QR code guides.
Short, practical answers to the questions people ask before they print a QR code.
Basics
- Basics · 7 min readWhat is a QR code? How the pattern works and what it can holdQR codes look like random noise, but every square has a job. Here is how the pattern stores data, how a phone reads it and why a damaged code can still scan.
- Basics · 6 min readHow to scan a QR code on any phone, tablet or computerMost phones can scan a QR code with the built-in camera. Here is how to do it on iPhone and Android, how to read a code that is already on your screen, and what to do on a laptop.
- Basics · 7 min readHow to make a QR code: a step-by-step guideMaking a QR code takes a few minutes. Making one that scans first time, looks right and prints sharply takes a few extra checks. Here is the whole process.
- Basics · 5 min readDo QR codes expire? What really makes a code stop workingA QR code has no built-in expiry date. When a code stops working, the cause is almost always the service behind it, not the code itself.
- Basics · 6 min readStatic vs dynamic QR codes: which one should you use?Static codes are fixed and free. Dynamic codes can be edited and measured. Here is how they differ and when each one makes sense.
- Basics · 6 min readAre QR codes safe? How to spot and avoid QR code scamsA QR code is just a way of storing text. The risk is where that text sends you. Here is how QR code scams work, what to check before you tap, and how businesses can protect their codes.
- Basics · 6 min readQR code error correction: how the L, M, Q and H levels workError correction is what lets a scratched, smudged or logo-covered QR code still scan. Choosing the right level is a balance between toughness and size.
- Basics · 6 min readHow to track QR code scansKnowing whether a printed code gets scanned turns a guess into a decision. Here are the two ways to measure scans, what the numbers mean and what they cannot tell you.
Use cases
- Use cases · 6 min readHow to make a QR code for a restaurant menuA menu QR code takes a few minutes to set up. Getting the page, the placement and the printed fallback right is what makes guests actually use it.
- Use cases · 6 min readHow to make a WiFi QR code guests can scan to connectA WiFi QR code lets guests join your network without typing a password. Here is how it works, which settings to choose and how to share it safely.
- Use cases · 7 min readHow to put a QR code on your business cardA QR code on a business card should save you into someone's phone in one scan. Here is how to choose between a vCard and a link, what to include and how to print it so it works.
- Use cases · 6 min readHow to make a QR code for Google reviewsA review QR code takes customers straight to your Google review form. Here is how to get the link, where the code works best and which rules you must not break.
- Use cases · 6 min readHow to use QR codes at events, from invitations to feedbackFrom the first invitation to the last feedback form, QR codes save attendees typing and save organisers reprinting. Here is which code to use at each stage.
Printing
- Printing · 6 min readQR code size for printing: minimum sizes, distance and resolutionHow big a QR code needs to be depends on how far away people stand and how much data it holds. Here are the numbers, plus the file and print settings that matter.
- Printing · 6 min readQR code not working or not scanning? A troubleshooting checklistMost scanning problems come down to a handful of causes. Work through this checklist in order to find yours, from the phone to the print to the link behind the code.
Design
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