QR Code Tool

[Hangman]

Hi @Tim France,

I was also going to ask whether there is a reason for not providing a vCalendar preset. Is that because the format isn't directly supported by Android (though there are options to get around that)... or would you consider adding that as an additional preset? It's quite a handy one to have when sending invites to events, save the date etc., via email though I realise these can again be added using the Text preset, not everyone is going to want or understand how to do so effectively, hence the idea of presets...

[garrettm30]

7 hours ago, Gabe said:

As far as I'm aware, we will not be adding the logo "feature". This is not something that is part of the QR code spec, and having a valid QR code with a logo in the middle simply relies on the error correction to account for the "covered" pixels. I think a middle ground would be to expose the error correction levels and let those who want a logo experiment with its size and error correction levels until they find settings that work for them. 

I think that is a sensible approach. I am afraid you are stuck in an awkward position on this, because most users are not aware that adding the logo is essentially a hack, and instead they will think it is a limitation in Affinity. I am a fairly technical person, programmer and all, but I wasn’t aware until this discussion that adding those logos was an out-of-spec approach that merely relies on error correction. Probably most people have no idea: they see some tools that allow it, and they assume it must be a legitimate option. Now that I know that it is just something that works even though it wasn’t intended, I would be hesitant to try it, because I would never know whether I added enough error correction.

[kat]

What is error correction? Quiet zone is just a bit of space around the QR code, correct?

[Hangman]

4 minutes ago, kat said:

What is error correction?

I'm quoting here...

"In QR Codes, error correction is handled by the Reed-Solomon Error Correction algorithm. Every time a QR Code is created, the original data is converted into a polynomial, the number of unique points required to define that polynomial uniquely is determined, and this point set is added back into the QR Code so that it then also contains the original data expressed as a polynomial.

Long story short - the Reed-Solomon algorithm leaves data that enables QR Code scanners to rebuild the entire QR Code, even if a part of it is damaged or missing. You can also say that the QR Code data is “mathematically backed up."

To put it simply...

"There are four levels of error correction to choose from, depending on the damage you expect your QR Code to sustain.

• Level L: 7% of data can be restored
• Level M: 15% of data can be restored
• Level Q: 25% of data can be restored
• Level H: 30% of data can be restored

While having as much error correction as possible is ideal, higher levels require more modules*. As we have seen, larger module configurations require a larger area/QR Code size for better scannability. If there are severe size constraints, choosing Level L, where only 7% of the data is retrievable, is ideal."

*a module is each individual square that makes up the complete QR Code, the more complex the information contained, the more modules required in the QR Code..

11 minutes ago, kat said:

Quiet zone is just a bit of space around the QR code, correct?

Correct, as a general rule of thumb this should be 4 times the size of the smallest module on each side of the QR Code...

[kat]

@Hangman

I'm doing an 8 x 10.5 in newsletter. What size should my QRs be and how much quiet zone?

[Hangman]

Hi @kat,

5 minutes ago, kat said:

I'm doing an 8 x 10.5 in newsletter. What size should my QRs be and how much quiet zone?

Hopefully, this will help...

https://tritonstore.com.au/qr-code-size/

[kat]

1 hour ago, Hangman said:

Hi @kat,

Hopefully, this will help...

https://tritonstore.com.au/qr-code-size/

How Small Can a QR Code be Printed and Still Work?

The best QR code print size, excluding the quiet zone, is 2 cm by 2 cm (0.8 inches by 0.8 inches).

However, a QR code can still be scannable even if it is smaller than the ideal size, provided that the scanning distance (QR code distance from the scanning device) is less than 5 centimetres (1.97 inches). QRs printed on business cards, visiting cards, tickets, and other forms of paper media are great examples of small-sized QR codes.

What is The Ideal Size of a Digital QR Code?

Digital QR codes work best when sized at least 240 by 240 pixels (6.35 cm by 6.35 cm) with a minimum of 72 DPI (dots per inch) resolution.

 

How Much White Space do You Need Around QR Codes? / How Much Margin Should I Keep Around a QR Code? / What is an Ideal "Quite Zone"?

The size of a “quiet zone” depends on the size of your QR code. To achieve maximum scannability success, ensure the QR code is surrounded by a “quiet zone” of around 15% of the entire QR code dimension.

