines
Telephone No. +63 (2) 637 08 97 to 98 or 637 05 57

Procedures in Applying GS1 Membership

Subpscription

STEP 1: Determine Membership Subscription Category.

STEP 2: Requirements to Prepare. click here
Submit All the requirements to GS1 Philippines then wait for the release of the membership subscripti
STEP 3:
certificate/attend Seminar.
Download Form click here.
1. Requirements
Companies who wish to acquire Global Location Number (s) without any need for an
EAN Prefix Number to be used for products, may request to GS1 Philippines for GLN(s)
provided they submit the following documents:

Duly accomplished application forms (Form AD 021A).

Clear photocopy of the front page of SEC/DTI registration.

Formal letter stating their being a member or a non-member of any Industry Association(s).

Product list (containing the barcode name, brand name and complete description).

For sole Proprietorship- Formal letter of request, stating the purpose of application.

For Corporation/ Partnership- Board Resolution (signed by at least 3 members of the Board).

Proof of mailing address.

Copy of Authorized signatorys Valid ID.

Payment.

2. Schedule of Fees and Subscription Details

Fees stated here may change WITHOUT prior notice. Please confirm before making
any payments.
Number of
GLNs
One (1 GLN)

Fee
Php 2,800.00 (good for five
years, Inclusive of 12% VAT)

2 or more

Apply for membership

GLNs

subscription to GS1 Philippines

Remarks
Renewable every Five(5) years
Subject to GS1 Philippines
membership subscription rules and
regulations

3. Issuance/ Release of GLN(s)

The Global Location Number will be issued after two working days upon approval of
application and payment of corresponding fees.
Download Form click here.

Availment of Short Numbers (GTIN-8)

1. The total availability of short numbers for source marking is limited. For this reason:

Its use is restricted to articles whose size and/or design of pack or label genuinely
or reasonably precludes the printing of the standard full-length 13-digit barcode;

Each product that would like to make use of an 8-digit barcode must apply directly
to GS1 Philippines and;

When the product is discontinued or when the packaging design is changed and
necessitates the allocation of a different number, the assigned short number returns
to the control of GS1 Philippines and may be reallocated to another product after at
least a period of 4 years.

2. General rule for granting a short number to a product:

The total printable area concerned is less than 8,000 mm^2 (80c m^2)

The pack is cylindrical in shape with a diameter less than 30mm (3cm)

3. Consider all options before applying to GS1 Philippines for a short number. The different
options are reduced magnification, or enlarge, redesign or have additional label.
4. Application Requirements:

Sample (label & prototype or container) of each product (unless several products
shares identical packaging, one sample will suffice)

Completely filled-out application form per variant.

Application fee (see below schedule)

5. If a short number is allocated, a sample of a finished product must be submitted on or

before the expiration of the provision period (1 month) stated on the Temporary
Provision certificate. Otherwise, the short number will automatically be cancelled and
returned to GS1 Philippines and shall be reassigned to other product.
SCHEDULE OF FEES
Number of GTIN-8

PAYMENT

1st 20

P200.00 per number

PAYMENT IN EXCESS
(21 Numbers and Above)
P500.00 per number

Note: Fee are exclusive of VAT and may change without

Prior notice, please confirm before making any payments.
Download Form click here.