When printing a QR Code the following tips will help you to sustain the readability of your QR Code. Nevertheless always do scan tests before printing QR Codes in a high volume. Continue reading
Ultimate Printing Guide for QR Codes
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Print Batch QR Codes on Labels
If you want to print a large number of unique QR Codes on labels you may want use the label merge function of Microsoft Office Word or Adobe InDesign.
This tutorial guides you how to import a list of QR Codes from an Excel file into a Word template before printing the labels or export them to a print-ready Adobe Pdf file.
Static versus Dynamic QR Codes
The most common QR Code type is a QR Code with an encoded URL. When scanning such a QR code the user is either being linked to your website directly (static QR Code) or he is redirected through a tracking URL to your website (dynamic QR Code). The following example explains the two approaches in more detail:
Static QR Code
The content of a static QR code can NOT be changed after creation.
With a static QR Code the user sees immediately where he is being redirected when scanning the QR Code, because the target URL is directly encoded into the QR Code. But what if for some reason the target URL is broken, removed or you just want to redirect the user to a different URL? If you have printed the QR Code already on thousands of magazines, you have a problem.
Dynamic QR Code
With a dynamic QR Code you are not only able to change the target URL of the QR Code after publishing but also track from where, when and from who the code has been scanned. This is accomplished by routing the user through a tracking server first and then redirect the user to the original URL. The first URL is called the tracking or Vanity URL. In most cases a tiny URL is used, so the QR Code can be printed in a smaller size, because less characters have to be encoded into the QR Code.
Always be careful when using a QR Code tracking service. Some providers route the user through a landing page first, where an ad is displayed before continuing to the target URL. Another risk is if the tracking server goes offline, the dynamic QR Code will not work anymore.
This is why we recommend you to use our fast and secure infrastructure. We do not display any ads and you can create both – static and dynamic QR Codes – for free. Get to know more about our free QR Code Manager or start creating static QR Codes right away:
The Advantage of QR Codes: Scanning is 3 times faster than Typing
There is a simple answer why using QR Codes in your marketing activities is a MUST:
Speed!
Scanning a QR Code is the fasted way to open specific content in the browser!
To give you an example: A new blockbuster movie is out and is promoted with posters in the streets or with ads in magazines. To let people interact with the poster a link and a QR Code are added, like shown in the illustration above. The link redirects the user to the movie trailer, so people can already preview the movie on their mobile devices, before watching the movie in the theatre.
QR Code decoding support for native camera App on iPhone, Android or Windows devices
One way to solve the technical barrier for people to scan QR Codes would be to include a QR Code scanner in the native camera app of a Smartphone. People will not need to install a 3rd party app anymore and direct support in the OS will make QR Code decoding much faster.
iPhones with iOS11 support native QR Code Reading
As of September 2017 updating Apple devices to iOS 11 enables users to read QR Codes without a third party app! Read more about how to use the native camera app decoding QR Codes here:
Galaxy S9 camera can now scan QR codes
As of June 2019 Samsung Galaxy S9 supports scanning QR Codes with the native camera app. A soon a QR code is detected, the camera displays a popup with the link to the website encoded in the QR code, so you can open that website with a single tap.
Microsoft Windows phones support native QR Code scanning
Microsoft did a first step towards QR Code recognition in their camera app, but with only 2.6% market share in the worldwide smartphone market[1] this is just a small portion. Lumia phones have a built in QR Code Reading App, but making a QR Code readable requires to setup the camera every time a QR Code is scanned. Using a 3rd party scanning app is much more comfortable.
Google is afraid of QR Codes killing their Ad business
An assumption why Google has no interest in supporting QR Code decoding in the native camera app is because a direct link in the QR Code bypasses Google Search. Google wants you to use their search engine for displaying ads and tracking your behavior instead of directly linking you to a website[2].
Motorola as a first mover
However Motorola, who is using Android as their basic OS, updated its native Camera App that allows QR Code scanning[3]. The app can be downloaded for Motorola devices here.
