What is a QR code?
The QR code term stands for Quick Response Code. QR codes are square barcodes (two-dimensional barcodes) that were first developed and used in Japan. Like any other barcode, a QR code is nothing more than a way to store information in a machine-readable optical label. The data contained by a QR code can be anything from simple text, to email addresses, to phone numbers and so on.
QR codes store data using patterns of black dots and white spaces, arranged in a square grid. These patterns can be scanned and translated into human readable information, with the help of an imaging device, like a camera or a scanner, although the most common way to scan QR codes nowadays is to use your smartphone's camera and a specialized app for reading QR codes.
Why are QR codes useful?
QR codes are easy to generate and use. They are a convenient way to store all kinds of data in a small space. If the data you want to store in a QR code is made of only alphanumeric characters, a single QR code can hold up to 4000 characters.
What are QR codes used for?
As they can store different types of information, QR codes are used for many purposes. QR codes are commonly used for holding data such as:
- Simple text - welcome messages at conferences
- Addresses - personal home address, business address
- Phone numbers - personal telephone number, your company's phone number
- E-mail addresses - personal or business accounts
- URLs - addresses of websites or specific web pages
- Links to apps - found in app stores such as Google Play or Apple's App Store
- Payments - QR codes can store information about your bank account or credit card
- Online accounts authentication - websites can display a QR code which a registered user can scan with his or her smartphone and automatically login
- WiFi authentication - QR codes can be used to store WiFi networks authentication details such as SSID, password and encryption type: when you scan such a QR code using your smartphone, it can automatically join that network
- Other various uses - such as funerary (in Japan, there are tombstones with QR codes that point to web pages that hold information about the deceased), or for transcripts and degrees (used mainly in India, China, Mexico)
The truth is that you can store lots of types of information in a QR code and it all depends only on your imagination. For example, you could also use a QR code to point someone to your Facebook page, or you could use it to display a poem you wrote. It is all up to you.
Where are QR codes displayed?
You can find QR codes in all kinds of locations, but some of the most common places where you can see them are:
- On business cards, containing contact details of all kinds
- On the packaging of smartphones and other gadgets, containing links to apps, the support service for the gadget that you purchased, the product page with information about that gadget and so on
- On TV advertisements, billboards, online ads and other types of advertisements
- On inventory tags in enterprises, containing information like serial numbers, part numbers, hardware specs, inventory dates and so on
In short, you can place a QR code on anything that can be seen and scanned with a smartphone: from a piece of paper to a piece of cloth, to a TV screen or a building facade. The possibilities are endless.
How do you scan a QR code?
The easiest and the most common method to scan QR codes is to use your smartphone and a QR scanning app. There are countless QR scanning apps in Google's Play Store, and there are also plenty of such tools in Apple's App Store. Usually, all you have to do is to point your smartphone's camera to a QR code, and the QR scanning app translates it. If you happen to use an Android smartphone or tablet, an iPhone or iPad, or even an old Windows 10 Mobile smartphone, there are several guides that were published which can help you:
- 5 best apps for scanning QR codes on Android devices
- The best 7 QR code reader apps for iPhones and iPads
- How to use the QR codes shown by Windows 10 BSODs to learn what's wrong
- Top 4 QR code scanners for smartphones with Windows 10 Mobile
How do you create a QR code?
Before creating your QR codes, first, make sure that you know what kinds of information you want to store and where you intend to distribute the QR codes. Once you have that figured out, use your favorite web search engine and look for "QR code generators." There are plenty of such free tools on the internet, and these two are some of the best: QR Stuff and QR Code Monkey.
QR Code History
In 1948, Pennsylvania, USA, Graduate student Bernard Silver overheard his Dean and the President of a local store. The discussion was about creating a technology that could read product information during checkout. This, would cut down human errors and relieve the workers from the pain of manual data entry. After a few tests, Bernard and his friend Norman Joseph Woodland created the first Barcode. By late 70’s, Barcode became an integral part of inventory management. Particularly in retail and automobile manufacturing.- Unidirectional - Barcodes are one dimensional (1D) and store data in one direction only. If the Scanner is not aligned in that direction, the barcode will not scan
- Storage Capacity - Barcodes can store up to 20 characters only
- Size -The more the characters, the longer the Barcode. Printing a long barcode on a small product is a challenge
- Vulnerable - Barcodes stop working when affected by dirt or damage
- Encoding - Barcodes can only encode alphanumeric characters
To overcome the limitations of Barcodes, development on 2D Barcodes began. In 1987, David Allais developed the first 2D Barcode. Even this code has its limitations but it was predecessor to the popular PDF417. Soon QR Code, Aztec Code, DataMatrix, Nex Code, and many other 2D Barcodes entered the market. Unlike 1D barcode, these were compact and could store more data. Most 2D Barcodes remain proprietary and thus failed to achieve mass adoption.
- Storage Capacity: QR Codes can store up to 7,089 numeric characters (without spaces). Or 2,953 alphanumeric characters with spaces and punctuation
- Smaller Size: For the same data, a QR Code takes up lesser space compared to a Barcode
- Orientation: A QR Code is scannable from any angle
- Encoding: QR Codes can encode numeric, alphanumeric, binary, and Kanji characters
- Error Correction: QR Codes remain scannable despite wear and tear (upto 30%)
The good news is that it is possible to design QR Codes, without affecting scannability. This feature allows marketers to add QR Codes to their marketing campaigns. Popular apps like Snapchat and Messenger have taken this to a new level. They have deviated from the QR Code standard and are using codes customized to their brand.
QR Code Alternatives:
Riding on the popularity of QR Codes, Denso Wave has now developed advanced versions. There are Micro QR Code, iQR Code, SQRC, and Frame QR. While these are superior in technology, they are not public domain like QR Codes. Some marketers claim that Augmented Reality and NFC are the future of offline-to-online marketing. No doubt these technologies are superior to the QR Code. But they are neither affordable nor universal. For example, majority smartphones still do not have NFC readers. For every AR campaign, users will need to download a new app. The bottomline is technology has advanced but QR Code has held its fort since 1994.
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