What Sunrise 2027 is

Sunrise 2027 is a GS1-led initiative to move retail point-of-sale scanning from traditional one-dimensional barcodes, such as UPC and EAN, to two-dimensional barcodes by the end of 2027. A 2D code carries far more than a product number: expiration dates, batch and lot numbers, serial numbers and traceability data can all travel on the same symbol.

It is not a switch-off. Toshiba’s own FAQ is clear that 1D barcodes are not expected to disappear in 2027, and that 1D and 2D codes will coexist for many years, often on the same package. The two symbologies to know are GS1 QR Code, expected to be widely used in retail, and GS1 DataMatrix, already common where traceability matters most, such as healthcare and manufacturing.

What changes on the label

The difference is easiest to see side by side. Here is the same product identified the familiar way, and the Sunrise 2027 way, using a QR code that carries a GS1 Digital Link. GS1 Digital Link is a standard that turns a product identifier into a web-enabled link, so one code can serve supply chain workflows and open product information on a customer’s phone.

Try it: scan the QR code with a phone camera and it opens a demonstration product page on our site, the kind of page a shopper would see once a brand has set this up. Both codes use an example product number, 09506000134352, and during the transition many packages will carry both kinds of code.

Toshiba also notes that much of the operational impact falls upstream in the supply chain — in manufacturing, packaging, warehousing and distribution, where products are labeled before they reach a shelf. That is exactly where the printers, ribbons and software we supply do their work.

Toshiba: 2D at the printer, without redesigning labels

Toshiba’s BX Series industrial printers include Print Data Conversion, which converts or adds barcode data into 2D formats at the printer itself. For an operation with years of 1D label formats in its systems, that means starting the transition without first redesigning every label or changing back-end software. The BX Series also runs Toshiba’s A-BRID operating system, which supports direct PDF printing, so a modern label design carrying 2D barcodes can go straight to the printer.

TSC: one label, both technologies

TSC’s view is that barcodes and RFID are not an either-or. Its RFID printers print and encode a smart label in a single pass: a barcode, including a 2D code, on the face and an RFID inlay encoded inside. Trading partners without RFID scan the barcode, RFID-enabled sites read the tag, and if the chip is ever damaged the barcode is still there as a fallback. TSC says its RFID printers support UHF Gen 2 encoding and work with BarTender, NiceLabel and CODESOFT.

For operations printing 1D-only labels today, TSC’s first step is simple: check that the printers on the floor can produce 2D symbologies such as QR and Data Matrix. TSC says its desktop, industrial and mobile printers handle both 1D and 2D symbologies natively.

TEKLYNX CODESOFT: web links written into RFID tags

On May 20, 2026, TSC and TEKLYNX announced a CODESOFT release developed in close collaboration with TSC for its RFID printers. It adds Web URL encoding that supports the GS1 EPC++ and ISO BD standards, so a brand can store a web address directly in a tag’s EPC memory, and it improves printer-driver performance for more reliable encoding. Both companies tie the work to Sunrise 2027 and to the EU Digital Product Passport.

“RAIN RFID adoption continues to accelerate across industries.”— Travis Wayne, Product Manager, TEKLYNX Americas

What to do now

• Find out which printers in the field can print GS1 QR Code and GS1 DataMatrix today.
• List the label formats that will need a 2D code, and decide whether Print Data Conversion or a template change is the quicker route for each.
• For RFID programs, plan smart labels that carry both an inlay and a 2D barcode.
• Keep label software current: 2D and RFID encoding features arrive in new releases.

On our site

• Toshiba BX410T Thermal Label Printer →
• Toshiba Completes the BX Series With the 8″ BX820T →
• TSC printers →
• CODESOFT label design software →