Quick Response (QR) codes were popular even before the coronavirus outbreak, but they are now ubiquitous, appearing on everything from restaurant menus and tickets to billboards and advertisements.
These square codes are quick and simple to use, and because Android and iOS users can scan QR codes with their phone’s default camera, they don’t require any specific software or updates to use your code. Furthermore, QR codes don’t require any physical touch to interact with, so it’s no surprise that they’re gaining popularity.
If you’ve ever wanted to create your own QR codes, you should know that it doesn’t need a lot of technical knowledge or time. All you need is the correct program and the material to encode, which will be presented differently depending on how you use the black and white pattern.
What QR codes may be used for
QR codes may hold up to 4,000 characters of text, which might range from a simple message to a link to follow or a file to download. These images are most generally used to hold internet URLs, therefore they are typically used to redirect clients to their corporate website, their bar’s drink menu, or their new app.
However, these patterns are capable of much more. You may, for example, encode your contact information in a QR code and put it on your business card. When someone scans it, all of the information you’ve supplied will appear in their default contacts app, ready to be stored.
If you own a live music venue, you could have a QR code put on the bottom of posters advertising upcoming events that would send customers directly to the website where they can purchase tickets.
On a more basic level, you could wish to develop a QR code that provides login information for your home’s or Airbnb rental’s Wi-Fi network. Upon entering, guests may scan the code, which would connect them to the wireless internet without the need to seek for a network name or provide a password.
It simply takes a minute to create QR codes for these easy applications. There are more complex applications of these patterns, such as login directly into websites or apps. They need some programming knowledge and special code, so if that’s what you want to accomplish, you’ll have to do additional research.
How to Generate Your Own QR Code
There are several online and smartphone apps that can cheerfully produce QR codes for you. There aren’t many distinctions between them, and to some extent, any of them will do for your QR code-generating needs.
QR Code Monkey is one of the most user-friendly and diverse solutions we’ve seen, enabling QR codes for websites, social networking profiles, email addresses, Wi-Fi codes, app store URLs, and more. To begin, select the sort of material you wish to include in your QR code (text, link, or anything), and the input fields will alter appropriately. Fill out the Enter content field with your information, then click Create QR Code to produce the graphic.
The Set colors option allows you to adjust the colours of the QR code, while the Customize design option allows you to customize the appearance of the barcode. Meanwhile, the Add logo image section allows you to place your corporate logo in the center—this has no effect on the readability of the code, which will continue to scan normally.
Use the slider underneath the QR code you produced to choose the size of the completed graphic, then click Download PNG to save it to your hard drive. You may then use the code everywhere you want for free—it will not expire.
More powerful QR code manufacturers are available for serious business use. Consider QR Code Generator, which starts at €120 euros (about $145) each year. This is a high amount to pay, but in exchange, you receive extensive graphic design options and data, such as how many times people scan your QR code every day.
There are also several mobile options accessible. As with online apps, there are several options, but we’ll focus on QRbot for Android and iOS. The program is lightweight and simple to use, and it also functions as a sophisticated QR code reader.
To generate a new QR code in the app, touch Create and then select the type of barcode you wish to generate. The app will urge you to enter the necessary information, such as the website URL or contact information, and your QR code will show on the screen. To save it, select PNG. The QR code generator is free to use, but you may pay a one-time $7 charge to remove adverts and gain access to other features such as an infinite number of QR code scans.
