By the end of 2027, every product worldwide shifts from static 1D barcodes to dynamic 2D QR codes. But here's what most overviews miss: every code is unique, and every code must be marked on the filling line in real time. Total Brand Security's laser-reactive coating makes that practical at scale — permanently, on any substrate, without waste.
Explore how it works
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The GS1 Digital Link contains data that doesn't exist until the moment of pack-out. Lot numbers, production dates, expiry windows, serial numbers — all of these are decided when the line runs, not when the artwork is approved.
Each unit shipped carries a unique combination of batch, production date, and expiry. No two adjacent packages can share the same QR.
Brand owners and converters approve artwork weeks or months ahead. Production schedules and shelf-life data are only fixed on the day of fill.
Marking happens at the brand owner's filling line, in real time, at full production speed — typically with a CO₂ or fibre laser integrated into the conveyor.
At checkout the till still reads a price — exactly as today. But behind that single scan, a 2D QR carries an entire data layer that the 1D barcode cannot.
Batch, production date, expiry and serial travel with every unit — recall windows narrow from pallets to packages.
The same code a till scans is also the URL a phone opens — sourcing, recipes, sustainability, manuals, promotions.
Expired stock blocks at the till. Inventory reads at the unit level. Returns, recalls and reorders all run on richer data.
Allergen flags, certifications, and tamper indicators are surfaced at the moment of scan, not buried in fine print.
A GS1 Digital Link QR is not a static barcode — it's a smart URL. The same code redirects a consumer's phone, a supermarket POS scanner, and a logistics partner's hand-held to entirely different destinations.
A phone, till, or scanner reads the QR on the package.
The encoded URL is sent to a brand-controlled resolver server.
The resolver detects who is scanning — consumer phone, retail POS, B2B scanner.
The right destination is served: pricing, product page, recall data, traceability log.
The URL itself is a readable, standardised structure. The brand domain and the GTIN can be locked in at artwork stage — but everything after that is decided at fill, on the line, on the day.
Adjust the production data below to see how the GS1 Digital Link QR changes per package. In real production, this exact data flow runs from your ERP into a laser controller, marking each unit in milliseconds as it passes the coding station.
Most brands are now moving from education and pilot lines into broader rollout, with full retail POS scanning the deadline. Early movers lock in supplier relationships, line integration patterns, and consumer-facing data infrastructure ahead of the rush.
The biggest challenge most brands face — "how do I redesign my packaging to accommodate a 2D code without destroying the brand?" — is exactly the problem Total Brand Security's laser-reactive coating was built to solve.
The clear laser-reactive coating is applied during the converter's existing print pass. For corrugated, it can cover the kraft surface. For branded secondary packs, it sits as a designated patch inside the printed artwork — no impact on the brand design.
The brand owner receives finished packaging that looks identical to a conventional run — except every pack is now ready to accept a permanent, high-contrast laser mark in the patch area, with no extra hardware on their side beyond the laser itself.
At pack-out, a CO₂ or fibre laser triggers a chemical colour shift in the coating — clear to bright white. In a single pass, it marks the GS1 Digital Link QR plus lot, production date, expiry — every variable, on every package, at full line speed.
The TBS laser-reactive coating is currently running in production with one of Amazon's key UK suppliers — coding corrugated packaging on-line at full speed, with measured throughput gains and significant liner waste reduction.
If you're a brand owner planning your Sunrise 2027 line readiness, a converter looking to add laser-reactive coating to your offering, or a line integrator evaluating coding technology for the transition — we'd value a conversation.