QR code
A square barcode that stores a web address, read by a phone camera so a visitor opens the page without typing anything.
Updated August 14, 2026
A QR code is a square grid of black and white cells that encodes text — in marketing, almost always a web address. Every modern phone camera reads one natively, which makes it the standard bridge from something physical (packaging, a poster, a receipt, a table card) to something online.
Length matters more than it looks. The longer the address, the denser the grid, and a dense grid needs to be printed larger or scanned closer to survive. Encoding a short link rather than a full campaign address keeps the pattern coarse, which is why the same code still scans from across a room or off a crumpled flyer.
Three practical rules cover most failures: keep the pale margin around the code clear, keep dark cells on a light background rather than the other way round, and export SVG for anything that will be resized so the cells stay crisp instead of blurring. Then test by scanning the actual printed piece — not the file on your monitor.