!!! Overview
[{$pagename}] ([GTIN]) is an [identifier] for trade items, developed by [GS1].[1] 

Such [identifiers] are used to look up product information in a [database] (often by entering the number through a [barcode] scanner pointed at an actual product) which may belong to a retailer, manufacturer, collector, researcher, or other [entity]. The uniqueness and universality of the identifier is useful in establishing which product in one database corresponds to which product in another database, especially across organizational boundaries.

The [{$pagename}] standard has incorporated the: 
* [International Standard Book Number] ([ISBN])
* [International Standard Serial Number] ([ISSN])
* [International Standard Music Number] ([ISMN])
* [International Article Number] (which includes the [European Article Number] 
* [Japanese Article Number] ([JAN]) 
* and some [Universal Product Codes]
into a universal number space.

[{$pagename}]s may be 8, 12, 13 or 14 digits long, and each of these four numbering structures are constructed in a similar fashion, combining [GS1 Company Prefix], Item Reference and a calculated [Check Digit] 
* GTIN-14 adds another component- the Indicator Digit, which can be 1-8). 
* GTIN-8s will be encoded in an [EAN]-8 barcode. 
* GTIN-12s may be shown in [UPC]-A, [ITF]-14, or [GS1]-128 barcodes. 
* GTIN-13s may be encoded in [EAN]-13, [ITF]-14 or [GS1]-128 barcodes
* GTIN-14s may be encoded in ITF-14 or GS1-128 barcodes. 
The choice of [barcode] will depend on the application; for example, items to be sold at a retail establishment could be marked with EAN-8, EAN-13, UPC-A or UPC-E barcodes.

The EAN-8 code is an eight-digit barcode used usually for very small articles, such as chewing gum, where fitting a larger code onto the item would be difficult. Note: the equivalent [UPC] small format barcode, UPC-E, encodes a GTIN-12 with a special Company Prefix that allows for "zero suppression" of four zeros in the GTIN-12. The GS1 encoding/decoding rules state that the entire GTIN-12 is used for encoding and that the entire GTIN-12 is to be delivered when scanned.

is a standard describing a [barcode] symbology and numbering system used in global trade to identify a specific retail product type, in a specific packaging configuration, from a specific manufacturer.

The 13-digit [EAN]-13 number consists of four components:
* [GS1 Company Prefix] - 3 digits
* [GS1 Manufacturer Code|GS1 Manufacturer Code] - variable length
* [GS1 Product Code] - variable length
* [Check Digit]

!! More Information
There might be more information for this subject on one of the following:
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* [#1] - [International_Article_Number|Wikipedia:International_Article_Number|target='_blank'] - based on information obtained 2017-10-28-