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What is a static QR code?
A static QR code stores its content directly in the pattern: a web address, Wi-Fi details or a contact card. It works without any service in between, but the content can’t change after printing.
What is a dynamic QR code?
A dynamic QR code stores a short link run by a service. The service redirects each scan to a destination you can change at any time, and it can count scans. The code keeps working only while that service and link stay active.
What is a short link?
A short link is a brief web address that redirects to a longer one. Dynamic QR codes use short links, and you can also share them on their own in emails, posts or print.
What is the quiet zone?
The quiet zone is the empty margin around a QR code. DENSO WAVE specifies four modules on every side for a standard QR code. Without it, phones can struggle to find where the code starts.
What is a module?
A module is one square of the QR grid. The more data a code holds, the more modules it needs, so each module gets smaller at the same print size.
What are finder patterns?
Finder patterns are the three large squares in the corners of a QR code. They tell the phone where the code is and which way up it is. Designers call them the eyes or markers; their shape can be styled as long as they stay clearly visible.
What is error correction?
Error correction adds redundant data so a phone can still read a code that is partly damaged, dirty or covered by a logo. Higher levels recover more damage but make the code denser.
What is a QR code version?
The version is the size of the grid, from version 1 (21 × 21 modules) to version 40 (177 × 177 modules). Longer content needs a higher version, which needs a larger print to stay easy to scan.
What is a vCard?
A vCard is a standard format for contact details. A vCard QR code lets people save your name, phone, email and company to their contacts in one scan.
What is NFC?
NFC (near-field communication) lets a phone read a small chip in a card or sticker by touching it. An NFC business card can open the same page as a QR code, for people who prefer to tap.
What are UTM parameters?
UTM parameters are tags added to the end of a web address, such as utm_source=poster, so analytics tools can tell which campaign a visit came from. Dynamic QR codes can add them to the destination for you.
PNG or SVG?
PNG is an image made of pixels: fine for screens and small prints at the size you export. SVG is a vector file that stays sharp at any size, which printers prefer for large signs and packaging.
Questions, answered
Can a QR code have a logo in the middle?
Yes. The logo covers some modules, and error correction rebuilds the missing data. Keep the logo small, use a higher error correction level and test the code before printing.
Do QR codes expire?
Static QR codes never expire, although the page they open can disappear. Dynamic QR codes keep working while the service and link that run them stay active.
How small can a QR code be?
It depends on how much data it holds and how far away people scan it. Print a test at the real size and scan it from the real distance with more than one phone.
By QRflick · How these guides are prepared
