2D barcodes are expanding the role of flexible packaging beyond product protection and basic date coding. By connecting packs to product information and traceability records, the technology is bringing packaging printing and labeling closer to manufacturers’ digital operations.
Working in partnership with the Lunelli Group, Markem-Imaje identifies this shift as a growing challenge for flexible packaging production. Manufacturers are handling faster lines, shorter production runs and more stock-keeping units while adapting to lightweight films and packaging structures designed for improved recyclability. Coding systems must keep pace without compromising readability.
The result is a broader role for coding and marking: supporting product identification, supply-chain visibility and consumer access to information, rather than simply printing a batch number or expiry date.
GS1 Digital Link connects packaging to product data
GS1 Digital Link gives QR code packaging a standards-based connection to product identity. It represents GS1 identifiers, including the Global Trade Item Number, or GTIN, in a web-address structure that can also carry batch numbers, serial numbers and expiry dates. For manufacturers, batch-level or serialized identification can support traceability and more targeted recalls when connected to accurate production records. For consumers, the same packaging can provide access to product information, certifications or usage instructions.
A further advantage is that brands can update linked digital content without changing the printed QR code. This supports connected packaging and QR-code smart labels while reducing the need to revise artwork solely because online information has changed. However, a generic QR code linking to a website is not automatically equivalent to a GS1-standard retail barcode.
Five challenges for 2D barcode printing on flexible packaging
Markem-Imaje highlights five production considerations that become more important as manufacturers print increasingly complex variable codes.
• Print quality: Codes need sufficient definition and contrast to remain machine-readable. Quality must meet the requirements of the intended application, not merely look sharp on the packaging.
• Production speed: Printing batch-specific or serialized codes must fit the packaging line’s operating speed without creating a bottleneck.
• Film compatibility: Changes to mono-material and lightweight films require coding systems and consumables that work reliably with the intended substrate.
• Durability: Codes must withstand handling and abrasion as packs move through storage, transport and retail distribution.
• Packaging design: Code position and the surrounding artwork must preserve readability, including adequate contrast and clear space around the symbol.
GS1’s current printer-readiness criteria reinforce the importance of correct data syntax, barcode dimensions, clear space and minimum print quality. These are application-specific requirements; the source article’s emphasis on Grade A quality should not be read as a universal requirement for every printed 2D code.
Thermal transfer overprinting supports variable data on flexible films
Thermal transfer overprinting, or TTO, is one established approach to printing variable information on flexible packaging. The technology transfers ink from a ribbon onto film and is used with horizontal and vertical form-fill-seal equipment.
In its analysis, Markem-Imaje emphasizes TTO’s ability to produce sharp, durable text and machine-readable codes. The company positions it as an option for manufacturers managing more demanding 2D barcode printing requirements on flexible films.
The shift also increases the importance of variable data printing workflows. Batch details and other changing information must reach the printer accurately, so the code on the pack matches the relevant production record. Reliable printing and reliable data management are therefore closely connected.
Lunelli Group case demonstrates batch-specific QR code labeling
Italy’s Lunelli Group used coding technology to manage wine ingredient and nutritional information. According to Markem-Imaje, the implementation combined its SmartDate X65 TTO system with CoLOS software integrated into Lunelli’s enterprise resource planning system. This enabled QR codes linked to up-to-date information for individual wine batches.
The example relates to EU wine ingredient and nutrition-labeling requirements introduced through Regulation (EU) 2021/2117, which began applying on 8 December 2023. Operators can provide the ingredient list and nutrition declaration on the physical label or through dedicated electronic means, such as a QR code. Energy values and allergen information must remain on the physical label. Wines produced before that date are exempt until stocks are exhausted.
Markem-Imaje reports that the integrated system helped Lunelli manage this information without manual labeling or verification. The outcome is a supplier-reported case study, not an independent guarantee that a particular printer alone ensures regulatory compliance.
Sunrise 2027 adds urgency to packaging coding readiness
The wider retail transition provides a timely backdrop. GS1’s guidance, updated on 8 October 2026, states that the industry goal is for retail point-of-sale systems to read and process a defined set of GS1 2D barcodes by the end of 2027, alongside existing linear barcodes. Known as Sunrise 2027, this is a scanning-readiness goal rather than a universal legal deadline to eliminate traditional barcodes.
As 2D coding develops, flexible packaging is becoming both a physical container and an access point to digital product information. Its effectiveness will depend on the combination of readable printing, compatible materials and accurate data—making coding an increasingly important part of packaging production.
Source: Packaging Europe
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