QR generator and watermaking for Affinity Publisher V2

[Adam9393]

I would like to suggest some things which could be beneficial added to affinity publisher: 

 

- QR code generator

- watermarking

 

[Goofy]

On 3/11/2023 at 12:57 PM, Adam9393 said:

QR code generator

Me, too. I'd like to have such a tool. However, not solely reserved for Publisher alone, but that it is available for Designer as well.

[Komatös]

Hi @Adam9393 and @Goofy

For QR code generation, there are many websites that create codes for free.

For example here: https://www.qrcode-monkey.com

Watermarks can be created very well as an overlay asset.

[Goofy]

Thank you for replying.

 

3 hours ago, Komatös said:

For QR code generation, there are many websites that create codes for free

That is not entirely true. In case the user (like me) wants a QR-code in svg-format, most website are not free, or you need to register. The latter I want to prevent. In addition, I prefer a tool from a trusted source.

[v_kyr]

Well generating QRCode as SVG is pretty trivial to do and just a few lines of code in Python.

• qrcode.svg

[Goofy]

On 3/29/2023 at 10:16 PM, LondonSquirrel said:

What's the "normal" or acceptable size for a qr code in SVG format? I quickly knocked up a program in Go using a svg package. It certainly works but I don't know if 33k is "large" for a SVG of this type. This one goes to Google.

 

On 3/30/2023 at 2:01 AM, v_kyr said:

Well generating QRCode as SVG is pretty trivial to do and just a few lines of code in Python.

 

Sorry for my late reply and thank you for replying. Completely forgot about it. Anyways, although I could take the effort building something myself in Python, I do not want to, simply because this is not what was initially requested here. In other words, for those, you are not programmers, it would nice to have these features directly available in the Affinity suite.  

[v_kyr]

6 hours ago, Goofy said:

In other words, for those, you are not programmers, it would nice to have these features directly available in the Affinity suite.  

Of course that would be fine, but it could take years until something like that would be directly included. Thus if you need something right now don't wait and use some workaround.

[PaRunk]

Yes, I too would be very happy if there was a QR code and barcode generator in both Publisher and Designer. I always need these as vectors because I want to use them in variable sizes without losing quality. I would like to have the ability to create watermarks in Affinity Photo to protect images.
In the digital age, QR and barcodes are essential and are being used more and more frequently in advertising to obtain further information about products and the like in digital form.

[Wellswebtech]

I would definitely love to see a built-in QR generator / creator in Vector format on our Affinity Suite, it is definitely a requirement for business cards, would help with advertising posters, would just be an all round great addition to an existing great product.

[retrograde]

fwiw Inkscape can generate vector QR codes and barcodes and it's free. Bar and QR code bits starts at around 9:50.

There are some other cool features Inkscape has in this video but that would be another discussion...

 

[Börje]

I would also be very happy if a QR-Code generator would be implemented into the suite.

For business cards we use InDesign with data merge. We have all contact informations in an excel-sheet and have an additional cell where we put al the informations needed for a QR-code containing vcf-information. In InDesign then everything is put togehther automatically. no need to generate any QR-codes for all gthe different business cards. This is absolutely a time saver.

As long as this feature is not implemented into Affinity we are forced to use InDesign for the above mentioned tasks…

[Mario S]

I just realized that no QR code generators exist in any of the apps.

Even PagePlus has one. It's not particularly great, but it's still better than in InDesign.

The only thing worse than a bad QR code generator is having none.

This is very disappointing.

[Carlonike]

It would be very convenient to have a QR code or barcode generator also integrated with data input from a CSV source file where for example an Internet address is given and this is automatically converted into a vector QR code, or a number and this is converted into a barcode. This could also be done with other barcodes to generate labels for products or even newspapers and magazines to indicate the issue number. Now I always have to generate an image with an external programme and import it, which is extremely time-consuming and not very productive.

