Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
_______________________________________________________________
09 April 2014
ProQuest
Table of contents
1. QR Codes 101.............................................................................................................................................. 1
09 April 2014
ii
ProQuest
Document 1 of 1
QR Codes 101
Author: Lehan, Chris
ProQuest document link
Abstract: In the past two years, we've heard quite a Quick Response (QR) Code buzz in the printing industry. In
an increasingly wireless world, they offer instant gratification. Invented in Japan in 1994, these codes are
becoming more commonplace in the United States, particularly as smart phone usage grows.
QR Codes are two-dimensional matrix (as opposed to bar) codes that connect the physical world to the Internet.
The connection takes place when a user scans a QR Code using a smart phone equipped with a camera and
appropriate application. Denso-Wave, the inventor, retains the patent but allows anyone to use it license-free
(see www.denso-wave.com/qrcode/aboutqr-e.html). It is now a published ISO standard that any company may
use to encode text data, including URLs, into a scannable image. (See "Quick Response," July 2010.)
Full text: In the past two years, we've heard quite a Quick Response (QR) Code buzz in the printing industry. In
an increasingly wireless world, they offer instant gratification. Invented in Japan in 1994, these codes are
becoming more commonplace in the United States, particularly as smart phone usage grows.
QR Codes are two-dimensional matrix (as opposed to bar) codes that connect the physical world to the Internet.
The connection takes place when a user scans a QR Code using a smart phone equipped with a camera and
appropriate application. Denso-Wave, the inventor, retains the patent but allows anyone to use it license-free
(see www.denso-wave.com/qrcode/aboutqr-e.html). It is now a published ISO standard that any company may
use to encode text data, including URLs, into a scannable image. (See "Quick Response," July 2010.)
QR Codes - as well as ScanLife Ezcode, Microsoft Tag and the other 50 or so types of 2-D codes in the public
domain - provide a lighting-fast connection between advertisers and consumers. Advertising typically contains a
call to action: A consumer is asked to call a phone number, go to a store, visit a domain, etc. With most
advertising vehicles, there's a lag time - a gap between consumer awareness and any subsequent action.
Mobile marketers call this "drop off." 2-D codes eliminate that lag time. A person can scan the code and
immediately activate the mobile action with an instant response on his or her phone screen.
Scanning a 2-D code eliminates the need for the user to manually key text - the code immediately transports the
user to a URL, plays a video or displays text. A 2-D code storing a URL can be printed in magazines or on
signs, business cards, buildings or just about any physical object where a person interacting with it might need
information.
There are many creative uses for 2-D codes and many yet to be invented. Careful thought and execution is the
key to success when incorporating 2-D codes into a business model or marketing campaign. Properly executed,
they are a great way to augment a business.
It's best to test, test and test
It only takes one negative experience to alienate consumers. Test your codes with several different mobile
devices. Just because a code resolves on one device doesn't mean it will work properly on another. For true
verification, use a professional-grade barcode scanner.
At Impressions, we use an Integra 9500 scanner. It provides a detailed report and overall grades ranging from A
to F. Just as with most schools, "C" and higher are passing grades.
Make it as easy as possible
Realistically, some consumers won't know what 2-D codes (or QR Codes) are. Others might be familiar with the
concept but hazy on using them. Be descriptive in your marketing. Include a sentence along the lines of, "Scan
this code with your mobile phone. You'll need a free reader - download it here: [URL]. Or, simply text [CODE] to
this number." Keep it simple.
09 April 2014
Page 1 of 5
ProQuest
Page 2 of 5
ProQuest
creating and decoding codes. Because they are more compact, the code will either be smaller or can be read at
a greater distance if printed the same size as another code.
Datamatrix is 30% to 60% more spatially efficient for encoding the same data - it's easier to fit the code on the
page or screen. "Datamatrix has proven to be the most space efficient of all the two-dimensional symbologies,"
according to the Consumer Electronics Assn.'s R9 Automatic Data Capture group in a comparison done while
developing the IEC 62090 specification.
Datamatrix and QR Codes can be created using a variety of 2-D code generators. Codes such as Ezcode and
Microsoft Tag are proprietary; other generators can't create them. Users might find themselves in a vulnerable
position if a provider of proprietary codes exits the business, encounters server issues or starts charging for a
formerly free service. (See "QR Codes vs. MS Tags," January 2011.)
