Say you’re planning on running a QR Code campaign to promote one of your products. And you want to use print media to do it.
To make your print media promotions actionable, you want to use QR Codes.
They’ll make it easier for your audience to respond. And also help you track your conversions (if the QR Codes are dynamic in nature).
And here’s the thing—you want as many people as possible to see your promotions.
That means you intend to expose your promotional material to a wide range of audience. It might include people attending one of your events such as a seminar. Or the ones simply passing by the ad.
And to do it, you’re planning on putting banners and hoardings.
But you’re thinking—will QR Codes work on large surfaces? Will they be scannable?
The answer is—yes. A QR Code scans well on large surfaces such as banners, billboards, and hoardings. You just need to make sure the QR Code image is in high-resolution.
In fact, when you go to your designer to get the banner or hoarding designed, he’ll ask you for a high-resolution scalable QR Code image.
This is because he’ll have to zoom-in the image for your print media promotion. And a high-resolution image will not get pixelated here.
Now, this is exactly what you need to ensure that the QR Code remains scannable. After all, you don’t want to be stuck with a poster that doesn’t work, right?
Now to get the QR Code image in high-resolution, you must first know what are the common image formats.
A. Common image formats
There are two major categories of image formats:
1. Raster formats
You’ve already seen images in raster formats. How? When you download an image on your computer or smartphone, it usually has an extension such as ‘.png’ or ‘.jpg’ or ‘.jpeg’.
These are raster image formats. And are also resolution-dependent. That means you cannot increase their size without the loss of image quality. Even if you try to do that, the image starts pixelating.
Hence, you cannot use raster images for large surfaces. In fact, it is recommended that you use raster formats for screen-resolutions. And vector image formats for print resolutions.
2. Vector formats
Vector formats are not resolution-dependent. No matter how much you zoom-in, an image in vector format doesn’t get pixelated at all.
Some of the common vector formats include—EPS, PDF, SVG, and PS. And as discussed, it is recommended that you use images in vector formats on print media.
For example—a company logo to be used in various sizes on business cards, flyers, brochures, and banners should be exported in a vector format.
The image below shows a comparison between the same image exported in raster and vector formats.
As you zoom in, the image in raster format gets pixelated. On the other hand, the image in vector format doesn’t lose its quality and maintains its high-resolution.
You now know why a QR Code image in vector format will make sense for your use case. So what you need is—a QR Code generator that allows you to create QR Codes in a suitable vector format.
B. QR Code image in EPS format
The Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) format is a vector format specially designed for printing purposes.
It helps you resize the image to any size you want. No matter how big or small. It will still retain its quality.
And to generate a QR Code image in EPS format, you need a QR Code generator that offers this format.
But the question is—how to choose a suitable QR Code generator for your use case?
If you go to Google and search ‘QR Code generator with EPS format’, you’ll see pages of results.
How do you then decide which one will work best for you? Probably by comparing them.
But comparing even the top QR Code generators individually will take a lot of time. You’ll have to explore each one of them separately.
Don’t worry. To make it easier for you, we’ve compiled a detailed comparison chart of the top QR Code generators. You can go through it to decide which one you’d like to go ahead with.
In this article, we will tell you how to create QR Codes in EPS format.
C. How to create a QR Code in EPS format
Using Scanova QR Code generator for a demo, here is a step-by-step guide on how you can create a QR Code in EPS format:
1. Go to Scanova and sign-up for a 14-day free trial
2. From QR Code categories, select the one that you want. For a demo, say you want to create a Website URL QR Code. When scanned, it will take the end-users to visit the encoded website
3. Enter the content to be encoded in the QR Code (website link here)
4. Next, click Create QR Code
5. A pop-up will appear prompting you to name and save the QR Code. In the same pop-up, you’ll also see the options—Static and Dynamic
Note that a static QR Code is permanent and non-trackable. That means once you create it, you cannot edit the encoded content. To do it, you will have to create a new QR Code. And a static QR Code also doesn’t allow you to track its scanning activity.
On the other hand, a dynamic QR Code is both editable and trackable. That means you can edit its content anytime you want yet your QR Code will remain the same. Hence, no need to reprint it.
In fact, a dynamic QR Code also allows you to monitor its scanning activity.
So, if you’re a serious marketer, you must create dynamic QR Codes to monitor how well your campaign is performing.
6. Once you select the appropriate option and enter a name, click Save
7. Next, three QR Code designs will appear on your screen—standard black-and-white, custom with logo, and custom with background
Since you want the QR Code image in EPS format, you must go with either of the first two options. Because custom with background design doesn’t allow you to export the final image in vector format.
Also, if your use case is promotional, you must add design to your QR Code. Why?
Because black-and-white QR Codes are dull to look at. But customized QR Codes act as a point-of-engagement. Also, it is a fact that customized QR Codes attract more scans than black-and-white ones.
8. Once your QR Code is ready, say after you design it, click Update and proceed to Download it
9. A window will appear asking you to specify QR Code image size and format. Under vector image formats, select EPS and proceed to Export the image
That’s it. Your QR Code has now been downloaded in EPS format.
Note that you must always test the scannability before getting the QR Code printed. So pull out your smartphone to scan the QR Code and check if it works fine.
D. How to edit the QR Code content
Say you created a Website URL QR Code that takes the audience to your company’s website. But a year later, you want to take them to a webpage with one of your specific products.
However, you don’t want to get the banner designed or printed again. So what can you do here? Edit the data (link) encoded in the QR Code without creating a new one, right?
You can do it if your QR Code is dynamic in nature. That means if you selected the Dynamic option while creating the QR Code.
Here is how Scanova allows you to edit your QR Code’s content:
a. Go to Scanova and login to your account
b. From the dashboard, click Saved QR Codes and select the QR code you want to edit
c. Make whatever changes you want to
d. Next, click Update QR Code
That’s it. Your QR Code will be updated. And you will not have to reprint it at all.
Besides using a high-resolution image, there are also a couple of best practices that you should follow while using a QR Code.
For example—
A. You must always add an instruction (a call-to-action statement) with your QR Code. It can be anything such as—Scan here to visit our website or Scan here to get discount coupons
This way, you’ll not only give your audience a reason to scan the QR Code but also tell them what to expect after scanning it.
B. The landing page must be mobile-optimized. Because users will use their phones to scan the QR Code. Hence, if the landing page is not mobile-friendly, it will not keep them engaged for long
Such factors ensure good user experience. And that’s exactly what you need for a successful campaign.
You now know everything about image formats—both raster and vector. And how to find the best QR Code generator to create QR Codes in EPS format.
Next step? Get started by creating a QR Code :
Create a QR Code for your campaign
Still have any queries? Ask them in the comments.
