ISO 22742:2010

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 22742
Second edition
2010-12-15
Packaging — Linear bar code and two-
dimensional symbols for product
packaging
Emballages — Code-barres linéaire et symboles bidimensionnels pour
emballage de produits
Reference number
©
ISO 2010
PDF disclaimer
This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but
shall not be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In
downloading this file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The ISO Central Secretariat
accepts no liability in this area.
Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation
parameters were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by ISO member bodies. In
the unlikely event that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below.

©  ISO 2010
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or
ISO's member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail copyright@iso.org
Web www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2010 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction.v
1 Scope.1
2 Normative references.2
3 Terms and definitions .2
4 Data content and requirements .7
4.1 General .7
4.2 Rules for encoding of mandatory and optional data elements in machine-readable
symbols and human-readable information.9
4.2.1 General rules.9
4.2.2 Rules for mandatory data elements .9
4.2.3 Rules for additional data elements.9
4.2.4 Rules for data elements not specified in this International Standard .10
4.3 Basic data elements.11
4.3.1 General .11
4.3.2 Item identification.12
4.3.3 Quantity .13
4.3.4 Traceability identification .14
4.4 Additional data elements.16
4.4.1 General .16
4.4.2 Supplier identification.16
4.4.3 Country of origin .17
4.4.4 Date elements .18
4.4.5 Others not specified in this International Standard.20
4.5 Data representation.20
4.5.1 General formatting .20
4.5.2 General formatting for machine-readable symbols .20
4.6 Data carriers.24
4.6.1 Data carrier selection.24
4.6.2 General symbology requirements .24
4.6.3 Linear symbols used on product packaging.24
4.6.4 Two-dimensional (2D) symbols used on product packages.27
4.6.5 Data carrier/symbology identifiers .28
4.7 Label size and layout .28
4.7.1 Label size .28
4.7.2 Label layout.28
4.7.3 Examples of label layout.28
4.7.4 Label location .31
Annex A (informative) Direct printing of linear bar code symbols on corrugated fibreboard.33
Annex B (informative) Organizations relevant to this International Standard.44
Bibliography.46

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 22742 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 122, Packaging.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 22742:2005).
iv © ISO 2010 – All rights reserved

Introduction
Bar code marked product package labels are in widespread use in global industries. A number of different
standards exist, each designed to meet the requirements of that specific industry sector. For effective and
economic use within and between industry sectors, one common multi-industry standard is a necessity.
A bar code marked product package label is designed to facilitate the automation of inventory, distribution,
repair and point of purchase operations. The bar code information on the product package label can be used
as a key to access the appropriate database, which contains detailed information about the product including
information transmitted via electronic data interchange (EDI). In addition, a product package label can contain
other information as agreed between the trading partners.
Two-dimensional symbols can be included to assist moving greater amounts of product data from sender to
recipient.
Whereas ISO 15394 is intended to support the transportation function within the supply chain (e.g. from the
shipping dock, through the transportation processes, and to the receiving dock), this International Standard is
intended to support the logistic functions preceding and following transportation. At the origin point, this
International Standard is designed for use from manufacture to storage, to picking and packing, to delivery to
the shipping dock, and all associated inventory processes. At the destination point, it is designed for use from
the receiving dock to order checking, to storage, to consumption, and to all associated inventory processes
and reverse logistic processes.
This International Standard is based on ANS MH10.8.6, GS1 General Specifications, and standards on
product packaging (e.g. IEC 62090).

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 22742:2010(E)

Packaging — Linear bar code and two-dimensional symbols for
product packaging
1 Scope
This International Standard
a) specifies the minimum requirements for the design of labels containing a linear bar code and
two-dimensional symbols on product packages to convey data between trading partners,
b) provides guidance for the formatting on the label of data presented in a linear bar code, two-dimensional
symbols or human-readable form,
c) provides specific recommendations regarding the choice of linear bar code and 2D symbologies, and
specifies quality requirements and classes of bar code density,
d) provides specific recommendations regarding 2D symbologies, which allow a broad choice for general
use of scanning hardware (e.g. area imagers, linear imagers, single-line laser scanners, and rastering
laser scanners), and
e) makes recommendations as to label placement, size and the inclusion of free text and any appropriate
graphics.
This International Standard supports item identification and supply chain processes, at the product package
level, such as inventory control, picking, and point of use.
NOTE 1 ISO 15394 supports the distribution and transportation business processes, so aiding the tracing and tracking
of unique shipments.
NOTE 2 ISO 28219 addresses the direct part marking.
The purpose of this International Standard is to establish the machine-readable (e.g. bar code) and
human-readable data content of labels applied to product packages.
Intended applications include, but are not limited to, inventory, warehouse management, maintenance and
point of purchase.
While guidance is provided, specific label dimensions or marking areas and the location of the information are
not defined in this International Standard. Before implementing this specification, suppliers and manufacturers
are advised to review and mutually agree on these details with their trading partners.
This International Standard does not supersede or replace any applicable safety or regulatory marking or
labelling requirements. It is intended to satisfy the minimum product package requirements of numerous
applications and industry groups. As such, its applicability is to a wide range of industries, each of which has
specific implementation guidelines. This International Standard is also applicable to any other mandated
labelling requirements.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 3166-1, Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions — Part 1: Country
codes
ISO/IEC 15415, Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Bar code
print quality test specification — Two-dimensional symbols
ISO/IEC 15416, Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Bar code
print quality test specification — Linear symbols
ISO/IEC 15418, Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — GS1
Application Identifiers and ASC MH10 Data Identifiers and maintenance
ISO/IEC 15434, Information technology — Auto
...