How to Print Batch Codes & QR Codes on a Handheld Inkjet Printer from Your Phone (CSV via USB Drive)

Most small and mid-sized manufacturers already own everything they need to print their own batch codes and tracking QR codes — they just don't realise it. With the TrueGTIN mobile app and any handheld inkjet printer, you can print variable data (codes that change for every unit or batch) directly onto your packaging. That means your regular batch coding — MFG, EXP, MRP and Batch — printed right alongside a unique, scannable tracking QR code, on demand, in seconds, with no PC, no production line, and no outsourced coding bills. The clever part: the app simply saves your data as a CSV onto the USB flash drive that comes with the printer, and the printer reads it from there. This guide walks you through the entire workflow, step by step.

What "Variable Data Printing" Actually Means

A traditional rubber stamp or pre-printed label prints the same thing every time. Variable data printing means each print is different: an updated batch number, a rolling manufacture/expiry date, a fresh serial number, or a new QR code that links to that exact unit. This is exactly what batch coding and product traceability require — and it's what turns a plain batch code into a tamper-evident, scannable proof of authenticity. The TrueGTIN app generates this data for you and saves it as a CSV onto the printer's USB drive; the printer then reads one record at a time as you work.

The Workflow at a Glance

Three moves: generate your batch and QR codes as a CSV in the app, save that CSV onto the printer's USB flash drive (via a USB-OTG cable on your phone), then plug the drive into the printer and print. The diagram below shows the full journey from app to packaging.

Step 1 — What You'll Need

You don't need a fixed production line or a Windows PC. The complete kit fits in a drawer:

• The TrueGTIN mobile app — to generate your batch data and serialized QR codes and export them as a CSV.
• An Android phone with USB-OTG support (almost every phone from the last several years supports it).
• A USB-OTG cable or adapter — USB-C (or micro-USB) on the phone side, USB-A on the drive side. You only need this to copy the CSV onto the drive.
• The USB flash drive that ships with the printer — most handheld inkjet printers include one; it's how print jobs are loaded onto the device.
• A handheld inkjet printer — any brand of TIJ (thermal inkjet) handheld coder works, and so does the TrueGTIN-brand printer.
• An ink cartridge suited to your surface (porous for cartons/paper, solvent/fast-dry for plastics, metal and glass).

Not sure which printer to buy? Read our Handheld Inkjet Printer Buying Guide first — it explains every part, how thermal inkjet works, and how to avoid the traps sellers use to overcharge first-time buyers.

Step 2 — Generate Your Batch & QR Codes and Download the CSV

In the TrueGTIN app, create or open the batch you want to code. Set your batch fields — Batch number, MFG, EXP and MRP — and the app assigns each unit a unique serial and a GS1 Digital Link QR code. When you tap Download CSV, you get a print-ready file with one row per unit. A typical export looks like this:

GTIN,Serial,Batch,MFG,EXP,MRP,QR_URL
08901234567890,000001,B2606-04,2026-06,2028-06,499.00,https://id.truegtin.com/01/08901234567890/21/000001
08901234567890,000002,B2606-04,2026-06,2028-06,499.00,https://id.truegtin.com/01/08901234567890/21/000002

Each column maps to a field on your printed label. Batch, MFG, EXP and MRP become the human-readable text, and the QR_URL column becomes the scannable tracking QR printed alongside it. Want help designing smart, compliant batch numbers? See our complete guide to batch coding.

Step 3 — Save the CSV onto the Printer’s USB Drive

Handheld inkjet printers don't connect to your phone directly — they load print jobs from the USB flash drive that comes in the box. So plug that drive into your phone using the USB-OTG adapter, and in the app, export (or copy) the CSV onto the drive. There are no drivers to install and no laptop in the loop — your phone writes the file straight to the stick.

• If your phone doesn't show the drive immediately, re-seat the OTG adapter — a loose connector is the most common culprit.
• Save the CSV to the folder your printer expects (check the printer manual — many look in the drive's root or a "JOBS" folder).
• Eject the drive safely from your phone before unplugging it, so the file isn't left half-written.

Step 4 — Plug the Drive into the Printer and Choose Your Template

Move the USB drive from your phone to the printer's USB port. On the printer's screen, open the CSV file and pick a print template that lays out your text fields and the QR code — for the common case of "MFG/EXP/MRP/Batch on the left, QR on the right." Adjust print height and density to match your surface, and send a single test print to a scrap carton before running the batch.

Step 5 — Print Onto Your Packaging

Hold the printer flush against the surface and slide it steadily across the product (or pass the product beneath a fixed printer). The encoder wheel keeps the print spaced correctly, and the printer advances to the next CSV record automatically — so unit 000001 gets its batch code and QR, unit 000002 gets the next, and so on. Every carton walks away with your regular batch coding plus its own unique, scannable code.

Step 6 — Verify the Printed QR Scans

Scan a freshly printed code with any phone camera. It should resolve to the TrueGTIN verification page for that exact unit, confirming the product is genuine and showing its batch, MFG, EXP and MRP. If the scan fails, increase the print resolution/density, slow your slide speed, or switch to an ink better matched to the surface. A code that scans first time is your proof the whole pipeline — data, connection, and print — is working end to end.

Why Print Variable Data This Way?

• No PC, no production line — your phone and a handheld printer are the entire setup.
• Serialized traceability — every unit gets a unique QR for authentication, warranty and recall.
• Compliance built in — print MFG, EXP, MRP and Batch in the same pass to meet labelling rules.
• Lower cost — stop paying per-code to outsource your coding; print on demand for the price of ink.
• Hardware freedom — bring your own printer or use ours; the app doesn't care.