For example, if the QR code dimensions are 20 cm by 20 cm (7.87 inches by 7.87 inches), then the quiet zone should be at least 3 cm (1.18 inches) on all four sides.

[fde101]

7 hours ago, garrettm30 said:

Now that I know that it is just something that works even though it wasn’t intended, I would be hesitant to try it, because I would never know whether I added enough error correction.

This is one of the benefits of having the tool add the logo for you.

Back toward the beginning of this thread, I showed screenshots from iQR, an app I have from the Mac App Store to generate QR codes.

That app has a built-in validator, that given the resolution of the QR code, actually "scans" the generated code internally to make sure it will read cleanly with the specified settings.  Because it adds the logo itself, it can account for that when validating - the final result with the logo on top is validated by the program and it gives you an indicator (the green checkmark along the bottom) telling you that it will scan well - or warns you with a different indicator when it is marginal or when it will not.

It can also adjust the error correction automatically based on this result, increasing it when possible with the resolution specified, where doing so will make the code read cleanly when otherwise it might not.

The Affinity apps could take a similar approach to validate the resulting QR code that is being generated, but if the logo is not accounted for by the app, then the validation would not take it into account.

I would suggest that as this is a shape, the logo could be specified simply by making it a child layer of the QR code itself.  The child layers would draw on top of it just like any other child layers, and if they are included in a render of the QR code which is run through a validator, it could be performing that test on behalf of the user.

[Alfred]

13 hours ago, Hangman said:

Hopefully, this will help...

https://tritonstore.com.au/qr-code-size/

Thanks for the link, @Hangman. Very informative, but they got this bit back to front:

Quote

Scanning Distance

The first and most important factor in determining the size of a QR code is the distance from which it will be scanned. The larger the scanning distance, the bigger the QR code should be.

There is a standard rule for choosing the right size for a QR code. According to the rule, the ratio of the scanning distance to the size of the QR Code should be at least 10:1. In other words; the ideal QR code minimum size is equal to the scanning distance divided by 10.

For example, if the expected scanning distance is 50 inches (127 cm), then the ideal QR code size should be at least 5 inches by 5 inches (12.7 cm by 12.7 cm) or 480 pixels, excluding the quiet zone.

The ratio of the scanning distance to the size of the QR code should be at most 10:1. If it were at least 10:1, then 12:1 would be acceptable and therefore a 5-inch QR code would be suitable for an expected scanning distance of 60 inches.

[Hangman]

4 minutes ago, Alfred said:

The ratio of the scanning distance to the size of the QR code should be at most 10:1. If it were at least 10:1, then 12:1 would be acceptable and therefore a 5-inch QR code would be suitable for an expected scanning distance of 60 inches.

I believe what they are saying is that the 10:1 ratio is a 'fixed' or 'optimal' value that shouldn't be exceeded, i.e., if you were 60 inches away your QR Code should be 6 inches, otherwise you could apply the math to say:

• With a 20:1 ratio if you were 100 inches away your QR Code could still be 5 inches or
• With a 12,672:1 ratio if you were 1 mile away your QR Code could still be 5 inches

Which clearly makes no sense...

[Alfred]

2 minutes ago, Hangman said:

I believe what they are saying is that the 10:1 ratio is a 'fixed' or 'optimal' value that shouldn't be exceeded

Yes, “shouldn’t be exceeded” (or in other words “at most”) is clearly what they meant to say, but they said the opposite!

[Hangman]

30 minutes ago, Alfred said:

Yes, “shouldn’t be exceeded” (or in other words “at most”) is clearly what they meant to say, but they said the opposite!

I think they've qualified it pretty clearly by saying...

"The ideal QR code minimum size is equal to the scanning distance divided by 10"

and by citing an example...

"For example, if the expected scanning distance is 50 inches (127 cm), then the ideal QR code size should be at least 5 inches by 5 inches (12.7 cm by 12.7 cm) or 480 pixels, excluding the quiet zone."

I'm pretty sure most people will understand this in the way it is intended and if in doubt refer to other articles for clarification...

[joe_l]

May not contain semicolons? Or should not contain semicolons?

The validation seems to be not too strict in 2437.

 

[Hangman]

1 hour ago, joe_l said:

May not contain semicolons? Or should not contain semicolons?

The validation seems to be not too strict in 2437.

