Invisible barcode could revolutionise packaging market

Experts agree: before long packaging designers will be allowed to let their creativity roam free again without having to take the at times disturbing element of black and white barcodes into consideration. A new development by Oregon, highly praised by experts, replaces conventional barcodes with invisible watermark grids. The Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) is encoded and applied - complete with plenty of additional information – to the packaging many times over. While the human eye cannot see the Digimarc Barcode developed by the technology company of the same name, camera scanners fitted with special software capture the product details instantly. This means article number and price are captured without a delay thereby making hitherto unknown communication possible between merchandise, retailers and shoppers.

This new labelling version scores points with several advantages over conventional codes:

• Time savings at the check-out:
  Barcode no longer has to be located and positioned. Scanners can capture several products at a time.
• Optimal marketing thanks to the ability to access various data
  Using a camera and special App, mobile devices can call up additional product details such as the best-before date but also discount campaigns, other users‘ rating scores or recommended recipes for food. Furthermore, there is an instant connection with social-media channels.
• Efficient logistics
  Packaging layout without losing space. Identification of batches, serialisation options, improved traceability. Appeals to variety of target groups.

It is true that there are no special inks or complex printing processes required to produce these invisible codes. But the camera-based scanners come with a high initial cost. Moreover, the IT systems tuned to the barcode currently valid worldwide cannot be switched overnight. And critics also doubt trouble-free reading of codes and detection of reading errors. And labelling of bulk goods is not possible either, in their opinion.

There were precisely four decades between the introduction of the first barcode on a Wrigley’s chewing-gum wrapper and the presentation of the invisible successor in 2014. The latter idea quickly found interested parties – and is currently already employed by some specialist retailers because these are not dependent on participation of the whole industry – in contrast with international brands. Supermarket chains Wegmans from the USA and the German Rewe Group are presenting themselves as pioneers in the field of innovative technology and are already using the scanners made by Datalogic today for their private-label products. Retail group Walmart has started a trial phase and software developer GS1 Germany is cooperating with the Digimarc Corporation to allow their customers to also have their articles numbers encoded invisibly.