ISO 22742:2005

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 22742
First edition
2005-01-15
Packaging — Linear bar code and two-
dimensional symbols for product
packaging
Emballages — Code-barres linéaire et symboles bidimensionnels pour
l'emballage de produits
Reference number
©
ISO 2005
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ii © ISO 2005 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword. iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope. 1
2 Normative references . 2
3 Terms and definitions. 3
4 Label data content and requirements . 8
4.1 General. 8
4.2 Rules for encoding of mandatory and optional data elements in machine-readable
symbols and human-readable information . 9
4.3 Basic data elements. 11
4.4 Additional data elements. 17
4.5 Data representation . 21
4.6 Data carriers . 25
4.7 Label size and layout. 29
Annex A (informative) Organizations relevant to this International Standard . 33
Bibliography . 35

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.
It is based on ANSI MH10.8.6, General EAN.UCC Specifications, and standards on product packaging (e.g.
IEC 62090).
iv © ISO 2005 – 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 the 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 may be used
as a key to access the appropriate database, which contains detailed information about the product including
information transmitted via EDI. In addition, a product package label may contain other information as agreed
between the trading partners.
Two-dimensional symbols may 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.

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 22742:2005(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, 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 ISO 15394 supports the distribution and transportation business processes, so aiding the tracing and tracking
of unique shipments.
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 may
have specific implementation guidelines. This International Standard is applicable in addition 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 15417, Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Bar code
symbology specification — Code 128
ISO/IEC 15418, Information technology — EAN/UCC Application Identifiers and Fact Data Identifiers and
Maintenance
ISO/IEC 15420, Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Bar code
symbology specification — EAN/UPC
ISO/IEC 15424, Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Data
Carrier Identifiers (including Symbology Identifiers)
ISO/IEC 15434, Information technology — Automatic Identification and Data Capture Techniques — Syntax
for High Capacity ADC Media
ISO/IEC 15438, Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Bar code
symbology specifications — PDF417
ISO/IEC 15459-1, Information technology — Unique identification of transport units — Part 1: General
ISO/IEC 16022, Information technology — International symbology specification — Data Matrix
ISO/IEC 16388, Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Bar code
symbology specifications — Code 39
ISO/IEC 16390, Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Bar code
symbology specifications — Interleaved 2 of 5
ISO/IEC 18004, Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Bar code
symbology — QR Code
ISO/IEC 19762 (all parts), Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques —
Harmonized vocabulary
ANSI/MH10.8.2, Data Application Identifiers
ANSI/HIBC 2, Health Industry Supplier Labeler Standard
General EAN.UCC Specifications
2 © ISO 2005 – All rights reserved

