Due to the popularity of QR Apps that can be installed on smartphones and iOS devices, QR codes are also becoming popular in business cards. QR codes can contain web site information, text, VR cards, scripts, and other digital information. They're great for providing instant access to web sites and company information.
There are quite a few sites that provide a free online service for designing QR codes such as QR Code Generator and Kaywa. However, in most cases, these free services provide limited flexibility in terms of scale and quality. The QR codes are saved as PNG or even JPEG - formats that aren't recommended for large-scale printing or resizing. They will work when printed as is. However, due to file limitations, QR codes in PNG or JPEG aren't the best for poster printing or business cards. Resizing or blowing these bitmap images may result in unreadable QR codes.
CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator can easily convert these PNG QR codes to Vector images. Vector images can easily be resized without any loss in fidelity or data.
To convert a PNG QR code in CorelDRAW X5 to Vector format:
1. Click File then Import. Select the QR code PNG or JPEG file. The QR code image will be inserted into the CorelDRAW document window. In the screenshot below, the QR code's size is larger than the business card.
2. Select the QR code image using the Pick Tool. Launch Corel PowerTRACE by clicking opening the Bitmap menu, then Outline Trace and High Quality Image. Alternately, click Trace Bitmap on the Property Bar and select Outline Trace then High Quality Image.
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| Bitmap menu. |
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| Trace Bitmap on the Property Bar |
3. In the PowerTRACE window, drag the Smoothing controls to 0. Ensure that Corner smoothness is also 0 and that Detail is at the maximum setting.
4. If needed, remove the background color by checking Remove background and using the eyedropper tool or checking Automatically choose color. Click Ok.
5. The document window will display a vector version of the QR code. If needed, delete the imported PNG image. The QR code can now be scaled, moved, and resized without any loss in data.
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| The Object on the right is a Vector version of the QR code. |
Tips for Printing and Testing QR codes:
1. When placing QR codes in business cards, test different sizes. The appearance and complexity of a QR code is dependent on the amount of information "embedded" on it. For instance, a web site produces a simple QR code while a a whole block of text (e.g. contact information, address, etc.) produces a more marked design. Complex QR codes work best in large sizes while simple QR codes would work at a smaller size.
This QR code includes a complete set of contact details.
This QR code provides a web site link only.
2. Try different scanners and different devices. Besides iOS devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, test the printed QR code on a Blackberry and Android phone.
3. Consider the paper and medium. Business cards are printed on different types of paper of varying brightness, sheen, and color. Print out a proof first.
4. Use different Scanner apps. The iTunes Store has quite a few free QR scanners such as i-nigma QR, Scan, and QR Code Scan. Some work better than others. The i-nigma QR scanner, for instance, was able to read a poorly printed QR code that was cropped in the bottom while the two other apps failed. QR code scan needed more light in order to interpret the QR code (i.e. the iPod Touch's camera failed under dim light). Also, some apps boast the ability to scan a QR code from different angles.
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