Printing QR codes

Sizes, DPI, substrates, inks and durability. The cluster where a wrong answer costs a print run.

• Pre-press checklist for QR codesEight checks before any print run: scan a physical proof from the real distance, verify size against the ten-to-one rule, confirm the four-module quiet…
• What DPI should a QR code be printed at?Print QR codes from vector artwork — SVG or PDF — and DPI becomes irrelevant, because the RIP renders exact edges at the device's native resolution. If…
• What size should a QR code be?Printed width should be at least the scanning distance divided by ten. A code read from 30 cm needs 3 cm; from 2 m, 20 cm; from 10 m, 1 m. If there is not…
• QR code durability outdoorsOutdoor QR codes fail from UV fading, water ingress, abrasion and lichen — in that order. Use error correction Q or H, a UV-stable substrate with matt…