3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO/IEC 19762 and the following apply.
3.1
Code 39
3 of 9 Code (deprecated)
discrete, variable length, bar code symbology encoding the characters 0 to 9, A to Z, and the additional
characters “-” (dash), “.” (period), space, “$” (dollar sign), “/” (slash), “+” (plus sign), and “%” (percent sign), as
well as a special symbology character to denote the start and stop character, conventionally represented as
an “*” (asterisk)
NOTE Each Code 39 symbol consists of a leading quiet zone, a start symbol pattern, symbol characters representing
data, a stop pattern, and a trailing quiet zone. Each Code 39 character has three wide elements out of a total of nine
elements. Each symbol consists of a series of symbol characters, each represented by five bars and four intervening
spaces. Characters are separated by an intercharacter gap. Each element (bar or space) is one of two widths. The values
of the X dimension (3.13) and wide-to-narrow ratio remain constant throughout the symbol. The particular pattern of wide
and narrow elements determines the character being encoded. The intercharacter gaps are spaces with a minimum
nominal width of 1X. See ISO/IEC 16388 for the Code 39 symbology specification.
3.2
Code 128
continuous, variable length, bar code symbology capable of encoding the full ASCII-128 character set, the
128 extended ASCII character set, and four non-data function characters
NOTE Code 128 allows numeric data to be represented in a compact double-density mode, with two data digits for
every symbol character. Each Code 128 symbol uses two independent self-checking features, character self-checking via
parity and a modulo 103 check character. Each Code 128 symbol consists of a leading quiet zone, a start pattern,
characters representing data, a check character, a stop pattern, and a trailing quiet zone. Each Code 128 character
consists of eleven 1X wide modules. Each symbol character is comprised of three bars alternating with three spaces,
starting with a bar. Each element (bar or space) can consist of one to four modules. Code 128 has three unique character
sets designated as Code Set A, B and C. Code set A includes all of the standard upper-case alphanumeric keyboard
characters, the ASCII control characters having an ASCII value of 0 to 95, and seven special characters. Code set B
includes all of the standard upper-case alphanumeric keyboard characters, lower-case alphabetic characters (specifically
ASCII character values 32 to 127), and seven special characters. Code set C includes the set of 100 digit pairs from 00
through 99, inclusive, as well as three special characters. The FNC1 character in the first character position after the start
code of Code 128 designates that the data that follows complies with the UCC/EAN-128 standards. See ISO/IEC 15417
for the Code 128 symbology specification.
3.3
component
part, assembly or raw material that is a constituent of a higher level assembly
3.4
component packaging
commercial unit of components (3.3) defined by the supplier, including, if applicable, their means for
protection, structured alignment or for automated assembly
NOTE Component packaging may include: a) leaded components taped on reels or in ammo boxes according to
IEC 60286-1 and IEC 60286-2; b) surface mount devices (surface mount components), taped on reels according to
IEC 60286-3 and in bulk case IEC 60286-6; c) integrated circuits (ICs) in stick magazines according to IEC 60286-4, or in
matrix trays according to IEC 60286-5. Compare product package (3.32).
3.5
country of origin
manufacturing country wherein the product obtained its present identity as a part, subassembly or finished
product
3.6
data element separator
specified character used to delimit discrete fields of data
3.7
data element title
part of the data area title for linear code that gives a brief description of the data element
EXAMPLES Part number and customer number.
NOTE The data element may contain abbreviations.
3.8
data matrix
error correcting two-dimensional matrix symbology, capable of encoding various character sets including
strictly numeric data, alphanumeric data and all ISO/IEC 646 (ASCII) characters, as well as special character
sets
NOTE 1 It was developed by International Data Matrix in 1989 with finalized design in 1995.
NOTE 2 The symbology has error detection (3.16) and error correction (3.15) features. Each data matrix symbol
consists of data regions that contain nominally square modules set out in a regular array. A dark module is a binary 1 and
a light module is a binary 0. There is no specified minimum or maximum for the X or Y dimension. The data region is
surrounded by a finder pattern that is surrounded by a quiet zone on all four sides of the symbol. The finder pattern is a
perimeter to the data region and is one module wide. Two adjacent sides are solid dark lines used primarily to define
physical size, orientation and symbol distortion. The two opposite sides are made up of alternating dark and light modules.
These are used primarily to define the cell structure but can also assist in determining physical size and distortion. The
intellectual property rights associated with data matrix have been committed to the public domain. See ISO/IEC 16022 for
the data matrix symbology specification.
3.9
dot
localized region with a reflectance that differs from that of the surrounding surface
3.10
dot misalignment within a cell
distance between the physical centre point of a dot (3.9) and the cell centre point
3.11
EAN.UCC system
specifications, standards and guidelines co-administered by EAN International and the UCC
3.12
EAN/UPC
fixed-length, numeric 13-digit bar code symbol adopted by industries, composed of a company prefix assigned
by EAN International, a product code assigned by the manufacturer, and a modulo 10 check digit as the
right-most digit
NOTE See ISO/IEC 15420 for the EAN/UPC symbology specification. See also U.P.C. (3.43).
3.13
element width
“X” dimension
thickness of an element, measured from the leading edge of an element to the trailing edge of the same
element
3.14
erasure correction
use of the error correction (3.15) characters to correct data errors that have known locations
NOTE These locations can have insufficient contrast in the image, can fall outside of the image field, or can have
incorrect parity for symbologies with symbol character parity. Only one error correction character is required to correct
each erasure.
4 © ISO 2005 – All rights reserved