As far as I'm aware, semi colons are an acceptable as part of a Street Address so I'm unsure why that tooltip is being displayed...

[joe_l]

What is the field Notes for? Personal notes that nowhere appear or should they appear, when the vcard is added to contacts? They do not appear in the contacts, at least on my Android phone.

[Hangman]

QR Code Text Entry Field Issues/Differences

• On Mac the text entry field is non-scrollable using a Magic Mouse, on Windows it is scrollable albeit (as previously mentioned) there is no scrollbar on Mac or Windows
   
• On Mac text in the text entry field is ranged left, on Windows it is justified
   
• There is a visual difference between the Mac and Windows QR Code Data Field in the context toolbar, on Mac, it appears with a black background and on Windows with a light grey background
   
• On Mac hovering over the QR Code Data field in the context toolbar, the tooltip shows 'The data contained in the QR Code', on Windows the tooltip shows the entire content of the Text field
   
• It would be extremely helpful if this particular preset was expandable vertically on both Mac and Windows

[Hangman]

1 minute ago, joe_l said:

What is the field Notes for? Personal notes that nowhere appear or should they appear, when the vcard is added to contacts? They do not appear in the contacts, at least on my Android phone.

Notes appear automatically as part of on an iPhone Contact and are part of the vCard spec. On Android, depending on your phone, I believe you have to add Notes manually by clicking the Info ('i' in a circle) in Contacts, then the Pencil (Edit) icon followed by 'View More', then scroll down to Notes, add a note then click 'Save'.

I'm assuming, based on your post that a Note included as part of a vCard isn't being added automatically on Android, is that the case?

[joe_l]

4 minutes ago, Hangman said:

I'm assuming, based on your post that a Note included as part of a vCard isn't being added automatically on Android, is that the case?

Yes. I can see the note in my QR code reader, but the note does not appear in the contact on my Nothing Phone 2.

[Affinity Info Bot]

The issue "QR code - wifi preset missing ; between Encryption type and password field " (REF: AF-2959) has been fixed by the developers in internal build "2.5.0.2449".
This fix should soon be available as a customer beta and is planned for inclusion in the next customer release.
Customer beta builds are announced here and you can participate by following these instructions.
If you still experience this problem once you are using that build version (or later) please reply to this thread including @Affinity Info Bot to notify us.

[Hangman]

38 minutes ago, joe_l said:

Yes. I can see the note in my QR code reader, but the note does not appear in the contact on my Nothing Phone 2.

If you click 'Edit' in Contacts then click 'View More' and scroll down to 'Notes' is the 'Note' field empty after scanning the VR Code and physically adding it as a New Contact to your phone? If it is then I think this may be a limitation with Android but perhaps others can comment...

[joe_l]

Yes, the field stays empty after adding a new contact.

Edit: Maybe it is my phone. Other generators do not work too with notes.

[Hangman]

7 minutes ago, joe_l said:

Yes, the field stays empty after adding a new contact.

Thanks for confirming... in which case I think it is most likely an Android limitation when using vCard...

Do you have the same issue when using the MECARD format, e.g., if you copy and paste this into the QR Code Text preset, I'm assuming you still don't see the Note...

MECARD:N:Cook,Tim;ADR:One Apple Park Way, Cupertino, CA 95014, United States;TEL:+14089961010;TEL:+17513123456;EMAIL:tim.cook@apple.com;URL:https://apple.com;BDAY:19600111;NOTE:”Apple Vision Pro, You navigate simply by using your eyes, hands, and voice.”;;

[joe_l]

7 minutes ago, Hangman said:

Do you have the same issue when using the MECARD format, e.g., if you copy and paste this into the QR Code Text preset, I'm assuming you still don't see the Note...

Correct. Not seeing the note. Maybe this is a limitation.

[Hangman]

4 minutes ago, joe_l said:

Correct. Not seeing the note. Maybe this is a limitation.

I think that is likely the case...

If you manually add a Note to either a New or Existing contact on your phone and then export the contact as a .vcf file and open it in a Notes or Text Edit app, is the Note exported as part of the .vcf file?

[walt.farrell]

14 minutes ago, joe_l said:

Correct. Not seeing the note. Maybe this is a limitation.

I see the note when I scan a QR code (made in 2.5.0.2437, Windows) with vCard info. I'm on a Google Pixel 7, using its Contacts feature (also Google-based).