Data Matrix code
examples

Short answer

Here are real Data Matrix codes you can scan or download: a part number, a serial number, a web address, a GS1 product code with expiry and lot, a rectangular code and a tiny 10 × 10. Each shows the exact data inside, and all of them are ECC 200. The code shown here encodes PART-000123.

All samples (ZIP of SVG + PNG) What each code contains (CSV) Scanner test sheet (PDF)

Every image on this page was made by the same engine as our generator and checked by decoding it with independent software (zxing-cpp). The SVG files print at true size with 0.5 mm modules; the PNG files are 10 pixels per module, tagged 300 dpi. Want your own data instead? Make your own Data Matrix code; it takes a few seconds and no sign-up.

Everyday examples

The kinds of codes people make most. All are plain Data Matrix: the text you see is exactly what a scanner returns, character for character.

Part number

Marked on a component, a bin or a work order so a scan pulls up the right part.

Encoded text

PART-000123

Size

14 × 14 modules

Data

11 bytes, ASCII

SVG of the part number example PNG of the part number example Open in the generator

SVG prints at 9 × 9 mm including its 2-module quiet zone (code 7 × 7 mm, 0.5 mm modules); PNG is 10 px per module.

Serial number

One unique code per unit, for tracking repairs, warranty and returns.

Encoded text

SN-2026-000457

Size

16 × 16 modules

Data

14 bytes, ASCII

SVG of the serial number example PNG of the serial number example Open in the batch generator

SVG prints at 10 × 10 mm including its 2-module quiet zone (code 8 × 8 mm, 0.5 mm modules); PNG is 10 px per module.

Asset tag

Laptops, tools and test equipment, scanned at check-out and during audits.

Encoded text

ASSET-IT-04512

Size

16 × 16 modules

Data

14 bytes, ASCII

SVG of the asset tag example PNG of the asset tag example Open in the label maker

SVG prints at 10 × 10 mm including its 2-module quiet zone (code 8 × 8 mm, 0.5 mm modules); PNG is 10 px per module.

Web address (URL)

A link to a manual or a product page. Phone cameras open QR codes more reliably, so test first.

Encoded text

https://example.com/p/PART-000123

Size

22 × 22 modules

Data

33 bytes, ASCII

SVG of the web address (url) example PNG of the web address (url) example Open in the generator

SVG prints at 13 × 13 mm including its 2-module quiet zone (code 11 × 11 mm, 0.5 mm modules); PNG is 10 px per module.

Text with accents and symbols

The en dash and € are outside Latin-1, so the whole text is stored as UTF-8 with an ECI marker that tells the scanner so. Accented letters alone (é, ö, ß) are stored as single Latin-1 bytes with no marker.

Encoded text

Größe M – 5 €

Size

22 × 22 modules

Data

19 bytes, UTF-8 with ECI 000026

SVG of the text with accents and symbols example PNG of the text with accents and symbols example Open in the generator

SVG prints at 13 × 13 mm including its 2-module quiet zone (code 11 × 11 mm, 0.5 mm modules); PNG is 10 px per module.

Smallest size (10 × 10)

Six digits is all the smallest square holds. Good for tiny parts.

Encoded text

123456

Size

10 × 10 modules

Data

6 bytes, ASCII

SVG of the smallest size (10 × 10) example PNG of the smallest size (10 × 10) example Open in the generator

SVG prints at 7 × 7 mm including its 2-module quiet zone (code 5 × 5 mm, 0.5 mm modules); PNG is 10 px per module.

Two details to notice. The six digits in the 10 × 10 code fit because Data Matrix stores two digits per codeword; letters cost more. The web address works, but phone cameras open links from QR codes more readily; see Data Matrix vs QR code before you choose. And the accented text carries a small marker (ECI 000026) saying “this is UTF-8”, because of the – and € (accented letters alone, such as é or ö, are stored as Latin-1 bytes and need no marker). Most scanners honor it, but some older or web-based ones show the wrong characters, so test before you rely on it.

GS1 DataMatrix example

A GS1 DataMatrix is a Data Matrix whose content follows GS1 rules: it starts with an invisible FNC1 character and holds numbered fields called Application Identifiers. This one carries a product number (GTIN), an expiry date, a lot and a serial, the combination used on medicine packs.

GS1 DataMatrix: GTIN, expiry, lot and serial

The pattern used on medicine packs and medical devices: product, expiry date, batch and serial in one code.