3.15
error correction
mathematical procedure that allows the detection and rectification of errors to take place
3.16
error detection
use of the error correction (3.15) characters to detect the fact that the number of errors in the symbol
exceeds the error correction capacity
NOTE Error detection will keep the symbol from being decoded as erroneous data. The error correction algorithm
can also provide error detection by detecting invalid error correction calculation results.
3.17
European Norm
EN
standard from the European Union
3.18
first level assembly
manufactured item or a mechanical assembly of an item comprised of components (3.3)
3.19
format
high-capacity ADC medium comprising one or more segments (3.34)
NOTE A format contains one format type (3.24)
3.20
format envelope
that which delimits the start and end of data in a given format (3.19), consisting of a format header (3.21)
and a format trailer (3.23)
3.21
format header
string of characters, including the format indicator (3.22), used to identify the start of a format envelope
(3.20)
3.22
format indicator
two-digit numeric code used to identify the specific format type (3.24) of the application data
3.23
format trailer
character used to identify the end of a format envelope (3.20)
3.24
format type
rules under which a specific format (3.19) is encoded
3.25
GTIN
Global Trade Item Number
term for all valid EAN.UCC Trade Item numbers (products or services)
3.26
Interleaved Two of Five
ITF
bar code symbology where two characters are paired, using bars to represent the first character and the
interleaved spaces to represent the second character, encoding the ten digits 0 through 9
NOTE Each character has two wide elements and three narrow elements for a total of five elements. This is most
commonly represented in the U.P.C. Shipping Container Symbol (SCC-14). See ISO/IEC 16390 for the Interleaved Two of
Five symbology specification.
3.27
ITF-14
14-digit implementation of the EAN.UCC Global Trade Item Number (3.25) when encoded in the Interleaved
Two of Five (3.26) symbology
NOTE The 14-digit version of the GTIN was formerly known as the U.P.C. Shipping Container Symbol (SCC-14).
3.28
message envelope
that which delimits the start and end of a data stream in a given message, consisting of message header
(3.29) data and a message trailer character (3.30)
3.29
message header
string of characters used to identify the start of a message envelope (3.28)
3.30
message trailer character
End of Transmission character, “EOT”, ", (ASCII/ISO646 Decimal “04”) (ASCII/ISO646 Hex “04”) which serves
to define the end of a message
3.31
PDF417
error correcting two-dimensional multi-row symbol
NOTE 1 This was developed in 1992 by Symbol Technologies; PDF417 symbols are constructed from 4 bars and
4 spaces over 17 modules.
NOTE 2 The symbol size is from 3 to 90 rows. There is no specified minimum or maximum for X or Y dimension. With
at least the recommended minimum level of error correction (3.15), the recommended Y dimension is 3X. With less than
the minimum recommended level of error correction, the recommended Y dimension is 4X. A quiet zone of 2X is specified
on each side of a symbol. Because of delta decode techniques, the symbology is immune from uniform bar width growth.
PDF417 supports cross-row scanning. The intellectual property rights associated with PDF417 have been committed to
the public domain. See ISO/IEC 15438 for the PDF417 symbology specification.
3.32
product package
first tie, wrap or container of a single item or quantity thereof that constitutes a complete identifiable pack
NOTE A product package may be an item packaged singularly, multiple quantities of the same item packaged
together, or a group of parts packaged together. For the purposes of this International Standard, the term “product
package” includes component packages and packaging intended for storage and transport.
3.33
QR Code
error correcting matrix symbology, consisting of an array of nominally square modules arranged in an overall
square pattern, including a unique finder pattern located at three corners of the symbol and intended to assist
in easy location of its position, size and inclination
NOTE 1 It was introduced in 1994 by Denso Corporation.
NOTE 2 A wide range of sizes of symbol is provided for together with four levels of error correction (3.15). Module
dimensions are user-specified to enable symbol production by a wide variety of techniques. The symbol size (not including
the quiet zone) is 21 by 21 modules to 177 by 177 modules. The symbology efficiently encodes Kanji and Kana as well as
encoding numeric, alphanumeric, and 8-bit byte data. See ISO/IEC 18004 for the QR Code symbology specification.
3.34
segment
logical group of data elements, specifically, a logical portion of an EDI or high capacity ADC message
6 © ISO 2005 – All rights reserved

