Data Matrix generator
A tiny square 2D code for marking parts, devices and samples where a QR code is too big.
Any text or link, up to about 1,500 characters.
About Data Matrix
Data Matrix packs text into a grid that stays readable at a few millimetres across. Built-in error correction lets it survive scratches and partial damage.
Industrial scanners and most 2D scanner apps read it. Most phone camera apps look only for QR codes, so for anything the public scans, use a QR code.
What goes in it
- Holds
- Text, numbers, links
- Length
- Up to about 1,500 characters here
- Shape
- Square, with an L-shaped border
- Error correction
- Reed–Solomon, built in
Where Data Matrix is used
Data Matrix fits a lot of data into a very small square, so it is used where space is tight: circuit boards, electronic components, surgical instruments, aircraft and car parts. It is often marked directly onto metal or plastic by laser or dot peen.
Built-in error correction lets a scanner read it even when part of it is scratched or dirty. Most phone camera apps read it, though older laser scanners cannot, because it is a 2D code.
Printing it so it scans
Use dark modules on a white or light background and keep a clear margin of at least one module all round. When marking parts directly, make sure the mark contrasts well with the material.
The smaller the code, the more precise the printing has to be. Print a proof at the real size and test it with a phone and with the scanners your partners use.
Send your printer SVG or PDF: they are vectors and stay sharp at any size. Before the run, scan a proof with a real scanner or a phone and check that the number it reads is right.
Data Matrix questions
QR for anything people scan with a phone. Data Matrix for small parts and industrial scanners.
That depends on your printer and scanner; keep at least 2 mm for short text and a quiet zone of one cell all round.
Yes. That is one of its main uses, on metal and plastic parts.