GS1 DataMatrix

GS1 DataMatrix is one of the types of barcodes that can be added to a template; see Barcode.

The barcode can be added either using the Barcode toolbar button or through selecting Insert > Barcode on the menu; see Adding a Barcode.

Initially the barcode will have the barcode type's default properties. To change those properties, such as the scale and color, open the Barcode properties dialog: right-click the barcode (on the Design tab in the Workspace) and select the barcode type on the shortcut menu.

About GS1 DataMatrix barcode data

In order to create a GS1 compliant DataMatrix barcode, the barcode data must meet the following requirements.

  • The barcode data must start with a leading FNC1 character: ~1. When this function code is omitted the barcode may be scanned as a DataMatrix barcode instead of a GS1 DataMatrix barcode.
  • The GS1 Application Identifiers (AI) must be used for all data. In addition, the function code ~1 must be used as field separator for variable length AI elements.
  • Only ASCII characters should be used.

Barcode properties

This topic lists the properties of the barcode type GS1 DataMatrix. For the properties of other barcode types, see Barcode type and properties.

Module width

Specifies the width of the narrow bars in centimeters. Changing this value to a higher value will make the barcode bigger when Scale is set to None.

Preferred format

Use the drop-down to select the size of the Data Matrix.

Scale

Defines if and how the rendered barcode is scaled in relation to the parent element:

  • None: The barcode is rendered based on the module width.
  • Fit to box: The barcode is stretched to fit the parent box in both width and height.
Add Checksum

When checked, PlanetPress Connect will calculate a Checksum character and add that to the result of the Barcode script. If the value to be encoded is longer than 10 digits, a second check character will be calculated.

Human Readable Message

When this option is checked, PlanetPress Connect shows a human readable text below or above the barcode, as defined using the Text Position, using the specified font and font size. The font size is given in points (pt).

Color

The Color group allows you to choose a different Barcode color (instead of black) and Background color (instead of white), by typing a hexadecimal color value (see for example w3school's color picker).

When black is a composite of CMYK or RGB values, it may incur a color click charge on some printers. Check the Output in Grayscale option to make sure that pure black is used.

Output format

  • Defines how the barcode is output on the page. There are two possible formats:

  • SVG: Vector format. This is smaller in size, but not compatible with Email output.

  • PNG: Binary rasterized format. This is slightly larger than SVG but will display properly in Email output.