3.35
segment terminator
single character used to separate segments (3.34)
3.36
semantics
means by which the purpose of a field of data is identified
NOTE Semantic examples used in automatic data capture include ISO 15418/ANSI MH10.8.2 Data Identifiers,
EAN.UCC Applications Identifiers, EDI (X12/EDIFACT/CII) Data Element Qualifiers, DoD Data Element Identifiers
(DEIs) - Structured Free Text.
3.37
serial number
code assigned by the supplier (3.39) to an entity for its lifetime
EXAMPLES Computer serial number, traceability number and contract tool identification.
3.38
structure
order of data elements in a message
3.39
supplier
〈transaction〉 party that produces, provides or furnishes an item or service
3.40
syntax
way in which data are put together to form messages
NOTE Syntax also includes rules governing the use of appropriate identifiers, delimiters, separator character(s), and
other non-data characters within the message. Syntax is the equivalent to grammar in spoken language. The syntactic
example used in automatic data capture includes ISO 15434/ANSI MH10.8.3.
3.41
traceability identification
code assigned to identify or trace a unique group of entities (e.g. lot, batch, item, revision/version or serial
number)
3.42
traceability number
code assigned by the supplier (3.39) to identify/trace a unique group of entities (e.g. lot, batch)
3.43
U.P.C.
Universal Product Code
fixed-length, numeric 13-digit bar code symbol adopted by the retail industries, composed of a company prefix
assigned by the UCC, a product code assigned by the manufacturer, and a modulo 10 check digit as the
right-most digit
NOTE For international compatibility with EAN-13, the 13th digit is a derived 0 in the left-most position. See
ISO/IEC 15420 for the U.P.C. symbology specification.
4 Label data content and requirements
4.1 General
Before implementing this specification, suppliers and manufacturers should review and mutually agree on
specific labelling details with their trading partners. The labelling requirements of this International Standard
and other standards may be combined into one label or appear as separate labels.
The label format accommodates both mandatory and optional data elements.
The number included in the character count is exclusive of overhead characters such as start and stop
characters, data identifiers or application identifiers and any other characters required by a standard
symbology specification to properly encode data.
All data elements encoded in a machine-readable medium shall be preceded by the appropriate Data
Identifier (DI) defined in ISO/IEC 15418 and ANSI/MH10.8.2 Data Identifier, or the appropriate Application
Identifier (AI) defined in ISO/IEC 15418 and the General EAN.UCC Specifications.
The choice between EAN.UCC Applications Identifiers or Data Identifiers for any user will normally be defined
in the applicable industry convention being followed.
Other industries developing product or shipment identification conventions should consider business practices,
information requirements and systems capabilities of the trading partners in choosing between Data Identifiers
and EAN.UCC Applications Identifiers. The user may also consider the following guidelines.
a) EAN.UCC Applications Identifiers (AIs)
The definitions of the EAN.UCC Applications Identifiers (AIs) are supported by application guidelines. The
EAN.UCC AIs, and associated guidelines, have been designed for international and multi-sectorial trading
purposes.
The EAN/UCC item identification system and related encodation standard are complemented by the
EAN/UCC-maintained Application Identifiers, hereafter referred to as “EAN.UCC Applications Identifiers”
(EAN.UCC AIs). This standard comprises two principal elements that are the key to any encoding system:
the data content and the data carrier.
The use of EAN.UCC AIs is subject to the rules established by EAN and UCC.
EAN.UCC AIs identify generic and simple data fields for use in cross-sectorial and international supply
chain applications. The General EAN.UCC Specifications provide rules for the definition, format and
structure of the data fields.
Each EAN/UCC AI consists of two or more characters. The first two digits determine the length of the AI.
A list of two digit codes indicating the predefined length of existing and future AIs and their data fields are
contained within the General EAN.UCC Specifications.
b) Data Identifiers (DIs)
The descriptions in the Data Identifier list are general in nature and are used in industrial and international
applications. Specific application guidelines provide the detailed definition used amongst trading partners.
The full list of registered Data Identifiers (DIs) and the full specification for their use are found in
ANSI MH10.8.2.
DIs may be used with any alphanumeric data carrier and are designed to ensure cross-industry
commonality of data identifiers used in automatic identification technologies.
DIs have a format of one alphabetic character alone, or one alphabetic character prefixed by one, two or
three numeric characters.
8 © ISO 2005 – All rights reserved

