GS1 QR Code & GS1 Digital Link in Adobe Illustrator

QR codes are coming to retail packaging: with GS1 Digital Link, one QR carries the GTIN (and batch, serial or expiry) for the checkout scanner and opens a web page for the customer. Vectode QR is a dedicated Illustrator panel that places QR Code (ISO/IEC 18004), GS1 QR Code and GS1 Digital Link on your artboard as editable vector paths.

How to insert it in Illustrator

1. Get Vectode QR on Adobe Exchange — it installs automatically through the Creative Cloud desktop app.
2. Restart Illustrator and open Window ▸ Extensions ▸ Vectode QR.
3. Choose QR Code, GS1 QR Code or GS1 Digital Link, fill in your data (GTIN, batch, serial, dates…) and click Insert — the code lands as vector paths with the quiet zone as a real object.

What Vectode QR gets right

• QR Code (ISO/IEC 18004), GS1 QR Code and GS1 Digital Link
• GS1 Application Identifiers: GTIN, batch, serial, CPV, production date, best before, expiry
• Price encoding with AI 392n and 393n — ISO 4217 currencies with the correct decimals
• Error correction levels L / M / Q / H
• Live X-dimension check against the GS1 minimum of 0.396 mm — catch an unreadable code before print
• Works fully offline; six interface languages

Frequently asked questions

What is GS1 Digital Link?

A GS1 standard that packs the product's GTIN (and optionally batch, serial or expiry) into a single web URL carried by a QR code. One code works at the retail checkout and opens a product page on a shopper's phone. GS1 targets broad retail adoption of QR codes in the coming years.

What is the difference between a plain QR code and a GS1 QR Code?

They look alike, but a GS1 QR Code starts with a special FNC1 character and structures its content with GS1 Application Identifiers, which retail scanners rely on. A plain QR with the same text is not GS1-compliant. Vectode QR encodes both correctly.

Can it also make an ordinary QR code from a URL?

Yes — plain QR codes from any URL or text are supported too, with a size set in millimetres and selectable error correction, always as sharp vector output.

Is Vectode QR part of Vectode?

It is a separate product, sold on Adobe Exchange and built on the same engine. Both share one panel in Illustrator — each module is licensed separately, so you only pay for what you use.

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