QR Code with Embedded Logo

[StargateCOlorado]

I came across a video on YouTube that showed embedding a Logo in an AF-generated QR code.  It came with a warning that it "might" interfere with the check-summing.  I haven't been successful in doing that, no matter how small I make the logo.  Has anybody been successful at generating the code with a graphic in it?

I have seen other QR (pay-for-play) generators that will allow inserted logos; they apparently place all of the QR code around the Logo without covering anything up (see attachment).  That would be a great enhancement in some future Affinity version.

--Ernie

[werfox]

Hi @StargateCOlorado,

I suppose that Serif wants to create QR codes according to ISO/IEC 18004:2024 and this norm prohibits such practice as this leads to deterioration
of the code data. 

If the (in case of the Affinity apps automatically chosen) error correction level is L (for Low), there is a risk that the created code
with an image covering its part cannot be scanned/decoded anymore.

You may still place a graphic on your own in the Affinity applications, but at the risk of non-conform code that could be damaged and/or become not scannable.

In the example above the error correction level is set to H(igh) and the payload ist only the URL (https://www.mainstreetlive.org) so a huge part of the code can be covered with the logo without affecting the machine readability.

Here an quick example with error correction level M(edium), made in APub 2.6.3(beta):

 

 

Best regards

[Bound by Beans]

@werfox is right.

The short explanation for less technical readers is that these sites place logos inside QR codes, and QR scanners and apps can still read them because QR codes are designed with built-in error correction. This means the code can still be scanned even if it's damaged—say, printed on paper and partially torn or smudged. So, it's really a creative use of QR codes and logos, not something that’s directly supported as a standard feature of QR codes.

More advanced QR code generators let you choose the level of error correction. In practice, higher error correction means more redundancy in the QR code—the same data is encoded in more places—so it becomes more resilient to damage or visual interference, like a logo placed in the center. However, this also results in a denser, more visually complex code.

So, placing a logo in the center assumes that the error correction level has been set appropriately for the intended use of the QR code with logo. If it’s going to be printed on paper that might get smudged or bent, that’s something the designer needs to take into account and adjust accordingly.

That would require Serif to build in some preventive code and usability features to keep customers from ending up with QR codes that are difficult to scan—and I can't exactly picture this company doing that.

[StargateCOlorado]

@werfox / @Bound by Beans,

I also tried generating the Code using Canva and then I was able to insert the graphic (using AF) and successfully read the URL.  What's the difference? Canva creates a Code with a slightly higher density.

Since Canva now owns Serif, I would have thought they'd simply migrate the Canva package into the Affinity apps.  I'm guessing that's not the case.

The QR generator seems to choose the density on its own without giving the user the opportunity to override the default.  That would be a great option to add.

--Ernie

 

[Ali]

I would welcome more functionality in the QR code object like this generator offers: https://www.qrcode-monkey.com/