The Case for QR Codes

One handy feature in InDesign is the ability to generate QR (quick response) codes within an InDesign document. QR codes are a special kind of barcode in the form of a square mosaic pattern—you’ve probably seen them increasingly appearing on posters, advertising, and packaging. But what made the InDesign team decide to add them to their software? Believe it or not, the development of this feature started with the Senior Product Manager, Chris Kitchener, working in his backyard, putting together a trampoline for his kids. Somewhere in the middle of the project, Chris realized he was totally lost. Fortunately, there was a QR code in the printed instructions. Chris used his smartphone to scan the code, which opened a video that demonstrated all the steps necessary to finish the job. This personal experience showed Chris the importance of QR codes on printed material and how adding them to InDesign could benefit users.

Where QR Codes Came From and Why They’re So Ugly

QR codes didn’t start out as a means for watching trampoline videos on a smartphone. They were created in 1994 by Denso Wave, a subsidiary of Toyota. The information in the codes was used to help track the thousands of parts necessary to assemble cars. QR codes were an improvement from the standard barcodes that are applied to packaging and books. Those codes are considered one-dimensional, as their information is read only across the code. But bar codes require quite a bit of space to be read correctly and are limited to providing only 20 digits of information. Denso Wave needed a way to put more information into a smaller area. Their solution was to create a two-dimensional mosaic pattern that is read both horizontally and vertically. This allows the QR code to represent up

to 7,089 numbers or 4,296 alphanumeric characters—way more than a plain barcode—in less space (Figure 1).

But coming from a manufacturing background, QR codes were never supposed to look pretty. In order to be scanned correctly, there needs to be a clear area between the mosaic pattern and any other text or lines. There also needs to be a high contrast between the code pattern and its background. However, that doesn’t mean that the codes have to be black on a white background. You can choose any combination of high-contrast colors—blue on pink, brown on yellow, red on gray. You can even put the QR code pattern on an image, as long as there’s enough difference between the pattern and the background. Even with that degree of flexibility, it’s unlikely that many designers are initially thrilled with the thought of incorporating QR codes into their work. But once you understand the benefits of QR codes for your readers, you may feel better about making room for them in your layouts.

Types of QR Code Data

There are nine different types of data that QR codes can contain (Figure 2). However, currently InDesign can only create five of them.

How Much Are They Used?

According to an article by Marketing Charts, while not yet a mainstream activity, the use of QR codes is growing. They are especially popular in China (30% of smart phone users have used them) and South Korea (38%), with the US running a close third at 24%. They are also popular in Turkey, India, and Brazil (Figure 3). These numbers indicate that there is a use for QR code marketing in all sorts of media.

Unfortunately, the use of QR codes in marketing depends on educating the user base on their availability. Given the explosion of QR codes in advertising, magazines, and packaging, it’s hard to find anyone who hasn’t seen a QR code. People may not know what they’re called, but they definitely know what they look like. According to the 2013 BrandSpark/Better Homes and Gardens American Shopper Study, 83% of North American consumers are aware of QR codes, and 47% of those have used their mobile device to scan one at least once. Among those that have scanned a code, almost half did so from a magazine (49.8%), in-store sign (49.3%), or packaging while shopping (49.2%). The numbers are lower for news­papers (17.7%) and transit ads (8.7%).

The Possibilities of QR Codes

It doesn’t take much effort to see how QR codes can help any marketing plan. Many advertisers now include a code on their print ads and posters. Sadly, most of these codes only take the reader to the product’s website. But codes can do so much more! In 2011, Macy’s unveiled their “Backstage Pass” campaign, which uses QR codes located in the stores. Customers scan the codes to open videos from Macy’s celebrity partners such as Tommy Hilfiger, Jennifer Lopez, P. Diddy, and Martha Stewart (Figure 4).

In Austin, Texas, the bus stops for the MetroAirport bus have posted QR codes you can scan to receive up-to-date information about when the next bus will arrive as well as a route map. Tesco’s Home Plus supermarket chain in South Korea uses QR codes in a unique way. They do not have as many actual stores as their major competitor. So Tesco places photographs of store shelves in bus stops and subway stations to create virtual stores. Shoppers can then scan the QR codes for products on those virtual shelves to fill a shopping cart in their smartphone (Figure 5). The items are delivered when the commuter gets home that evening. Restaurants are getting in on the act too. Several restaurants in Vancouver, BC are using QR codes to provide diners with information about the ingredients used in their meals. I visited a restaurant in Austin, Texas that has a QR code printed on their bar napkins. When I scanned it, my phone opened a web page with discounts at the various branches of the restaurant (Figure 6). I particularly liked the added message “My, you are tech savvy, aren’t you?” QR codes have also found a home in books. My own InDesign CC Visual Quickstart Guide uses QR codes to add multimedia to print. In previous editions of the book, I used arrows in illustrations to indicate motion in the document. However, this edition has QR codes in the margins of the book next to those illustrations. Readers can simply scan the QR code, and a YouTube video opens explaining the technique (Figure 7). This has been very helpful for showing how to use intricate features such as the Pen tool. It was particularly helpful that InDesign has a QR code creator within the application. With over 150 videos in the book, I could easily create the QR codes without leaving my InDesign layout. We also chose a cyan-colored code that matches the highlight colors in the book—much less clunky than black codes would have looked. Tech-savvy companies have found many uses for QR codes. Google employees have QR codes with their contact information on the back of their business cards. The recipient gets to read the contact information and then scan it into their smartphone. Because all the data is encoded in the QR code itself, this works even without a web or WiFi connection. AARP magazine ran a cover story on Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford. Readers could use a QR code in the magazine to view a video of the two women in their photo shoot. This is the type of information that a print-only publication couldn’t ordinarily provide. The Trada building in Boulder, Colorado has a large QR code on the outside. Scanning the code brings the viewer to the website of the company developing the building (Figure 8). Taco Bell and ESPN have used QR codes in an ad campaign for the Bowl Championship Series college football games. Customers scanned QR codes on the food containers. The code took the viewers to exclusive videos of ESPN analyst Mark May previewing upcoming games. Taco Bell has even created print ads with QR codes made from avocados and lemons. When scanned —and amazingly, they do scan correctly—they open web pages with the recipes that inspired new Taco Bell dishes (Figure 9). QR codes don’t even have to be scanned from printed images. I recently went to an event where the presenter projected a QR code onto the screen in the room. Attendees could scan the code to then open an online survey that rated the content of the presentation.