Printed under the code

(01)09506000134352(17)281231(10)LOT42(21)SN1001

Encoded (as a scanner outputs it)

01095060001343521728123110LOT42<GS>21SN1001

Size

22 × 22 modules

Data

40 bytes, GS1 (FNC1 first)

SVG of the gs1 datamatrix: gtin, expiry, lot and serial example PNG of the gs1 datamatrix: gtin, expiry, lot and serial example Open in the GS1 generator

SVG prints at 13 × 13 mm including its 2-module quiet zone (code 11 × 11 mm, 0.5 mm modules); PNG is 10 px per module.

What each field means

Fields of the GS1 example (names from the GS1 Barcode Syntax Dictionary 2026-01-27)

AI	Field	Value
(01)	Product number (GTIN)	09506000134352
(17)	Expiry date	281231 31 Dec 2028
(10)	Batch or lot number	LOT42
(21)	Serial number	SN1001

Swipe for more

The brackets in the printed line are for people and are not encoded. The lot is variable-length, so a group separator (shown as <GS>) ends it before the serial. Scanners report this code with the prefix ]d2. Read more in GS1 DataMatrix explained, or make one with the GS1 generator.

Size examples: 10 × 10 to 144 × 144

Each code below is filled to capacity with digits, the most compact kind of data, and all are drawn at the same module size, so you see their true proportions. The smallest holds 6 digits; the largest holds 3,116. Text with letters fits fewer characters.

Rectangular and DMRE examples

Data Matrix also comes in rectangles, for narrow labels and the edges of parts. ECC 200 defines 6 of them (8 × 18, 8 × 32, 12 × 26, 12 × 36, 16 × 36, 16 × 48), and because they are part of the original standard, readers support them widely. A newer standard, DMRE (Data Matrix Rectangular Extension, ISO/IEC 21471), adds 18 more, up to 26 × 64.

Rectangular (8 × 32)

The same part number as above, reshaped for a narrow label or the edge of a part.

Encoded text

PART-000123

Size

8 × 32 modules

Data

11 bytes, ASCII

SVG of the rectangular (8 × 32) example PNG of the rectangular (8 × 32) example Open in the rectangular generator

SVG prints at 18 × 6 mm including its 2-module quiet zone (code 16 × 4 mm, 0.5 mm modules); PNG is 10 px per module.

Largest standard rectangle (16 × 48)

The largest rectangle in the original ECC 200 standard, for more data on a narrow label.

Encoded text

PART-000123 LOT 2611-A QTY 25

Size

16 × 48 modules

Data

29 bytes, ASCII

SVG of the largest standard rectangle (16 × 48) example PNG of the largest standard rectangle (16 × 48) example Open in the rectangular generator

SVG prints at 26 × 10 mm including its 2-module quiet zone (code 24 × 8 mm, 0.5 mm modules); PNG is 10 px per module.

DMRE rectangle (8 × 64)

A newer extended rectangle (ISO/IEC 21471). Only 8 modules tall, but older scanners may not read it.

Encoded text

PART-000123 LOT 2611

Size

8 × 64 modules (DMRE)

Data

20 bytes, ASCII

SVG of the dmre rectangle (8 × 64) example PNG of the dmre rectangle (8 × 64) example Open in the rectangular generator

SVG prints at 34 × 6 mm including its 2-module quiet zone (code 32 × 4 mm, 0.5 mm modules); PNG is 10 px per module.

Before you print DMRE codes in quantity, check that every scanner that will read them supports DMRE; some older ones do not. Code T9 on the test sheet below checks exactly that. The rectangular generator labels DMRE sizes clearly.

Printable scanner test sheet

One page, 12 codes, from a 3.5 mm code to a 32 mm rectangle: five module sizes (0.25 to 1.00 mm), square, rectangle, DMRE, GS1 and UTF-8. Print it to check a new scanner, a phone app or a printer, or to show a supplier what “must read” means. It is free to copy and share.

How to use it

1. Print at 100%. Measure the bar at the top: it should be 100 mm (3.94 in). If not, turn off “Fit to page” and print again.
2. Scan each code, at the distance and angle you will use for real.
3. Compare what the scanner returns with the expected text below. A scanner set up as a keyboard may change or drop characters, so test in the app you will actually use.
4. For T10, check that the scanner sends the group separator (ASCII 29) and, if your system needs it, the ]d2 prefix.

The same text, with the exact bytes in hex, is in the CSV (one row per sample). A code that decodes here proves the symbol is correct, not that a printed copy is good enough: grading print quality takes an ISO/IEC 15415 verifier. Need your own codes on labels? Print labels on sheets or thermal rolls.

Data Matrix icon (decorative)

Generated with engine v2.0.1. To check any of these codes yourself, save one and decode a sample in the reader; nothing is uploaded.