- GS1 Sunrise 2027, explained without the hype
What Sunrise 2027 actually is, what it is not, and what a brand realistically has to do before the end of 2027.
- GS1 Digital Link vs. a plain QR code: the difference that matters at checkout
A normal QR code on your packaging will not scan your product at retail POS. Here is why, with the actual URL syntax.
- Print requirements for GS1 QR codes on retail packaging
Module size, quiet zones, contrast, and placement — the physical rules that decide whether your 2D code scans at checkout.
- How the GTIN check digit works (and why yours might be wrong)
The mod-10 algorithm behind every UPC, EAN, and GTIN — plus the spreadsheet habit that silently corrupts them.
- 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 actually does
The difference between a URL shortener and a conformant resolver — link types, linksets, and why it matters for printed packaging.
- Which brands need 2D barcodes first
A practical priority order by category — who genuinely faces pressure in 2026–27, and who can reasonably wait.
- GS1 Application Identifiers you'll actually use
The handful of AIs that matter for retail 2D migration — GTIN, batch, expiry, serial — with the ordering rules that trip people up.
- The EU Digital Product Passport, in plain terms
What the DPP requires, when it actually applies, and how GS1 Digital Link fits — without overstating the mandate.
- 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
The decision you cannot undo after printing — brand-owned domains, subdomains, and what to ask any resolver vendor.
- What a 2D barcode migration actually costs
An honest breakdown of where the money goes — artwork, printing, software, and verification — for a mid-sized brand.
- A Sunrise 2027 checklist you can actually work through
Twelve steps in the order they should happen, with the reason each one comes when it does.
- GS1 Digital Link: the questions people actually ask
Straight answers on cost, mandates, phone compatibility, existing QR codes, and what happens if your resolver goes down.