Tell Your Viewers What To Expect

Not too long ago, it was necessary to put instructions next to QR codes explaining how to download the software that reads them and what to do with it on your smartphone. Then, you might not have needed instructions for how to use them, but you might have wanted to suggest where your customers could download the software. Today, most QR codes appear without any instructions at all. Still, you should probably tell your viewers what they can expect if they scan the QR code. For example, a QR code on a package of vegetables might have a label explaining that the code will provide recipes for using those vegetables. A QR code in an ad might explain that you can use it to send an email requesting more information about the product. Some companies also alert their viewers that there may be data charges for accessing the code information. Other uses are self-explanatory; you don’t need to explain the QR code on a business card.

Creating and Modifying QR Codes

It’s very simple to create a QR code in InDesign. Choose Object > Generate QR Code. The Generate QR Code dialog box appears. Use the Type menu to choose one of the five types of QR codes. Then fill in the appropriate fields for that type of code (Figure 10).

Click the Color tab to select a solid color swatch (sorry, no gradients) for the QR code, and then click OK. A loaded cursor appears. You can then drag to create the QR code at whatever size you want. As they are simple vector objects, you can scale the codes to any size without worrying about resolution issues. If you want to edit the information in the code, select it, and then choose Object > Edit QR code. The Edit QR Code dialog box appears where you can change the code. QR codes are pretty robust, with redundancy built into each pattern. This means that a slight scratch on one part of the code doesn’t destroy the integrity of the information. It also means it is possible to add a logo to the center or side of a QR code without losing the information in the code (Figure 11). You can add a QR code to t-shirts, cups, or balloons, and it will work. Several companies are alreadycreating temporary tattoos of QR codes. These make for fun activities at corporate events. They work—even applied to the bumps and wrinkles on skin. (I suppose you could get a tattoo artist to ink a permanent one if you really wanted to, but I’ll pass.)

Editing in Illustrator

InDesign’s QR code objects are embedded PDF files, but they don’t appear in the Links panel. This means you can’t manipulate the objects directly in InDesign. But you can use Adobe Illustrator to modify the code in many ways. Double-click with the Selection tool, or use the Content Grabber to select the embedded PDF object within the frame. Copy and paste it into an Illustrator file. You now have native Illustrator objects that can be modified using Illustrator tools or pasted back into InDesign for manipulation. (See the sidebar for information about a product that does this for you within InDesign.) But be sure to test codes that have been modified, and for best results, use them at a rather large size. Also note that you may get different results with different mobile devices. Devices with higher resolution cameras can scan more QR codes accurately.

Software for Reading QR Codes

There are many QR code reader apps for Android phones available at the Google Play store. Even better, the Galaxy S IV and some Sony and Nokia models come out of the box with a QR scanner already installed. This trend may extend to future Android devices. Of course, the best feature for a smart phone would be pattern recognition that would automatically open a QR code reader if the code pattern appeared in the camera lens. While Apple doesn’t include built-in QR scanners in its mobile devices, there are easily over 250 readers in the App store. Some code readers work better than others. I have had great luck with the NeoReader and Bakodo for the iOS.

Pushing the Envelope

There are countless ways to enhance print content with QR codes. Couple that with the fact that it’s almost trivially easy now to create these codes with InDesign CC, and you can’t help but get excited. If you’re like me, you’ll probably start spotting great places and uses for QR codes everywhere you go. In the meantime, here are just a few more ideas to get you thinking.

• A cookbook can include QR codes to show videos to demonstrate the tricky parts of recipes.
• Magazines can use QR codes to bring audio and video content to print versions.
• Restaurants can post QR codes at every table so diners can access a list of daily specials.
• With a QR code on a movie poster you could view a trailer, and even buy tickets.
• Household appliances can have QR codes linked to the owner’s manuals, or the manufacturer’s customer service number or email address.

And to think, all of this (and more) is possible to create with InDesign, partly because of one man’s struggle to assemble a kids’ trampoline. After reading this article, I bet you can tell how I feel about QR codes. But just in case it’s not totally clear, scan this illustration for the answer.