The practicalities of using QR codes The first thing you must understand is that the QR code is in the image and the more text you are converting to a QR code, the more detail in the image. The ability QR reader is to scan that image successfully is dependent on a number of factors:
Now in the simplest case of converting a Web URL to a QR code, the result is a QR code with your URL displayed as a graphic image which is just fine stop however, few other matters you might like to consider are as follows:
Quite simply - QR codes are two-dimensional bar code, You may use them for sharing a variety of data such as contact info, website address or directions to a location embedded within any media but most commonly, print media. "QR" stands for "Quick Response", as the code can be scanned and decoded at high speed. With the appropriate QR Reader software installed on your camera phone it shows that embedded data on the phone in the relevant application relating to the type of data shared.
QR codes are very efficient and make use of the vertical dimension to store more data. Whilst most popular in Japan, they are used throughout the world and are becoming more popular within the advertising industry in a wide variety of interesting ways. They can be used in print advertisements, billboards, maps, business cards, product tags etc.
It is important to understand that it is not the size of the QR code image that determines the minimum size of your QR code. You QR Code is made up of modules (the little black squares you see making up the pattern) and it is the size of these module combined with you r phone camera scanning resolution that will determine whether the code can be read by the device.
Essentially the more data you put into your QR code, the more rows and columns of modules will be required in the QR code to compensate for larger amount of text data making up your QR code. Thus, depending on the amount of data converted which determines the number of modules and the physical representation of the QR Code image will determine your QR Reader’s scanning success based on your cameras resolution. Simply put – too much data squeezed into too small an image results in an unreadable QR Code.
Of course this is also impacted by the scanning distance – the distance the phone is held away from the QR code image. The further away the QR code is, the smaller it appears in the camera viewport, and so the smaller the modules will appear too. Once again, if the camera is held too far away, the modules become too small for the camera to read and the QR code won’t work.
A word of advice, for more complex (larger QR Codes, the longer it will take to scan and the more stable your camera needs to be so if you suffer the shakes holding your camera one handed, grasp it in 2 hands for the more complex codes.
For a more detailed explanation of recommended sizes go to http://www.qrstuff.com/blog/2011/11/23/qr-code-minimum-size
Courtesy of that article we provide the following examples to give you an idea of what QR codes look like as their data load gets higher, resulting in the modules getting smaller and the QR code image becoming more dense.
Basically there are a few approaches
It is essential to keep the amount of text you are converting into a QR Code to a minimum. For instance a vCard typically needs 240 – 270 characters while a URL may be 100 or characters. With use of URL shorteners, you can squeeze a URL down considerably and with some offering customisation of the URL created you can create tiny URL’s that may be a bit more meaningful.
No they don’t have to be black and white and yes you can not only use some colour but you can embed logos and icons. This is not always freely available but some of the QR generators such as www.azonmobile.com do offer this.
www.qrstuff.com offer an interesting feature which is to password protect access to the QR Code destination through the QR provider themselves.
The free QR code generator at www.azonmobile.com/qrcode-generator is probably one of the most robust and broadest featured free generators I have seen and I would thoroughly recommend this for a close look at.
What uses can you put your QQ Codes to? The limitations are only those set by your imagination. But to give you some idea here are some of our ideas for where you could make use of QR Codes.
Here’s a list of the top applications that I feel have the best combination of practicality, cost and impact:
If you would like to investigate or implement a marketing strategy around the use of QR codes then Top Left Designs are well positioned to talk to you about the various options and how to put your QR Code marketing strategy together.
https://www.topleftdesigns.com.au/my-assets/img/blogs/creative-qr-codes-victoria-secret-1.jpg
300 300
Written by: Greg Tomkins
on
https://www.topleftdesigns.com.au/_Assets/images/topleftdesigns_logo_h.jpg
379 118
We all send out 100’s of emails from our business every
week if not every day. Each one of these emails is a touch point with
your market be it direct or indirect.&...
There is no secret in the fact that in order to achieve success and grow your business, it is essential to have systems in place founded on sound business processes.
Business leaders...
I always say that there is no better way to provide a product and having used yourself first.Only then can you relate to the experience your customers will go through themselves.
Bef...
Back in 1999 I worked with a number of companies performing Y2K Audits for SME businesses and now I find that we are facing an even bigger threat. According to Damian Seaton of Read more
Right now the Queensland Government is just opened up Round 4 of its Small Business Digital Grants Program offering up to $10,000 towards the cost of purchasing hardware, software and servic...
