Codes that outlive the print run
A pack is printed in thousands and lives for months. Put a code on it that opens a page you can still change, and one symbol that can serve the shopper's phone and, where tills read 2D, the checkout.
The sample setup at a glance
- codes in the sample setup
- 5
- hosted pages among them
- 2
- recommended plan
- Pro
- a month, or $12 a month billed yearly
- $15
Problems we fix
What goes wrong, and what Dotwick does about it
The pack outlives the information printed on it
The code opens a product page. Update the brew guide, the origin story or the language, and every pack already on a shelf shows the new page.
Every planEach batch has its own details
On Business, a batch of a product can have its own page, expiry and links, so a roast date or an origin story belongs to the batch it is printed on.
From BusinessRetailers are moving to 2D codes at the till
A GS1 Digital Link built with the Retail POS preset follows GS1's size, border and error-correction rules for checkout scanning, so one symbol is ready for both readers.
Every plan
A worked example
From the first pack to the next batch
A roaster with eight products sold in bags, tins and café cartons. The packaging is printed twice a year, and each roast has its own origin story.
Northwind Coffee Roasters is a sample business. The codes, pages and rules are real Dotwick features.
- 01
Step 1
Start from your own GTINs
The roaster takes her GTINs from her GS1 member organisation. Dotwick does not issue them. On Dotwick's short domain, it asks her to verify her company prefix before it accepts her GTINs.
- Product code
- 02
Step 2
One GS1 code per product
For each product she creates a GS1 Digital Link code with its GTIN and a product page: origin, roast, brew guide and allergens. She adds a German link for the German market, which the resolver serves to phones set to German.
- Product code
- 03
Step 3
Print it the way a till expects
She turns on the Retail POS print preset: no logo in the symbol, a four-module border, the error correction GS1 allows, and the (01) GTIN line under it. The packaging printer gets an EPS in CMYK.
- Product code
- 04
Step 4
A page for the batch
On Business, batch L2611 gets its own origin story and roast date, and an expiry. Scanning a bag from that batch shows that page, and analytics break scans down by batch.
- Batch L2611
- 05
Step 5
Everything else that is not on the barcode
A brew video goes inside the tin lid, a reorder link on the shipping carton for cafés, and a shelf wobbler opens a product page for a promotion that has no GTIN of its own.
- Brew video
- Reorder
- Shelf wobbler
The codes in this setup
What to watch in this setup. She watches scans by product, by batch and by country, and compares the reorder carton's code with orders from cafés.
Where the codes go
- 01GS1 Digital Link
Bag back panel
One GS1 Digital Link for the shopper's phone and, where tills read 2D, the checkout.
- 02URL
Shipping carton
A reorder link for cafés, with a tag that says which carton it came from.
- 03Product
Shelf wobbler
A product page for a promotion, without touching the pack.
- 04Coupon
Inside the box or tin
A reorder offer with a code to show or copy, and an end date.
- 05Video
Gift tin
A brew video or origin photos, in the visitor's browser.
How packaging set it up
- 01
Get your GTINs
They come from your GS1 member organisation. Dotwick checks the structure and the check digit, and verifies your company prefix on its shared domain.
- 02
Create a code for each product
Add the GTIN, the product page facts and the links, one per language. Bulk import handles a whole range.
- 03
Print with the Retail POS preset
The preset follows GS1's size, border and error-correction rules, and adds the (01) GTIN line. Send an EPS in CMYK to the printer.
- 04
Add batches and measure
On Business, give a batch its own page and expiry. Analytics break scans down by product, batch and country.
Measure it
What to measure
The numbers worth looking at, and where each one lives.
- Scans by product
- Analytics, broken down by GTIN
- Scans by batch
- Analytics, broken down by batch (Business)
- Countries and languages
- The country breakdown, and which language link was served
- Cafés reordering
- The reorder code's tags, matched in your order system
Print it right
Print it right
Use the Retail POS preset
It keeps the module size inside GS1's range, leaves no logo in the symbol, and keeps the four-module border. Do not restyle it afterwards.
Keep it near the linear barcode
Many packs will carry both a linear barcode and a 2D code for years. Follow GS1's guidance on where they sit, and keep your linear barcode until your retailers say otherwise.
Proof on the real material
Foil and gloss change how a code reads. Ask the printer for a proof on the final bag and scan it with a few different phones.
How big to print it
These sizes are for a typical dynamic code. The editor's Where will it go? step works out yours, and the test sheet lets you scan before the print run.
Honest notes
What to watch in packaging
The till is the retailer's decision
We build to the GS1 Digital Link standard. We do not certify your packaging, and each retailer decides what its tills accept. GS1 US describes 2027 as a milestone in the move from one-dimensional barcodes to 2D codes such as QR codes at the point of sale.
Regulated label information stays on the label
Some rules let part of the label move online, and some do not. EU wine rules, for example, allow ingredients and nutrition on an e-label page, but the energy value and allergens stay on the bottle, and the e-label page must carry no marketing or tracking. Check the rule for your product and market.
You need your own GTINs
A GS1 Digital Link is built on a GTIN from a GS1 member organisation. For a pack without a GTIN, such as a promotion, use a Product page code instead.
Which plan
Which plan fits
Our pick
Pro
$15/ monthor $12 / month billed yearly
14-day free trial
Eight products, a brand that wants no Dotwick badge on its product pages, and a bulk import for a range: Pro, with 100 dynamic codes. Batches are Business.
Start 14-day trialCompare every planWhat each plan covers here
- Free$0 / month
Static GS1 Digital Link codes, unlimited: a fixed address on id.gs1.org or your own resolver host, with no scan counts and no link changes. The resolver starts at Starter.
- Starter$7 / month
20 dynamic codes, product pages with a small badge, language links, the Retail POS preset and EPS in CMYK.
- Pro$15 / month
100 dynamic codes, no Dotwick badge, bulk import of 1,000 rows, a brand kit and the print studio for labels and stickers.
- Business$49 / month
Batches with their own page and expiry, 500 dynamic codes and 10 seats.
- Enterprise
Serial numbers, print runs and recall notices, SAML SSO and a signed agreement.
Questions about packaging
Do I need GS1 membership?
For a GS1 Digital Link you need GTINs from your GS1 member organisation. For packs without a GTIN, use a Product page code instead.
Will the till be able to scan it?
That depends on the retailer. The Retail POS preset follows GS1's rules for symbols read at the checkout, and GS1 US describes 2027 as a milestone in the move to 2D codes at the point of sale. Keep your linear barcode until your retailers tell you otherwise.
Can one batch show different information?
Yes, on Business: give a batch its own page, links and expiry.
Our packs live for two years. What if we stop paying?
A printed code keeps working for 90 days after payment stops, GS1 codes included, and we never swap it for an ad or a sales page.
Can the pack show the right language?
Yes. A GS1 code can hold a link for each language, and the resolver serves the one that matches the phone.
What about recalls and serial numbers?
Recall notices and serialised print runs are on Enterprise. Talk to us if you need them.
Print it once. Change it whenever you like.
Static codes are free forever. Dynamic codes start with a free trial, and a printed dynamic code keeps working: we never swap it for an ad.
Start freeYour printed code keeps working. No ads, no swaps.