Planning QR codes for print

A printed QR code cannot be corrected afterwards. If it is too small, leads nowhere or will not scan, the mistake sits on thousands of flyers or every poster site. So here more than anywhere: plan and test first, then print.

Size and distance

The right size depends on the distance a code is scanned from. As a rule of thumb for the minimum:

• Flyers and business cards: at least 2 × 2 cm.
• Roll-up banners and stands: at least 5 × 5 cm.
• Posters: 8 cm and more. The greater the distance, the larger the code.

The shorter the encoded address, the coarser the pattern and the easier it scans. A very long address produces a dense pattern that needs more room.

Quiet zone and contrast

• Quiet zone: leave a free margin of at least four modules (four squares of the pattern) around the code. Text, images or the edge of the paper must not reach into it.
• Contrast: a dark code on a light background is safest. Many cameras read light codes on dark backgrounds and low-contrast codes poorly.
• Decoration in moderation: logos in the middle or colour gradients reduce readability. If you use them, you need a higher error correction level and an especially thorough test.

One code per medium

If the same poster hangs in five places and all carry the same code, you only see the total. Create a separate link for every medium and location, with its own placement, for example poster-station and flyer-trade-fair. That way you can tell later which one worked. How values are named is governed by your naming convention. For Matomo, the article Campaign tracking in Matomo covers per-location values in the section "QR codes and print".

Static or dynamic

• Static code: contains the full address. It works without any extra service and for as long as the target page exists. The target cannot be changed after printing, and scans are not counted.
• Dynamic code: points to a short address that forwards to the target. The target stays changeable after printing, and scans can be counted. In return the code depends on the service that does the forwarding. Check how long the provider guarantees the redirect, because if the service ends, every printed code leads nowhere.

For material with a long life, the deciding question is who owns the short address and who will still be running it in years.

Test before printing

1. Scan the code with at least two devices, an iPhone and an Android device.
2. Scan it from a proof print at the real size and the real distance, not from the screen.
3. Check that the right page loads in the right language and the visit shows up in your analytics with the expected values.
4. Only then approve the print, and keep the files together with the link and the test result.

Feinwerk Campaigns

Feinwerk Campaigns creates static QR codes for your links, with download as SVG, PNG, PDF or EPS and a note on the minimum size. Dynamic codes Coming soon cannot be used yet. Printed QR codes never hit a dead end. More in the handbook under Short links and QR codes; to take part in the pilot, see the pilot page.