Good looking QR codes have a scan rate at least 4 times higher than normal black and white QR codes. But that's not all, branding QR codes with your company color and logo promotes brand awareness and provides additional and easy exposure to the mobile market.

Ch'ing-Wa Sheng

He's the mastermind behind the shop. He wanted that everyone should be able to make unique customized QR codes in a fast and easy way. We gave him our QR code generator, pots of paint, a roller and some brushes and asked him to show us what exactly he had in mind. And this is what he came up with....

We thought his idea was rather cool so we made it mobile friendly and added the ability to dynamically add new languages for him. It currently has five languages, managing translations and adding new languages is a breeze.

Who wants a custom QR code shop

Retirement looms for Ch'ing-Wa Sheng and he is looking for candidates to continue in his spirit. If you are interested in running a custom QR code shop, then check out how it works here and get in touch with us.

Using styled QR Codes to get your Pinterest pins exposed to mobile devices and smartphones.

If you have a Pinterest account, you can coonect mobile devices directly to your pin collection, simply place your Pinterest account details in the generator with possibly a caption with a discription of your pins. To determine your account settings see the image below.

Pinterest Pins QR Code Generator

Another great way to expand your social media presence on mobile devices.

Expand your Xing social network using QR codes

Xing is mobile friendly and QR codes are thus an ideal way to expose your Xing social media profile and gain more contacts and credibilty in your network circles. If you don't know what Xing is, check it out here...https//www.xing.com/

All you need is to know your Xing profile information, enter this in our free online styled Xing generator, and you'll have the perfect tool to use in brochures and other printed matter to allow mobile devices and smartphones get connected to you.

Another great free social media QR code support tool from QR4 to boost your social media presence.

Active on other social media platforms? Then our other services may also interest you!

• Your Facebook profile QR code
• A Facebook Page 'Like" QR code
• Personal LinkedIn QR Code
• Pinterest Pins
• YouTube Video Links
• Sending Twitter Tweets via QR codes
• Styled Twitter 'Follow Me' QR codes
• Expose your twitter profile to mobile devices

Have we missed something? Need a QR code to get your social activitity more mobile? Let us know what you need and we'll make work of it.

Never The Same Color QR codes

An abstract QR code generator, using a random number generator to determine the unique color of each element of the QR code. It also allows you to change the shape of the elements between square and round or use both. It's called the 'Candy QR code generator'.

It creates transparent background PNG bitmap files at a pretty reasonable resolution. Every QR Code that is generated is unique in it's color composition, even if the information inside it remains the same.

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.