QR codes are on restaurant menus, product packaging, posters and invoices. Yet most businesses pick the wrong type at setup and only find out when a reprint is needed.
What a QR code is
A QR code is a machine-readable pattern of black and white squares. It can hold a web address, contact details, a Wi-Fi password, a location, an email or plain text.
When a phone camera reads the code it decodes the data and takes the user to the relevant action.
Static vs dynamic: the decision that matters
In a static QR code the data is baked into the pattern itself. Once printed, the content cannot be changed. It works offline, depends on no server and never expires — but you cannot count scans.
A dynamic QR code points at a short link. That intermediate step buys you two things: you can change the destination at any time, and you can measure every scan.
Which one?
The rule is simple: can the content change?
- Static: business card details, Wi-Fi password, fixed location
- Dynamic: menus, campaigns, posters, packaging, event tickets, catalogues
Print a static code on a thousand boxes and then change the destination page, and you have a thousand dead codes. With a dynamic code the same situation is a single update in your dashboard.
Creating one
Pick a type, enter the content, set the design, download. Four steps.
On the design side you can match colours, eye style, matrix pattern and frame to your brand, and place your logo in the centre.
The right format for print
PNG is fine on screen. For anything headed to print, use SVG or PDF. These are vector formats — enlarged to poster size, the edges stay clean.
Blow up a PNG and it pixelates, and scanners start to struggle.
Readability: the most common mistake
Heavy styling can render a code unreadable. Watch for:
- Contrast: dark pattern on a light background. The reverse fails on most scanners.
- Logo size: a centred logo should not cover more than about 20% of the code.
- Quiet zone: leave space around the code. One pushed against an edge will not scan.
- Error correction: raise the level if you are using a logo.
- Size: at least 2×2 cm in print, larger if it will be scanned from a distance.
Test with several different phones before you save. A code that looks good on screen has not necessarily been scanned.
What the scan data tells you
With a dynamic code every scan is recorded: date, location, device type. That answers questions print rarely can.
Which store's poster got more scans? What time of day do people look at the menu? Did the leaflet drop work in that neighbourhood? This is one of the few ways to measure the return on printed material.
In short
Creating a QR code is easy; picking the right type is what counts. Use dynamic codes for anything going to print, download in a vector format, and test before publishing. Those three rules prevent most of the expensive mistakes.
