QR code and barcode guides
Everything we have learned about making codes that scan the first time: print sizes, error correction, logos, colour contrast, campaign tracking and the digit rules behind each retail symbology.
Developers
Troubleshooting
Printing
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What size should a printed QR code be?
How big to print a QR code: one tenth of the scanning distance, about 2 cm at the smallest, 0.4 mm per module, and the four-module quiet zone around it.
4 min read
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PNG, SVG or PDF: which QR code file do you actually need
Why a scaled-up PNG scans worse, the pixel size a given print size really needs at 300 dpi, and how to get a QR code into InDesign, Word, Canva or a PDF.
8 min read
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Test a QR code properly before you print a thousand of them
How to test a QR code before the print run: a proof on final stock, three phones, lighting and angle checks, the destination on mobile data, and ISO grading.
8 min read
Use cases
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The WIFI: string behind a WiFi QR code
WIFI:T:WPA;S:<network>;P:<password>;; is the whole format. Each field, the five characters to escape, WPA3 and hidden networks, and why iOS and Android differ.
8 min read
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QR codes for events: tickets, check-in, signage and wifi
Three different jobs a QR code does at an event, why a ticket must encode an opaque ID, offline check-in, duplicate scans and a run-of-show checklist.
8 min read
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Putting a QR code on product packaging
Where the QR code goes relative to the retail barcode, the minimum module size for flexo versus offset, curved surfaces, and what belongs behind the code.
8 min read
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QR code menus people actually manage to use
Placement, size and lighting for a QR menu in a real dining room, why serving a PDF is the usual mistake, and the tamper check every venue should be doing.
7 min read
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Which vCard fields belong in a contact QR code
The vCard fields worth encoding in a contact QR code, why version 3.0 still scans more reliably than 4.0, and the point where a URL beats a vCard outright.
7 min read
Barcodes
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Barcode or QR code, and what converting one into the other really means
A QR code is a 2D barcode. How it differs from a 1D barcode, how to turn a barcode into a QR code by re-encoding its digits, and why the checkout wants bars.
5 min read
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Choosing a barcode for warehouse, asset and inventory labels
Which symbology to put on a bin, a carton, an asset tag or a 5 mm component, plus the X-dimension and print settings that decide whether it scans at all.
8 min read
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Data Matrix vs QR code: which 2D symbology for your label
Data Matrix code vs QR code: a side-by-side table, real module counts for the same data, why Data Matrix wins on a 5 mm part and QR wins when a phone scans.
9 min read
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EAN-13 vs UPC-A: which one your product needs
UPC-A is an EAN-13 with a leading zero, so the real question is where your number came from. Digit counts, check digits, GS1 prefixes and the case code.
6 min read
Design
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Which QR code colour combinations actually scan
Yes, QR codes can be coloured, as long as the modules stay much darker than the background. Contrast ratios that scan, the ones that fail, and white codes.
8 min read
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QR code error correction: what L, M, Q and H really cost you
Higher error correction is not automatically safer. Here is what each level recovers, what it costs in capacity and module size, and when to use which one.
6 min read
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Putting a logo in a QR code without breaking it
Error correction level H tolerates about 30 percent damage, which is not permission to cover 30 percent of the code. Here is the size that actually survives.
7 min read
Security
Tracking
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Tracking printed QR codes with UTM parameters
How to tag a printed QR code so scans show up as something other than direct traffic, what the tags cost in module count, and a naming scheme that survives.
7 min read
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Static vs dynamic QR codes, and which one you actually need
Dynamic codes buy an editable destination and scan analytics, and charge rent for both. Here is what each type costs and the middle path most people want.
6 min read
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