The marking code is scratched, folded or partly torn — how can it be read?

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When the marking is scratched, folded or partly torn, the first rule is simple: do not make the damage worse.

Do not peel away the rest of the label, scratch it with a nail or try to redraw missing modules. A bent label may be carefully flattened if this does not rub the print.

For recovery software, a poorly visible area and a physically missing area are different technical cases. In one case information may still be present; in the other it must be inferred from the rest of the structure.

If a torn fragment still exists, it should be photographed separately. Sometimes it contains exactly the modules missing from the main image.

Usually 1–2 photos of the damaged marking and a photo of the product barcode or the GTIN are enough for a first pass analysis.

The earlier the code is sent for analysis, the higher the chance of success. Repeated “cleaning” attempts often remove the last useful details.