It is recommended that data structures used to identify products or the traceability of products include
identification of the organization providing the coding as well as the specific coding structure.
In the General EAN.UCC Specifications, this coding structure is the company prefix portion of the GTIN
(Global Trade Item Number) or GLN (Global Location Number).
When using Data Identifiers, this coding structure uses the Issuing Agency Code (IAC) established in
ISO/IEC 15459-1 (Unique Transport Unit Identification) and the Company Identification Number (CIN)
assigned by the issuing agency.
4.2 Rules for encoding of mandatory and optional data elements in machine-readable
symbols and human-readable information
4.2.1 General rules
The choice to encode in linear bar code, 2D symbol, or both shall be agreed between trading partners.
All machine-readable data elements shall be preceded by the appropriate Data Identifier or Application
Identifier. The Data or Appplication Identifier should be selected from the options given in 4.1 and shall be in
accordance with ISO/IEC 15418.
4.2.2 Rules for mandatory data elements
4.2.2.1 Encoding mandatory elements in machine-readable symbols
Mandatory data elements shall be encoded in a machine-readable symbol, as follows.
a) If only a linear bar code is used, the mandatory data shall be in the linear bar code.
b) If both a linear bar code and 2D symbol are used on the label, the mandatory data shall be in the linear
bar code and the 2D symbol.
c) If only a 2D symbol is used, the mandatory data shall be in the 2D symbol.
4.2.2.2 Human-readable information for encoded data elements
Human-readable information for mandatory data elements shall be on the label in all cases, as follows.
a) For linear symbols, the human-readable shall be human-readable interpretation.
b) For 2D symbols, the human-readable shall be human translation.
When mandatory data are only in the 2D symbol, the mandatory human-readable shall be human translation.
1)
4.2.3 Rules for additional data elements
4.2.3.1 Encoding in machine readable symbols
Additional data elements should be encoded in a machine-readable symbol, as follows.
a) If only linear bar codes are used, the data should be in the linear bar code.
b) If both linear bar codes and the 2D symbol are used:

1) “Additional” data elements are defined in 4.3.
 data should be in the linear bar code and should be included in 2D;
 if the data are included in the linear bar code, the data shall also be included in the 2D symbol.
c) If only a 2D symbol is used, the data should be in the 2D symbol. The use of a 2D symbol shall be
accompanied by the linear bar code of the mandatory data fields unless mutually agreed upon between
trading partners.
4.2.3.2 Human-readable information for encoded data elements
Human-readable information for optional data elements encoded in a linear symbol shall be on the label in all
cases. In this case, human-readable interpretation shall be present and human translation may be added.
For data elements encoded in 2D symbols, the human-readable information should be on the label and it shall
be human translation.
4.2.3.3 Human-readable information for data elements not encoded
Human-readable information for additional data elements that are not encoded in machine-readable symbols
may be shown in human-readable information only.
4.2.4 Rules for data elements not specified in this International Standard
4.2.4.1 Encoding additional data elements in machine-readable symbols
a) If only linear bar codes are used, the data may be in the linear bar code.
b) If both linear bar codes and 2D symbol are used:
 data may be in linear bar code and should be included in 2D;
 if the data are included in the linear bar code, the data shall also be included in the 2D symbol.
c) If only a 2D symbol is used, the data should be in the 2D symbol. The use of a 2D symbol shall be
accompanied by the linear bar code of the mandatory data fields unless mutually agreed upon between
trading partners.
4.2.4.2 Human-readable information for encoded data elements
For data elements encoded in a linear symbol, the human-readable information shall be on the label in all
cases. In this case, human-readable interpretation shall be present and human-readable translation may be
added.
For data elements encoded in 2D symbols, the human-readable information may be on the label and it shall
be printed as human translation.
4.2.4.3 Human-readable information for data elements not encoded
Other data elements may be shown in free text only.
EXAMPLES Product description and parametric values.
10 © ISO 2005 – All rights reserved

