UPC vs. ISRC: What’s The Difference?In the last twenty years, there has been a notable shift in the music industry. The days of buying CDs and vinyl have mostly given way to the use of internet streaming services like Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music. This change had many benefits but also presented difficulties, requiring […]
Archive | Standards
GS1 General Specifications Updated
February 1, 2024 in Standards
GS1 global standards define how items are identified and marked. Although GS1 confusingly markets itself as the source to apply for a barcode, it is their standards that provide the framework for the identification of many industries. The master document is referred to as the GS1 General Specifications Version 24. Companies rely on their licensing […]
GS1 Connect 2023: Denver, CO June 5-7
March 8, 2023 in Standards
Rise to the Challenges of the Digital Supply ChainGS1 is the global identification standards organization and has local offices around the globe. Every year, GS1 Global offers a very comprehensive conference, GS1 Connect, for their local offices and members. For companies who wish to learn about the details of the identification standards, there are extensive […]
GS1 General Specifications Updated (Version 23)
January 26, 2023 in Standards
GS1 global standards define how items are identified and marked. Although GS1 confusingly markets itself as the source to apply for a barcode, it is really their standards that provide the framework for the identification for many industries. The master document is referred to as the GS1 General Specifications Version 23. Companies rely on their […]
GS1 General Specifications Version 22 Updated
January 31, 2022 in Standards
GS1 global standards define how items are identified and marked. Although GS1 confusingly markets itself as the source to apply for a barcode, it is really their standards that provide the framework for the identification for many industries. The master document is referred to as the GS1 General Specifications Version 22. Companies rely on their […]
Overview of GTIN Packaging Levels
August 17, 2021 in Standards
Although we are the go to source for UPC implementation, many of our GS1 Service/Support clients rely on our consultants for correct identification for various GTIN packaging levels. Retailers and online marketplaces rely on barcodes and pack level identification for efficient supply chain processing. The GS1 General Specifications and GTIN Management Rules are extremely detailed […]
Guidance for UPC barcodes for Comic Books
April 13, 2021 in Standards
Comic Book Barcodes Since the 1980s, comic books sold in retail have included UPC barcodes. Unlike consumer product goods, a 2 or 5 digit supplemental barcode is included to the right of the 12-digit UPC barcode. The configuration has always been challenging, which is a result of the changing requirements within an evolving industry. Available […]
GS1 General Specifications Revision (v21) Jan 2021
February 2, 2021 in Standards
GS1 standards define how items are identified and marked. Although GS1 confusingly markets itself as the source to apply for a barcode, it is really their standards that provide the framework for the identification for many industries. Companies rely on their licensing of numbering structures for unique identification and their technical guidelines for barcode and […]
GS1 Lowers Minimum Quantity for UPC GTINs
November 24, 2020 in Standards
For the past 45 years, GS1 US (formerly the Uniform Code Council) has been the standards organization that administers UPCs allocations. Up until now, GS1 made licensing a Company Prefix mandatory for companies who wanted to identify their products with UPC. Their cost structure was extremely harsh for small companies that might not need more […]
Frequently Asked Questions: UPC Barcodes & GS1 Company Prefixes
August 31, 2020 in Standards
As the US authority on barcoding, we assist companies from almost every industry. However, the vast majority of inquiries involve ISBN identification for books and UPC codes for products. The questions and answers below cover many of the UPC and GS1 questions we receive daily. Why do I need a UPC barcode?UPCs (aka UPC codes) […]