How to put a QR code generator into your website or blog with one line of (cut and paste) HTML.

Just copy and paste the line of code below into any webpage of your site.

<iframe width="560" height="300" src="https//www.qr4.nl/igen.aspx?key=MYKEYVALUE" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Replace MYKEYVALUE with your *free key you can collect at the QR Code API Key Generator, and you are in business and should see a QR Code Generator that looks like this:

Personalizing and translating the QR code generator to meet your needs

With some simple instrictions you can configure the QR code generator to meet your website colours, fonts and even translate the text to the language of your choice. Complete information on customizing the look and feel as well as translation options can be found on the 'Iframe QR Code Generator' page.

What is QR code error recovery

Error recovery in QR codes allows pieces of information in the QR code to be damaged or missing and still have the ability to be read correctly. In a nutshell, it does this by using some very clever complex algorithms to place 'compressed duplicated' information in different places of the QR code, so if some data goes missing it can (try too) reconstruct the missing pieces using the remainder of the existing code.

There are four different settings available that can be chosen from before creating the QR code, Each one allows for a different amount of data loss.

7% Loss Recovery	15% Loss recovery	25% Loss Recovery	30% Loss Recovery

So why not always make QR codes that support 30% loss recovery?

The higher the damage recovery percentage, the more room is needed inside the QR code to encode and store the information vital to recovery. Below is a URL QR code of the same URL and created using the four different error compensation selections.

7% fault tolerant	15% fault tolerant	25% fault tolerant	30% fault tolerant

Scan any of the four codes and they will all take you the same URL. the left QR code is more sensitive to damage then right one. Lets put this to the test by taking the first and the last QR code and 'damaging' them proportionately in favor of the smaller QR code.

Bad QR code	QR code still readable

Clearly the 30% fault tolerant QR code on the right still scans even though a big piece of its data has been obscured, while the smaller code on the left no longer works at all, even though visually it has less data damage.

This same technique is used to create designer QR codes. Making QR codes pretty by damaging the data but at the same time keeping them scannable and working.

How to use QR code error recovery

When creating QR codes for example business cards, the chances of it getting dirty are rather low and you want the QR code as small as possible. Here a standard 7% error threshold is enough and very suitable for cards and other printed matter. However if are going to use QR codes outdoors, on cars and trucks or any place where data may be obscured by dirt then setting the error correction to a higher setting is advisable although chances are you will land up with a bigger image.

TIP: Do not believe everything people tell you about QR codes...ask them to prove it and show you!
Myth: 'you can tear a QR code in half and it can still be read'
Here's what a British 'technology consultant' had to say during an interview on business hub radio...

Should you have any questions or need professional advise QR code use and strategy, please contact us.

Automating QR codes

Using data files to generate loads of QR codes, how to do it.

Ever needed to create a load of QR codes and wished there was a way you could use a data file and get back a load of ready to use QR codes? Well now you can.

Online QR Code Batching

This online service accepts Excel spreadsheets in the right format, then creates the QR codes in the format you require (bitmap/vector or both) and returns these in a zipped folder which is ready for immediate downloading. To match the generated QR codes to your data file, the system uses the row number and the caption text (if any way provided). This way you can easily match which QR code belongs to which data record.

Just download the ZIP file and extract the QR codes.

Next time you need QR codes fast and have not got the time to tpye it all in by hand and request then one by one, try the online batch QR code generator at QR4. We do with QR codes what others only talk about.

Just how transparent are your QR codes.

And I do mean literally as can be seen below. It's a bit like hiding QR codes in plain sight.

Transparency allows the QR codes to blend in with the surrounding and not being 'so loud'. On the left is a normal code with the standard black and white colours as all good bar-codes should be. As we move to the middle both the background and foreground colours have been adjusted with opacity and the transparency allow the background to 'shine' through. The image on the right is a perfect test pattern as I found that only the latest versions of QR code readers will decode it.

Did you know that most of the on-line QR code generators of QR4 and 0D0A support transparency and opacity.

Making transparent QR codes.
Each QR Code generator has a colour management components that resembles the image below. Here the current background and foreground colours are shown.

By clicking on the colour button a colour dialog display is opened and here is where the fun begins.

At the bottom of the panel the radio-button "A" (Alpha channel) should be selected this exposes the transparency and opacity settings which can be typed in as a percentage or the slider can be used to make it more or less transparent. The checkerboard pattern shows how transparent or opaque you colour is. Basically that is all there is too it. One golden tip when working with transparency and QR Codes is test, test, test and test again. Also of interest may be the previous article on working with colours and QR codes, before you get stuck into transparent codes.

If you have any questions regarding the use of colour and transparency with QR codes, please contact us.

Social Media QR codes

More fun with social media QR codes, this time a QR code of a Facebook profile page.

Just enter the URL of your Facebook profile page, generally a reference the Facebook with your user name is enough, like https//www.facebook.com/jeroen.steeman as shown above. Choose the title  or name you would like at the top of the QR code and change the size of the text to suit. Push the 'Generate QR Code' button and you have your own unique Facebook profile QR code you can anywhere.