A QR code takes seconds to generate, but a little planning makes the difference between one that works smoothly for months and one that confuses customers or stops scanning after your first print run. Here's how to do it right.
1. Decide what it should do
Before generating anything, decide the single action you want the scan to trigger: open a website, start a WhatsApp chat, connect to WiFi, save a contact card, or show plain text. Trying to cram multiple purposes into one code usually backfires — pick one clear destination.
2. Use the right QR type for the job
- URL — for menus, product pages, portfolios, or landing pages
- WhatsApp — opens a pre-filled chat, ideal for customer support or orders
- WiFi — lets guests connect without typing a password
- vCard — saves your contact details directly to someone's phone
3. Add color and a logo — carefully
Custom colors and a center logo make a QR code look more branded, but keep contrast high (dark code on a light background) and don't let the logo cover more than about 15-20% of the code's area, or scanners may fail to read it.
4. Test before you print
Always scan the code yourself with two or three different phones before printing hundreds of copies. A code that works on your test phone but not on an older Android camera app is a common, easily avoidable mistake.
5. Choose the right export size
A code destined for a small product label needs a higher error-correction level than one on a large poster, since it will be scanned from closer up but printed smaller. Export as SVG for anything that will be resized or professionally printed, and PNG for quick digital use.