Bar Code Graphics GS1 Digital Link

support@barcode-us.com
800.662.0701

GS1 Digital Link QR Code Testing & Grading

A Digital Link QR code that scans from your monitor can still fail on press. Substrate, ink spread, curvature, laminates, and size reductions all degrade print quality — and a code that fails at retail point-of-sale puts your Sunrise 2027 readiness at risk. Our testing lab evaluates printed GS1 Digital Link QR codes the same way retailers and GS1 do: against the ISO/IEC 15415 print-quality specification and the GS1 General Specifications.

What We Test

  • Print quality (ISO/IEC 15415). Symbol contrast, modulation, fixed pattern damage, axial and grid non-uniformity, and unused error correction — graded A through F using calibrated verification equipment.
  • Data structure and encodation. We confirm the QR code encodes a valid GS1 Digital Link URI: correct domain structure, GTIN syntax, application identifiers (batch/lot, expiration, serial), and character encoding.
  • GS1 conformance. Symbol size (X-dimension), quiet zones, and placement against the GS1 General Specifications for retail point-of-sale scanning.
  • Functional resolution. Does the link resolve correctly for consumers, and does the GTIN scan correctly at POS?

What You Receive

Each evaluation includes a formal verification report documenting the overall ISO grade, the individual parameter grades, the decoded data string, and pass/fail status against GS1 requirements — the documentation retailers and trading partners ask for. Where a symbol fails or grades marginally, the report identifies the likely production cause so your printer can correct it before a full run.

Why Print Testing Differs From On-Screen Validation

Our free online Digital Link validator checks the syntax and encodation of your URI before you generate artwork — use it early and often. But screen validation cannot measure how a symbol survives printing. Verification grading with calibrated hardware is the only way to know how your printed QR code will perform in a scanner, which is why GS1 recommends verification for production packaging.

How to Submit Samples

As the testing division of Bar Code Graphics, the US barcode authority, we operate the largest barcode testing organization in the United States. Contact us to arrange testing of printed samples, press proofs, or production packaging, or to discuss ongoing quality programs ahead of the Sunrise 2027 deadline.