Data Matrix

The DataMatrix code is the most common two-dimensional coding in the pharmaceutical sector, but is also used in the food and cosmetics industries. Worldwide and independent of industry, the application is diverse, from embossing in metal for lifetime readability, for example in aviation, but also in the textile industry, for example in Russia. The importance of the square or rectangular Data Matrix code, especially in the marking of medicines and track and trace, is immense for pharmaceutical companies and contract packagers.

Code specifications

Every DataMatrix code has the same basic structure. The quadrant or rectangle is delimited on two sides by lines forming an L, and on the other sides by broken lines. These allow the orientation of the code to be read correctly from any angle. A quiet zone of at least one column and line is needed around the entire code, but four times that is better. DataMatrix with large amounts of data are also divided into data fields. Compared to one-dimensional barcodes, error correction is easier with DataMatrix, which increases readability, even with low contrast. In addition, the code is more secure and compact with larger amounts of binary information contained. For example, an ECC 200 barcode with an edge length of 1.51 cm can encode 127 alphanumeric characters. Other typical 2D barcodes are QR codes, Aztec, PDF417, which however play a minor role in the packaging industry.

GS1 Data Matrix

In the medical sector, standardisation with GS1 has established itself as the standard. Through this ISO standardisation, the two-dimensional barcodes are always internationally readable in the same way, as the first information unit encodes the standardised type of data that follows.