DMRE

Overview

DMRE (Data Matrix Rectangular Extension, originally titled "Extended rectangular data matrix") is a barcode symbology that adds a set of new rectangular symbol formats to the established Data Matrix (ECC 200) family. It uses the same encodation, ECC 200 / Reed–Solomon error correction, and decoding model as standard Data Matrix, but provides additional, larger rectangular sizes than the six rectangular formats already defined in ISO/IEC 16022 [1] [4] [6]. Rectangular formats let the code be placed along curved surfaces and more readily replace 1D barcodes on narrow components [4]. It is standardised as ISO/IEC 21471 [1] [2].

History

DMRE originated as the German national standard DIN 16587, which defined extended rectangular Data Matrix formats [4]. It was subsequently elevated to an international standard as ISO/IEC 21471:2020 under the title "Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Extended rectangular data matrix (DMRE) bar code symbology specification" [1]. A revised second edition, ISO/IEC 21471:2025, retitled the standard to "Data Matrix Rectangular Extension (DMRE)" [2]. The standard specifies the DMRE symbology characteristics, data character encodation, symbol formats, dimensions and print-quality requirements, error-correction rules, the decoding algorithm, and user-selectable application parameters [1].

Technical specification

Relationship to Data Matrix. DMRE is an extension, not a replacement, of Data Matrix ECC 200. It reuses ECC 200's data encodation and Reed–Solomon error correction [4] [6]. The six rectangular formats already defined in ISO/IEC 16022 — 8×18, 8×32, 12×26, 12×36, 16×36, and 16×48 — are explicitly out of scope of ISO/IEC 21471 and remain governed by the original Data Matrix standard [6].

New rectangular sizes. DMRE adds the following rectangular symbol sizes, in modules (excluding quiet zone) [[5][5]]:

8×48, 8×64, 8×80, 8×96, 8×120, 8×144, 12×64, 12×88, 16×64, 20×36, 20×44, 20×64, 22×48, 24×48, 24×64, 26×40, 26×48, 26×64 [9].

These span heights of 8 to 26 modules and widths up to 144 modules, all even values, considerably extending the rectangular range beyond ISO/IEC 16022 [6] [9].

Error correction. DMRE incorporates all ECC 200 features and uses Reed–Solomon error correction for error detection and correction, identical in approach to standard Data Matrix [4].

Character set / encodation. Because DMRE reuses ECC 200 encodation, it supports the same data character encoding modes as Data Matrix (ASCII, C40, Text, X12, EDIFACT, Base 256), and ECI-based extension [4].

Use cases

DMRE's rectangular formats are aimed at marking small or narrow components and at curved surfaces, where a wide-but-short rectangular symbol fits better than a square Data Matrix and can serve as a higher-capacity replacement for 1D barcodes [4]. Typical applications follow Data Matrix's domains — electronics, small parts, and direct part marking — extended to elongated label areas [4].

Implementations

• Zint — C; ~771 stars; active in 2026. Encodes Data Matrix including DMRE rectangular formats, exposing the DMRE sizes (e.g. 8×48 through 26×64) as selectable versions [3] [9].
• libdmtx — C; ~360 stars; active 2025. A long-standing Data Matrix encoding/decoding library for the ECC 200 family [7].
• BWIPP — Barcode Writer in Pure PostScript — PostScript; ~499 stars; active in 2026. Renders Data Matrix including rectangular extension formats [8].

Comparison

Against square Data Matrix, DMRE offers a flat, elongated footprint at comparable data capacity, making it easier to place on curved or narrow surfaces and a better fit when replacing a 1D linear barcode [4]. Against the rectangular formats already in ISO/IEC 16022 (which top out at 16×48), DMRE adds substantially larger rectangular sizes — up to 26×64 and widths to 144 modules — raising the data ceiling of rectangular Data Matrix [6] [9]. Because it shares ECC 200 encodation and error correction with standard Data Matrix, scanners that already support Data Matrix can be extended to DMRE without a new decoding model [4] [6].

Status

Active and current. DMRE is an international standard: ISO/IEC 21471, first edition 2020, second edition 2025 [1] [2].

Sources

1 ISO/IEC 21471:2020 — Extended rectangular data matrix (DMRE) bar code symbology specification — ISO, 2020 2 ISO/IEC 21471:2025 — Data Matrix Rectangular Extension (DMRE) bar code symbology specification — ISO, 2025 3 Zint barcode encoding library — Zint Project / GitHub, 2026 4 DataMatrix Barcode (Data Matrix, ECC200, DMRE) — Neodynamic, 2026 6 ISO/IEC 21471 (sample) — ISO / iTeh, 2025 7 libdmtx — dmtx / GitHub, 2025 8 Barcode Writer in Pure PostScript (BWIPP) — Terry Burton / GitHub, 2026 9 DataMatrixVersion (DMRE size enumeration) — Aspose, 2026

Deployments

No country reports mention this standard by name.

Regions / aggregations not mapped to a single country

• Universal