Table 1 — Machine-readable symbols and human-readable information
Machine-readable Requirement for human-readable
Data element status Requirement for encoding
symbols on label information
Bar code 2D
Mandatory Bar code shall shall
Bar Code + 2D shall shall shall
2D shall shall
Optional
Specified Bar code should shall if encoded
(See Note)
a
Bar Code + 2D should shall if encoded in bar code
should
2D should should if encoded
None  may
Optional
Not specified Bar code may shall if encoded
(See Note)
Bar Code + 2D may may shall if encoded in bar code
2D should may if encoded
None  may
NOTE In this International Standard, “Specified Optional Data Elements” are Supplier Item Identification, Country of Origin, and
Date. All others belong to the category “Optional Data Elements Not Specified”.
a
If the data element is encoded in linear bar code, it shall also be included in the 2D symbol.

4.3 Basic data elements
4.3.1 General
Whether a data element is mandatory or optional is dependent on industry, market, or individual trading
partner requirements. These data elements may be human-readable, machine-readable, or both. If
machine-readable, the data elements shall be in accordance with ISO/IEC 15418.
Certain data elements are mandatory to a broad range of product package applications. These are
 item identification code,
 quantity without or quantity with unit of measure,
 traceability identification, and
 serial number or traceability number.
Table 2 — Data element usage
Data element Requirement
Item identification code Mandatory.
Quantity Mandatory, if the package contains more than one of an item.
Note that some manufacturers may change the product code to represent a change in
quantity.
Traceability identification Mandatory (unless otherwise agreed upon between trading partners).

4.3.2 Item identification
Item identification may be assigned by either the supplier or the customer. Either the customer item
identification, or the supplier item identification, or both may be shown on the label as agreed to between the
trading partners. If both are shown on the label, at least one of the two item identifiers shall be encoded in a
machine-readable symbol.
The supplier’s part number shall be used for item identification in the absence of a different agreement
between trading partners.
The maximum length of this data element is 25 alphanumeric characters, not including the appropriate
identifier (AI or DI).
The item identification data field should be in one of the formats shown in Tables 3 and 4. These identifiers
represent the most frequently used formats for product package. The complete list of possible item
identification codes can be found in ANSI MH10.8.2 or the General EAN.UCC Specifications.
Table 3 — DIs used in item identification
Data characteristics
Data Identifier Data field Description
Type/length
P
Product number an1 + an.25 Customer assigned part number.
1P Product number Supplier assigned part number.
an2 + an.25
Combined manufacturer identification
code/item code under the 12/13-digit
3P
Product number an2 + n12.13 + n2.5
UCC/EAN formats, plus supplemental
codes, if any.
8P Product number an2 + n14 UCC/EAN GTIN
CLEI code for telecommunications
11P
Product number an3 + an10
equipment.
Component of an item (one product
19P Product number
an3 + an.32
contained in multiple packages).
Combined IAC/CIN and item code assigned
25P Product number an3 + an.32
by the supplier.
++ Product number a1 + an.19 HIBCC
++
12 © ISO 2005 – All rights reserved

