QR codes are back everywhere — on menus, posters, packaging, business cards. Making one is easy. But there's a catch hiding in a lot of the free generators, and it's worth thirty seconds to understand before you print a code onto five hundred flyers.
Static versus dynamic — the part nobody explains
A static QR code has your link baked directly into the pattern. It works forever, it's genuinely free, and no one can switch it off. A dynamic code, which many services push, doesn't contain your link at all — it points to their server, which then redirects to you. That's handy because you can edit the destination later, but it also means your code depends on their service staying alive and free. When the trial ends or the company folds, the code can stop working or start showing something you didn't put there.
For most uses — a menu, a wifi login, a link to your site — a static code is exactly what you want. It's yours, and it can't expire.
How to make one
- Open the QR Code Generator and type in your link or text.
- Download the code as an image.
- Scan it with your own phone before you print or publish it — always test the real thing.
Print tips that save a reprint
- Leave a clear margin (the "quiet zone") around the code — scanners need the empty border to lock on.
- Keep strong contrast: dark code on a light background reads best. Fancy low-contrast colour schemes fail in the real world.
- Don't print it too small. If it's on a poster people scan from a distance, bigger is safer.