Cracking the code
A cheat sheet for would-be code warriors
Just the facts
QR Codes were invented in 1994 as a means to inventory automobile parts. They are a registered trademark of
DensoWave, a Toyota subsidiary.
Denso-Wave retains the patent but allows anyone to use the QR Code license-free. It is now a published ISO
standard that any company may use to encode text data, including URLs, into a scannable image.
QR Codes are comprised of cells that represent bits.
Most 2-D codes are monochrome while MS tags are 4-color. The QR Code is the most widely used, primarily
because it can hold the most data.
Microsoft Tag codes account for the lion's share of the mobile action code market; QR Codes are a distant
second. JagTag and other tags that require the user to take a picture and send it to a URL account for a fraction
of the market.
Approximately 30% of QR Code data is redundant, which allows for data correction if the symbol is partially
damaged.
How it works
An advertiser creates and places a QR Code, Microsoft Tag (shown) or other 2-D code in a printed piece or
publication.
Next, the user takes a picture of the code with a smartphone. The phone app sends instructions via the Internet
to start the mobile engagement.
A mobile service receives instructions and initiates a mobile experience delivered via an application or a web
browser.
Key points for printing a la code
Keep the code simple.
Using a code as a pointer to a URL (online) is more efficient than storing all of the information in the code
(offline).
Offline codes should be used for small amounts of text such as a phone number or contact information.
A URL shortener can be used to reduce the number of characters and final pixel count. In general, codes
should be a minimum of one square inch.
Ensure the success of the code. Verify that the code scans; test the code on a variety of devices or verify it with
a professional-grade barcode scanner.
Be descriptive and tell the user what to do. Incorporate a line or two with the code that explains what the code
does, how to scan it, and how to download a reader.
Including a Short Message Service (SMS) can ensure the user will make it to the destination if he or she can't
scan the code.
Chris Lehan is director of product development for Impressions Inc. Contact him at chrisl@i-i.com. Impressions
09 April 2014
Page 3 of 5
ProQuest
Inc. (St. Paul, MN) is a privately held, family owned printing and packaging company specializing in production,
printing and packaging for the pharmaceutical, medical device, personal care, software, specialty food and
private label industries. See www.i-i.com.
Offline vs. online
Offline codes do not require an Internet connection; they are resolved directly on the mobile phone because the
data is retrieved from the code itself.
Online codes require an Internet connection or phone service and point to a URL, which triggers an interaction
with the server. When a code is used as a pointer, information can be updated at the URL - all of the 2-D codes
that have been published will remain up-to-date. The code itself never changes, as it only contains a fixed-size
web address. An online code used as a pointer to a website is much cleaner and more efficient than an offline
code that encodes all of the information directly. Many mobile readers have difficulty with a code greater than 33
x 33 mm (about 50 to 100 characters).
Offline codes are best used for small amounts of text such as a phone number or brief contact details.
Direct vs. indirect
Direct codes typically are larger than indirect codes because they contain the full URL of the content associated
with the code. After scanning, a direct code is decoded by software on the mobile device, which sends the
extracted URL to the mobile device browser as if it had been keyed in:
Scan code >decode >arrive at final URL.
Indirect codes, by contrast, store an index to a database containing information about the code. Users can track
metrics such as the scan frequency and demographics. Like direct codes, software running on the mobile
device decodes the code. But here the software creates a URL to a web address specified in the application
containing the index and passes it on to the final destination:
Scan code >decode >intermediate URL >reference index >arrive at final URL.
Subject: Technology; Printing industry; Smartphones;
Location: United States--US
Classification: 8690: Publishing industry; 9190: United States
Publication title: American Printer
Volume: 128
Issue: 2
Pages: n/a
Publication year: 2011
Publication date: Feb 2011
Year: 2011
Publisher: Penton Business Media, Inc. and Penton Media Inc.
Place of publication: Chicago
Country of publication: United States
Publication subject: Printing
ISSN: 07446616
CODEN: APRTBC
Source type: Trade Journals
09 April 2014
Page 4 of 5
ProQuest
_______________________________________________________________
Contact ProQuest
Copyright 2014 ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. - Terms and Conditions
09 April 2014
Page 5 of 5
ProQuest