How big does a QR code need to be?
The 1:10 rule of thumb is right, but only for short content. How reading distance, content and quiet zone fit together — with a calculator to try it out.
Guide
How big a code needs to be, why some free codes lead nowhere after the trial period and how to spot a fake one. This is what we learnt while building qrmacher.de. There is no sales pitch, because there is nothing to buy here.
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The 1:10 rule of thumb is right, but only for short content. How reading distance, content and quiet zone fit together — with a calculator to try it out.
Why some free codes lead nowhere after the trial period, how to spot that before printing and how to keep the destination changeable anyway.
Parking meters with codes stuck over them, fake parking tickets, letters from your supposed bank. How the scam works and how to check a code before you open it.
Not scanning at all, only on some phones, or just showing text? Three questions help you find the cause, usually within a few minutes.
What the four levels mean, how much space they cost and why a logo in the middle is less harmless than it looks.
Five kinds have a page of their own with a generator, instructions and the questions that come up most often.
Menu, review page, appointment booking: any web address, direct and without a redirect.
Name, phone and email in one code. The phone turns it into a contact.
Opens the maps app at the right spot, with a street address or accurate to the metre.
Guests scan and they are online, without typing out a password.
For invoices and donation appeals: the banking app takes over payee, IBAN and amount.
Which kind suits which purpose is set out in the overview on the home page: Which code for what