2D barcode and best-by date printed on flexible packaging for product traceability and GS1 compliance.

Preparing for GS1 Sunrise 2027 and Transitioning to 2D Barcodes

Matthews Makes Your Transition Seamless

What is GS1 Sunrise 2027?
GS1 is a not-for-profit global organization that develops and maintains supply chain standards. GS1 has established the Sunrise 2027 initiative, which aims to have all retail backend systems and point-of-sale (POS) infrastructures set up to accept 2D barcodes by 2027.

Today’s supply chains and consumers expect transparency, traceability, and authentication that 1D barcodes can’t deliver. With 2D barcodes, producers and retailers can directly engage with their customers, providing key product details. For instance, manufacturers can embed sustainability details, nutritional information and/or how-to videos their customers can easily access with the camera on their phone.

GS1 and industry are working together to support this migration and generate globally consistent guidance for business use cases. As there is no expectation that there will be a single 2D barcode selected for all industries, GS1 standards are enabling options that empower each industry to choose how they evolve towards more capable 2D barcodes while ensuring globally consistent implementations now and in the future.

Matthews Makes Your Transition Seamless
With Matthews, you get reliable performance and the confidence to meet GS1 Sunrise 2027 requirements without disruption. Our advanced marking and coding systems deliver crisp, high contrast 2D barcodes across diverse substrates and production environments. Backed by proven expertise and innovative technology, we keep your operations compliant and running smoothly.

We are actively partnering with GS1 and monitoring Sunrise 2027 developments, while already supporting customers as they adopt 2D coding. And with MPERIA®, you benefit from built-in 2D barcode validation and centralized control across multiple printer technologies making it simple to select, manage and scale the ideal solution for each application.

Why Choose Matthews for Your 2D Barcode Transition?

Prepare for Future Requirements

Support Emerging Industry Standards: Enable 2D barcode adoption across products, packaging, cases, and pallets

Future-Proof Your Operations: Adapt to evolving customer, retailer, and regulatory requirements with confidence

Scalable Across Facilities: Standardize marking and traceability processes across multiple production lines and plants

Unlock Greater Traceability

Store More Data in Less Space: Encode product information, batch data, serial numbers, expiration dates, and web-enabled content in a compact symbol

Improve Supply Chain Visibility: Connect products to manufacturing, logistics, and customer-facing information

Support End-to-End Product Tracking: Enhance traceability from production through distribution and retail

Simplify Implementation

Technology-Agnostic Solutions: Deploy the right combination of laser, inkjet, labeling, and software technologies for your application

Centralized Data Management: Manage messages, codes, and production data through the MPERIA® platform

Expert Integration Support: Accelerate adoption with solutions designed for real-world production environments

Contact a Solutions Engineer

Our experts are available to assure that your next printing solution maximizes efficiency, enhances quality, and limits downtime. Contact us to get a quote, request samples, schedule a demonstration, or receive additional product information.