Table 4 — AIs used in item identification
Data characteristics
Application Identifier Data field Description
Type/length
Global Trade Item Number: Shorthand term
for the EAN·UCC Global Trade Item
Not applicable when Global Trade
n8.14 Number.
used in UPC-12, Identification
A GTIN may use the EAN/UCC-8, UCC-12,
EAN-13, or EAN-8 Number (GTIN)
EAN/UCC-13 or EAN/UCC-14 standard
numbering structure.
01 GTIN n2 + n14 GTIN identification of trade items.
GTIN identification of trade items contained
GTIN n2 + n14
in a logistic unit.
Part number n3 + an.30 Customer assigned part number.
Roll products - width, length, core diameter,
8001 Roll products n4 + n14
direction and splices.
Identification of the EAN.UCC identification of a fixed measure
8006 components of a n4 + n14 + n2 + n2 trade item (GTIN) packed in separate
trade item parcels. (n of x)
Global Service EAN.UCC identification number of a service
8018 Relation Number relation (GSRN) to be assigned by the
n4 + n18
(GSRN) service provider.
Payment slip
8020 Payment slip reference number.
n4 + an.25
reference number
4.3.3 Quantity
Unless otherwise specified, the implied quantity of the product identified on the outside of the product package
is one.
Two primary methods exist of identifying the quantity inside a product package.
a) The first situation is where the product package identifies the product code and the quantity contained
therein on the product package label. This may be analogous to a raw material being received where ten
of an item are received in the same box and the product package identifies ten products having the same
product code. In this situation, the quantity would be considered to be ten.
b) The second situation is where a quantity of product and its packaging are identified by a product code
different from the product code assigned to the product inside. This may be analogous to a consumable
unit (e.g. batteries) where the combination of the items, quantity and packaging constitute a unique
product code. In this situation, the quantity would be considered to be one.
If used, the quantity shall be the quantity in the package or container to which the label is affixed. The default
unit of measure for Data Identifier Q is EACH or PIECES. The default unit of measure for Application
Identifier 30 is EACH or PIECES.
When Data Identifiers are used and when a different unit of measure is required, as agreed between trading
partners, the Data Identifier 7Q shall be used with the quantity followed by two alphanumeric characters
representing the ANSI X.12.3 unit of measurement code. In the special case where multiple containers
comprise a single product (the contents of each container shall be combined with the content of the other
containers to constitute a single product), the Data Identifier 6Q or Application Identifier 8006 shall be used to
link the various containers.
When Application Identifiers are used and when a different unit of measure is required, as agreed to between
trading partners, one of the Application Identifiers in the 3nn series, as specified in the General EAN.UCC
Specifications, shall be used with a decimal point indicator and the quantity.
When the EAN.UCC system is used, the identification always relates to the complete package
(packaging + contents). Fixed measure trade items are those that are always produced in the same version
and composition (type, size, mass, quantity of contents, design, etc.). Like a fixed measure trade item, a
variable measure trade item is an entity with pre-defined characteristics (e.g. the nature of the product or its
contents). Unlike a fixed measure trade item, a variable measure trade item has at least one characteristic
which varies whilst other characteristics of the trade item remain the same. The variable characteristic may be
mass, dimension, number of items contained or volume information. The complete identification of a variable
measure trade item consists of both an identification number and information about the variable data.
The quantity data field should be in one of the formats shown in Tables 5 and 6. These identifiers represent
the most frequently used formats for product package applications.
Table 5 — DIs used to identify quantity
Data Data characteristics
a
Data field Description
Identifier Type/length
The number of products (pcs) in the shipment container.
Quantity in
Q
an1 + n.14
package
EXAMPLE Q2000
The actual mass of package (kilograms implied by
convention). (This includes an encoded decimal point, if
2Q
Actual mass an2 + n.14
necessary.)
EXAMPLE 2Q200.1
Where multiple containers comprise a single product (the
contents of each container shall be combined with the
One package content of the other containers to constitute a single
6Q over multiple an2 + n.2/n.2 product) to link the various containers. The format # of #
containers (“this is the nth piece of x pieces to define the product”).
Presented in the format “n/x”, where the “/” (slash) is
used as a delimiter between two values.
The quantity with ANSI X12.3 Data Element Dictionary
qualifier of products in the shipment container.
(CR = cubic metre)
Quantity with unit
7Q an2 + n.14 + an2
of measure
EXAMPLE 7Q1CR
(This includes an encoded decimal point, if necessary.)
NOTE Print only the significant digits for the human-readable quantity. Do not print leading zero.
a
Examples show encoded characters. Spaces are shown for clarity but are not encoded.

14 © ISO 2005 – All rights reserved

Table 6 — AIs used to identify quantity
Application Data characteristics
Data field Description
Identifier Type/length
Count of items contained in a variable measure trade
Quantity in
item.
n2 + n.8
package
EXAMPLE 302 000
Quantity with
Defined quantity and unit measure of the package (mass,
specific unit of
sqm, volume, length, etc.) in a metric and non-metric
b
3nn measure (with n4 + n6
system. Possible combinations of AIs: about 50.
decimal point
EXAMPLE 310 100 002 5 equals 2,5 kg net mass
indication)
Quantity in
n2 + n.8 Count of trade items contained in a logistic unit.
packa
...