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Known Participant
January 5, 2021
Answered

QR codes - customizing

  • January 5, 2021
  • 4 replies
  • 3932 views

Is it possible to customize QR codes in Indesign CC2019 or will it be in future versions? We currently pay for our QRs to be made. The only benefit to the subscription is that we can customize and put the our logo in the center.  Please advise.
Thank you,

Jill

 

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Correct answer Jens Trost

Yes, it is possible to customize QR codes IF you created them in InDesign.
Just select the QR code and the same menu item (Objects - Generate QR Code) you used for creating becomes "Edit QR Code" (or just Right-Click the QR Code -> Edit QR Code)

Placing a logo on top you have to do manually nevertheless.


Off topic: paying for QR codes?! There are ton's of good free QR code generator websites out there.

4 replies

Inspiring
June 23, 2022

If by customize you mean the look of the code, you can do that by copying the code and pasting the vector paths into Illustrator, where you can do whatever you like. Make sure you test the code though after your modifications.

James Gifford—NitroPress
Legend
May 5, 2022

As already noted, ID does not support customization of the actual QR pattern.

 

Services that can produce a QR code with both defined data and a "picture" formed from the code bits are at the intersection of two or three actual disciplines, like writing+editing+InDesign document layout. It's not going to be integrated into ID (or, other than very simple such manipulation, into any commercial tool).

 

Community Expert
January 6, 2021

Other than the data type, there is no customization of a QR code.

Known Participant
March 23, 2021

Jeffrey Smith - Are you saying that I should not manually place a logo on a QR code? 

 

Community Expert
March 24, 2021

Today, customer provided a QR code with logo over top of code, obscuring the code. To my surprise, it scanned.

Jens Trost
Jens TrostCorrect answer
Inspiring
January 6, 2021

Yes, it is possible to customize QR codes IF you created them in InDesign.
Just select the QR code and the same menu item (Objects - Generate QR Code) you used for creating becomes "Edit QR Code" (or just Right-Click the QR Code -> Edit QR Code)

Placing a logo on top you have to do manually nevertheless.


Off topic: paying for QR codes?! There are ton's of good free QR code generator websites out there.

Community Expert
March 23, 2021

But Jens,

wouldn't placing a logo on top of the code obscure some of the code so the code itself is rendered useless?

As I understood our OP, Jill is able to construct codes where the center of the square is just the company logo.

 

Hm…

Or are parts of the code are rendered in a different color and this shapes the company logo?

To Jill: Could you post a screenshot of a QR code with the company logo?

 

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

 

Jens Trost
Inspiring
March 31, 2021

@Laubender 

wouldn't placing a logo on top of the code obscure some of the code so the code itself is rendered useless?

True, if you obscure too much of the code. That's a little bit of trial and error how big you can make your logo. Always test it with different QR code readers/smartphones.


I must admit, I never tried it with InDesign created QR codes, so I don't know what redundancy / error leveling InDesign uses. The higher the error level the more the code is readable if some elements are not readable/missing.