[Archangel]

On 3/29/2023 at 8:12 PM, Goofy said:

Thank you for replying.

 

That is not entirely true. In case the user (like me) wants a QR-code in svg-format, most website are not free, or you need to register. The latter I want to prevent. In addition, I prefer a tool from a trusted source.

I use QR Code Generator Pro available on Microsoft Store (The Pro version is paid for but allows SVG export.)

[ArturL]

I have a job which requires labels printing with a unique QR Code. Not one for all, but each label needs a unique QR code with a custom info behind it.
We are talking sequential code in tens of thousands of consecutive numbering and variations - so basically a variable data merge from a CSV to a custom QR Code.
It is fairly straightforward with InDesign which can do all of that in a single operation - so Data Merge & Custom QR Code generation on a template, which then is populated in required sequential number of times for further imposition onto larger sheet and subsequent printing / kiss cutting and so on.

It would be great to have such possibility with Affinity Publisher. Just the QR Code generator from a Data source (CSV, Excel, Database etc.).... 

[rikk]

I have to found it disappointing that I have not found a way to merge a data file into a project with Designer or any type of bar code generation. Maybe there is hope when V3 is released.

[loukash]

Sheesh.
On Mac, the App Store is literally flooded with QR code generators.
Here a free one that I just downloaded for the fun of it from the top of the search results that popped up by searching the store for "qr code":

^ This one saves as PNG.

To convert a PNG QR code to native vector directly in Publisher, check out my "accidental feature" tutorial: 

On 3/29/2023 at 9:12 PM, Goofy said:

In case the user (like me) wants a QR-code in svg-format, most website are not free, or you need to register.

Been using https://goqr.me for many, many years. Likely because it once popped up near the top of my initial Teh Intervebz search.
There you can download as SVG, EPS, PNG, and even (yuck! why would anyone ever want that?!) JPEG.

Hope that helps.  

[rikk]

Never thought of looking in the mac app store and thanks for sharing 

[fde101]

I am using one called iQR on my Mac, which is rather nice.  Came from the App Store.

 

Note that this thread technically violates the guidelines for this part of the forum in two ways: it has two requests in one thread, and both of them are duplicates.

 

On 3/11/2023 at 6:57 AM, Adam9393 said:

- watermarking

Is there a specific capability you are looking for that cannot be achieved simply by placing the text/image/shape as an object on your master page, reducing the opacity to taste, and moving it to the back?

If so, I would suggest adding that to an existing thread requesting that feature, rather than continuing yet another duplicate which only serves to spread out the conversation even further; here is one I found quickly where it is requested for Affinity Photo; expanding on that with what specifically you want to have happen and the request to include it in Publisher would be more appropriate than the duplicated thread:

 

[rikk]

Yes, I see now there are many options in the App store to explore, but sure would be nice to have this creation with Designer then option to connect up with data base or file to merge that info into a bar code. 

[Frederik Látka]

Chybí mi také generátor QR kódů a automatická vektorizace

[loukash]

31 minutes ago, Frederik Látka said:

Chybí mi také generátor QR kódů

Nojó, vono taky navigovat na https://goqr.me fakt dá takovou práci, že jo… 

[accesstime]

I also feel it would be well received, if there was a Barcode generator built into the affinity software. I have been using an online generator for one off codes and adding them into my Publisher work for some time now but feel that if a big job with multiple codes was needed, I would be unable to supply. 

[wonderings]

QR Generation integrated in with Publisher would be a nice feature. Yes you can create QR codes elsewhere, but can you create QR codes based on variable data? Not all QR codes are common in their use. I have a few clients who generate QR codes based on data, so each piece addressed to a person will have a different QR code, or for business cards when scanning the QR code it adds their contact info. This can all be done through a data merge and because Indesign has QR creation it can be done directly with the data, no manual creation of the QR code for each name. 

[LEB]

I agree that these would be great additions to Affinity Publisher.