Print best-by and expiration dates, lot and batch numbers, and barcodes directly onto your products and packaging — the variable codes that keep you traceable and compliant. We help you do it cleanly and reliably with thermal inkjet (TIJ).
Tap any code type for detail on how it prints and what it carries.
Print the codes your market and customers expect — formatted, calculated, and updated automatically.
| Code type | Example |
|---|---|
| Best-by / use-by date | BEST BY 06/2027 · EXP 2027-06-25 |
| Julian / ordinal date | 26176 (year 2026, day 176) |
| Lot / batch number | LOT A26-1184 · BATCH 240625-2 |
| Time, shift & counter | 14:32 · SHIFT B · 0004821 |
| Barcode / 2D code | GS1-128 · GS1 Data Matrix |
Examples are illustrative — your codes, formats, and layout are configured to your spec.
Thermal inkjet (TIJ) prints high-resolution dates, lot numbers, and barcodes from sealed cartridges — no make-up fluid and almost no scheduled maintenance. Because it’s variable-data by design, every package gets the right date and lot automatically.
Match the ink to your surface — water-based for porous cartons and paper, solvent for non-porous plastics and films — and swap a cartridge in seconds when it runs out. .
Date and lot codes can also be applied with continuous inkjet, thermal transfer, or laser, depending on substrate and speed. — and where thermal inkjet is the simplest fit.
Share your product, substrate, and line speed and we’ll recommend the right date & lot coding setup.
Different lines, different substrates and codes. See how date & lot coding works in your sector.
Date and lot coding is printing variable information — best-by or expiration dates, lot and batch numbers, and sometimes barcodes — directly onto products and packaging for traceability and regulatory compliance.
The terms are often used interchangeably. Both identify a specific production run so a product can be traced — for quality control, recalls, and audits. A date code (best-by or expiration) is separate and communicates shelf life.
Several technologies code dates and lots, including thermal inkjet (TIJ), continuous inkjet (CIJ), thermal transfer (TTO), and laser. Thermal inkjet is a popular choice for clean, high-resolution date and lot codes with low maintenance — the Anser X1 controller with HP 45 / IUT cartridges is a typical setup.
Food & beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and general industrial manufacturing all rely on date and lot coding for traceability, freshness, and compliance.
A Julian (or ordinal) date code expresses the production date as the day of the year — for example, 26176 means day 176 of 2026 (June 25). It is a compact way to date-stamp products and is common in food and automotive manufacturing. Thermal inkjet can calculate and print Julian dates automatically alongside calendar dates and lot codes.
Yes. A single thermal inkjet message can combine a best-by or expiration date, a lot or batch number, a counter, and a 1D or 2D barcode in one print — each updating automatically. The Anser X1 controller manages the variable data so every package gets the correct codes without operator intervention.
A lot or batch code ties each unit back to a specific production run, so if a problem is found you can identify and pull exactly the affected products instead of recalling everything. Clean, legible, scannable codes make recalls faster, narrower, and less costly — which is why traceability coding is required across regulated industries.