Conclusion
There are native QR Code scanning solutions for Windows, iPhone and Android devices. However Microsoft needs to improve the UX drastically, so that people will actually know how to use the native camera function for scanning QR Codes instead of downloading a 3rd party app. If Google sees a potential harm in affecting their ad and tracking business, they could release a native camera app that tracks all QR Code scans and previews the target URL of the QR Code in addition with some ads displayed below before redirecting the user to the website. Finally Apple included native QR Code decoding since the Asian market is using QR Codes almost everywhere and Apple might wants to be a player in the QR Code payment industry. Let’s see how Android will follow…
[1] http://www.idc.com/prodserv/smartphone-os-market-share.jsp
[2] http://www.quora.com/Why-havent-Google-or-Apple-embedded-a-QR-reader-in-their-Camera-apps
[3] http://www.techtimes.com/articles/80661/20150831/motorola-updates-camera-and-gallery-apps-now-allows-qr-code-scanning-and-saving-albums-to-microsd.htm
Get Followers with QR Codes for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
An easy way to get more followers for your social networks is to use Social QR Codes. Place them on your folders, your products or in your shopping window to give people the opporiunity to like you on Facebook or follow you on Twitter.
Facebook Like and Facebook Pages
With a Facebook QR Code you can either link the user to your Facebook site directly or link to a landing page with a like button included, like shown in the example below.
The magic thing about those QR Codes is that they automatically check, if the Facebook App is installed on the mobile device. If so, the Facebook Page is opened directly in the App. If not, the page will be viewed in the web browser of the mobile device.
Scan this QR Code to like qrd.by on facebook
This QR Code leads to our facebook page
However, remember that your QR Codes are less likely to be scanned, if you don’t clearly communicate what happens after scanning the QR Code. Offer an incentive to scan your QR Codes and announce where the QR Code will lead the visitor to. For Example :
Scan this code to like us on
/ qrd.by and benefit from QR Code marketing insights
/ qrd.by and benefit from QR Code marketing insightsGet more Instagram & YouTube followers
With our QR Code Generator you can different Social QR Codes types. Here are some more examples:
Twitter Profile and Tweeting
With a Twitter QR Code you can redirect users to your Twitter profile to gain new followers or encode a message in the QR Code that people can tweet after scanning the code.
With a Twitter QR Code you can redirect people to your twitter profile to create more followers
With this QR Code you can tweet the message: Create Social QR Codes with http://qrd.by/#facebook @qrdby #qrcode
You can do even more with QR Codes, like send an SMS, start a phone call, write an E-Mail and much more. Learn more about other type of QR Codes here:
Using QR Codes on Business Cards: vCard vs. mobile Website
In this article you will learn about different ways how you can create a QR Code for your business card that links to your contact information. However there are pros and cons depending on which method you are using concerning performance, offline availability and size restrictions. We recommend you to use the QR Code Reader from i-Nigma for smooth decoding of business cards.
What is a “Custom Shortened URL” in a QR Code?
If you are generating a QR Code, most of the times you want to redirect the user to a website, e.g.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA. This URL is called the target URL.
If you create a dynamic QR Code, the target URL is shortened by default to a random URL e.g. http://qrd.by/0j6nte. This is called a shortened URL. With qrd°by you are able to customize such a shortened URL. Instead of 0j6nte you can set a human readable name e.g. speech-steve-jobs. Such URLs are called custom shortened URLs or Vanity URLs.
Using a custom shortened URL to redirect the user to a video of the speech of Steve Jobs @ Stanford
What is the benefit of a custom shortened URL?
People who are scanning your QR Code will now see https://qrd.by/speech-steve-jobs when the QR Code is decoded in the scanning app. This will give them a better idea of where the QR Code leads them to. Moreover a shortened URL encoded in a QR Code allows printing the QR Code in a smaller size, since fewer characters are encoded in the QR Code (See also Minimum size of a QR Code). Using shortened URLs also allow you to track who is scanning your QR Codes. So you can measure how succesful a QR Code campaign is performing. Read more about tracking QR Codes.
Custom shortened URL + Custom Domain
With the White Label QR Code Manager you can even set a custom domain for a dynamic QR Code. For example instead of qrd.by you may use the custom domain my.domain. The QR Code will then have the custom URL http://my.domain/speech-steve-jobs encoded. With a custom domain you can keep your brand and your corporate identity without exposing that you are using our QR Code platform.
