Static vs dynamic QR codes

The tool above makes a static code: the URL is baked into the pixels. That is fine for quick, disposable uses. The moment a code goes onto anything printed — packaging, posters, menus, event badges — you want a dynamic code instead: a QR that encodes a short link, with the actual destination stored on a server you control. The print never changes; the destination can change every week.

Dynamic codes also measure. Every scan is a click on the short link, so you get scan counts, geography, devices and time-of-day for a printed medium that is otherwise a black box. Our QR marketing guide walks through where codes work, what sizes scan reliably, and how teams use the data.

Getting a code that actually scans

Three practical rules cover most failures. Contrast: dark modules on a light background — inverted or low-contrast codes fail on many camera apps, which is why the tool keeps the background white. Size: a rule of thumb is scanning distance divided by ten — a code scanned from 30 cm should be at least 3 cm wide; from across a room, proportionally larger. Quiet zone: leave the white margin around the code alone; cropping it is the single most common reason perfectly good codes stop scanning.

Error correction matters when a logo overlays the middle of a code. The QR standard reserves capacity to survive damage, and a logo is deliberate damage — the styled codes in the product raise the correction level automatically when you add one, and check contrast against your brand colours. See the QR studio for what the full version does.