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Printing QR Codes correctly

Printing QR Codes correctly

Although QR Codes can be found on displays, they are most often placed on printed material or physical objects. Basically, the Codes can be printed on any surface, but certain advertising media are more appropriate than others.

The best place for your Code

The important thing is that the potential customer can scan the Code at all. Since a scan takes a certain, albeit very short, time, moving advertising media such as automobiles and trains are only partially suitable for the placement of Codes. Posters, brochures and magazines are a much better choice. However, it depends on the type of industry your company is in and your marketing strategy.

The right advertising media for your campaign are those that reach your target audience the best. Do you consider brochures and promotional gifts to be the most effective way to get in touch with your customers, or do you prefer to place your Codes in magazines or journals? The choice is yours!

Your QR Code is especially effective if many potential customers can notice it on the run. This is the case with posters, POS displays or shop windows.

Of course, a Code is only useful if your customer also has Internet connection on the spot. Thus, advertising in subways and airplanes is not suitable for QR Codes that link to Web pages, as the Internet connection in these environments is often interrupted or not available at all.

The right size in the design

If the user can take the advertising medium, such as a brochure, in his or her hands, it is usually sufficient for simple Codes to have a size of 20 x 20 mm (around 0.8 x 0.8 in). At the same time, the larger a QR Code is, the more likely it is to be readable in bad light conditions.

The distance of the user to the Code should also be considered. Assuming, for example, that the customer is on a train platform and the Code is on a poster on the other side of the tracks, the Code must be printed in the appropriate size.

The increase in size of the Code is limited only by the size of the advertising medium. It should be noted that a larger Code also requires a greater distance when scanning - if your customer is standing directly in front of the oversized Code, he or she must first step away in order to scan it.

The appropriate material

When selecting the material, the goal is that the printed Code is readable and also remains readable for long. Since sufficient contrast is needed to scan a QR Code, the material should reflect as little light as possible. Instead of very glossy papers or mirror films rather select matt surfaces.

For Codes which are placed outdoors, it is important that their shape and color are not impaired by weather conditions too strongly for the duration of the campaign. Make sure that the printed material is as resistant to external influences and wear as possible.

Various requirements - different formats

Most providers of QR Codes offer you various image file formats to choose from when exporting your Code. These are optimized for different requirements. We offer you the Code as JPG, PNG, SVG and EPS files.

JPG and PNG are raster formats, in which your Code is stored as a pixel graphic file. This is recommended if the Code is printed in small dimensions, as these graphics can be easily integrated into other files.

EPS and SVG are vector formats. That means, in this case, your Code is saved not in pixels, but through certain parameters. Graphic designers and print shops are happy to work with vector graphics, as they can be enlarged to any size without the loss of quality. If you want to spread your Code over a large area, these formats are particularly suitable.


QR Code tracking explained

Read more about QR Codes in the next chapter.

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