Branding Reason

Tips for Using QR Codes

You’ve probably seen these weird boxed images before.  If you aren’t familiar with them, they are called QR or 2D codes, which you can scan using your smartphone to perform certain actions. Search your phone’s app store for “QR” to find a scanner.  With them, you can take the user to a website, load a map, or even have them call or text a number.  

If you are familiar with them, you may be wondering how you can use them to help your business.  QR codes can be a lot of fun when executed properly, but they can also be frustrating for the user when executed poorly.  To help you avoid those issues, we are going to begin a series on smart ways to use QR codes.  

Tip #1: Make sure your code works in its final deliverable form.  Whether it is printed or published online, the code needs to be large enough for a phone’s camera to distinguish the unique pixels in the square.  The code above is considered small.  I have used a code half this size, but the pixels were fewer and easy to distinguish.  The longer the url you are directing your user to, the more complex the code will be.  Take this into consideration when sizing your image.  Additionally, make sure the code doesn’t become fuzzy or distorted.  

To generate your codes, I prefer to use QR-Code Generator. Not only do they allow you to select the output size of your code (small, medium, large), put you can save the image as a file for print use or copy the permalink for web publishing.  

If you have a tip or success story using QR codes, let us know.