Dynamic QR Code – Changing the target URL
A QR code usually has a static URL encoded to which the user is redirected after he has scanned the QR code. In case the target URL is no longer up-to-date or does not exist anymore, you may use a dynamic QR Code instead.
With the free QR Code Manager from qrd.by it is easy to change the destination URL. The URL in the QR code is always the same, but first redirects to our company website and after editing the target URL to this blog.
With a dynamic QR code, you can change the target URL subsequently. Even if the QR code has already been printed on posters, flyers or in magazines, you can redirect the user after the scan to any landing page, anytime, without having to print the QR code again.
For instance, if you are using a QR Code to redirect the user to a temporary available voucher, you can change the target URL after the promotion has ended.
If you create a dynamic QR Code on our platform he will never expire!
Minimum Size of a QR Code
Recommendation: A QR Code that encodes up to 72 characters (which is the length of a typical URL) should be printed in a size of 20×20 mm (0.79x0.79″) when scanned from a distance of 20cm (7.9″)
| Surface | Scan Distance | QR Code Size |
| A4 e.g. Magazine | 20cm | 20mm x 20mm |
| A3 e.g. Poster | 1m | 100mm x 100mm |
| 3x4m e.g. Billboard | 10m | 1m x 1m |
Before applying this recommendation please consider the following tips. If you you are printing a designer QR Code please also read Printing QR Codes with Colors.
Consider the scanning distance
Rule of the thumb: the ratio between scanning distance and the QR Code size is 10:1. So if you want to scan a QR Code from 10 meters (390″), the size of the QR Code should be 1 square meter (39″). Or if you print a QR Code on a post card, the user will scan the QR Code from a distance close to 15cm (5.9″). Applying the rule the QR Code may have a minimum size of 15mm (0.59″).
Quiet Zone around the QR Code
Have at least a Quiet Zone of 4 Units arround your QR Codes.
If you print a QR Code always leave a quite zone (margin) around the QR Code. We recommend to have 4 units of white space arround your QR Code to ensure it can be read by any QR Code reader.
Use shorted URLs
How much information do you want to store in the QR Code? The less the better. Use shortened URLs instead of a long URL. The shorter the URL the less units a QR Code will contain and there for can be plotted smaller.
A shortened URL with up to 17 characters will produce a QR Code with 21×21 units. Encoding a longer URL with up to 72 chars will result in a QR Code with 35×35 units.
http://qrd.by/what-a-long-url-you-may-consider-shortening-it
A shorted URL: http://qrd.by/t
Use low Error Correction Level
When creating a QR Code you can set an Error Correction Level. The higher the level is set, the more of a QR Code may be destroyed while the QR Code will be still readable. However, a higher level also increases the size of a QR Code. We recommend setting the error level L for QR Codes without an embedded logo. This will give you the smallest possible size of a QR Code. The following figure shows you a QR Code with the same encoded URL in two different error correction levels:
| Level L 7% | Level H 30 % |
Use scale able vectorized QR Codes
It is important create QR Codes in Vector format. If you are plotting QR Codes from a .png or .jpg source, they may get blurred and cannot be read anymore.
Download the QR Code Contest .pdf document and print it out. It contains various QR Codes in different sizes. In theory you will be able to scan QR Codes with a size of 5mm (0.19″), depending on your printer and your scanning device. If you are able to scan QR Codes in an even smaller size, please let us know!!!
Devices that scan QR Codes < 4mm (0.16”)
Huawei Ascend XT H1611 (3mm QR Code was printed on a Canon MF4320 laser printer with 600dpi)
Devices that scan QR Codes < 5mm (0.19”)
Apple iPhone 5
Google Nexus 5
HTC One
Huawei Ascend Mate 7
LG D802, D959
MicroMax Q450
Nokia Lumia 635
OnePlus One
Samsung GALAXY ACE 3, GALAXY Note 4 Edge, GALAXY S4, GT-I9500, SGH-I317
Sony Xperia Z1
Xiaomi MI 2SC