QR codes for print shops

Clients hand you QR codes every week, and you are the one who hears about it when a code will not scan. ovbq makes files that print sharp at the right size and checks each code before it goes to press.

SVG files at the exact size

Every code downloads as an SVG, a vector file that stays crisp at any size. Enter the print width first, and the SVG carries that physical size, so it lands in your layout at the right scale. When a job needs a raster file instead, the PNG is made at 300 pixels per inch for prints up to about 16 in wide (8 in with a logo, 10.7 in with a dot style, a gradient or a frame). For bigger prints, use the SVG or PDF. PDF and EPS files are there too, at the same physical size. Which file to use.

A checker that works like a press check

Next to the preview, the print checker reviews the code and gives each point a plain verdict:

• Size. Pick how far away people will stand, enter the width, and it tells you whether the code is big enough and, if not, the smallest safe width.
• Contrast. It measures the code color against the background. Under 4.5 to 1 the download is blocked, because many phones would fail to read it.
• Light on dark. Light dots on a dark background need a checkbox before download, since some scanner apps cannot read them at all.
• Red codes. It warns you when a checkout scanner that uses red light may not see a red code.
• Border. It confirms the white margin is in the file.

The quiet zone comes with the file

A QR code needs a clear margin of 4 modules, the small squares that make up the pattern, on every side. Scanners use that margin to find where the code starts. Every ovbq download includes it, and the checker's sizes count it, so its numbers are larger than the table's in our printing guide, which leaves the border out. When you place the file, keep the margin free of text, rules, photos and background patterns, and do not crop it to save space.

Fewer reprints for your clients

When a client prints a fixed code and their web address changes later, every flyer and sign has to be printed again. An editable code avoids that. It holds a short ovbq link, and the client can change where it goes after the job is done. It is worth suggesting for anything with a long life: shop signs, packaging, vehicle graphics and menus.

Each editable code lives in one account, so it is best made in the client's own account, where they can change it without calling you. Editable codes are for website links. A client with a lot of printed material can see the plans on our pricing page: Free covers 2 editable codes, Pro 50 for $9 a month, and Business 500 for $29 a month.

The pricing page has yearly plans too.

Free fixed codes for any job

For codes that never need to change, use the free QR code maker on our home page. It needs no account, and we do not save what you type. It makes website link, Wi-Fi, contact card and more codes, in any colors that pass the contrast check, with an optional logo. A fixed code holds its content inside the pattern, so it keeps working without ovbq.

Before the full run

Print one copy at the final size on the final stock. Scan it from where people will really stand, with a couple of different phones. Glossy stock and glare lower contrast, so check under the lights where the piece will hang. Our guide to printing QR codes that scan lists the numbers we use, including the smallest module size.