Polytag’s data capture and marketing platform can now integrate with industrial coding and marking systems from Videojet Technologies, enabling the printing of smart QR codes directly onto packaging.
The integrated solution combines Polytag’s content management platform with Videojet’s printing technology, allowing product-specific information such as batch numbers and best-before dates to be incorporated into QR codes printed on-pack. The QR codes can also link consumers to digital content including product information, sustainability data, promotions, loyalty programmes and other interactive experiences.
The solution is built on GS1 standards, supporting compatibility with existing retail and supply chain infrastructure.
Polytag CEO Alice Rackley said: “We have a wealth of clients who want to use QR codes not only to manage variable product data on the production line, but also to create richer digital experiences for consumers. The collaboration between Videojet Technologies and Polytag gives brands, in any industry, a simple way to connect packaging, production and engagement through a single QR code solution.”
The integration combines production line coding with digital content management, allowing QR codes to carry both variable product data and links to online information. According to the companies, this enables brands to update the digital content associated with a QR code without changing the physical packaging design.
Polytag said its platform also integrates with Videojet’s industrial printing and coding systems to support applications including traceability, authentication and item-level visibility. For these applications, the platform can generate unique serialised QR codes for uses such as anti-counterfeiting, digital deposit return schemes (DRS) and item-level traceability.
Videojet Technologies’ global director of traceability Tom Barnes said: “We are committed to pioneering solutions that empower businesses to thrive, including giving our large global customer base, as well as future customers, the option to connect Videojet printers to the Polytag platform. We are continuing to innovate in the interactive packaging space, with solutions like this that can help brands meet evolving government regulations and retailer mandates while deepening customer engagement.”
The companies said the integration supports the wider adoption of QR-based barcodes under GS1’s Sunrise 2027 initiative, which is encouraging the transition from traditional linear barcodes to QR codes at retail point-of-sale systems. They also noted that QR codes can support emerging regulatory requirements, including the European Union’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which introduces Digital Product Passports for a range of product categories from 2027.
According to Polytag, its resolver service can also deliver location-specific and multi-language content from a single printed QR code, allowing brands to manage product information across multiple markets without producing separate packaging variants.
