Say you’re planning on running a print media campaign. And to make it actionable for the audience, you want to add QR Codes to the print media creatives.
Hence, you’re looking for a QR Code generator that allows you to create the QR Code of your choice. And you’d want to download it in high-resolution formats.
A high-resolution format ensures that the QR Code remains scannable despite resizing it. That means you can use the same QR Code file for all your promotional material from billboards to flyers.
And you’d definitely want to ensure a smooth scanning experience for your audience across all the creatives.
Hence, you want to create QR Codes in SVG format. But before we talk about how to do it, let’s see what exactly makes SVG suitable for you.
A. What are the common image formats
There are two major categories of image formats:
1. Raster formats
Did you know that you see images in raster formats on a daily basis? All the images that you see on your PC and smartphone screens are in raster formats.
Basically, formats such as PNG, JPG, and JPEG are raster formats, And all of these are resolution-dependent. That means images in these formats come with defined dimensions. Say you download a QR Code image in raster format for your flyers. A couple of days later, you decide on adding it to billboards as well.
If you zoom in to the same QR Code image, it will get pixelated and won’t scan. Hence, while raster formats work well for screen resolutions, they are not really preferred for print resolutions.
This is where vector formats come into the picture.
2. Vector formats
Unlike raster formats, vector formats are not resolution-dependent. That means they don’t get pixelated no matter how much you zoom in or zoom out.
Hence, it makes sense to use these formats for print media creatives. In fact, designers actually prefer to work with these formats. Some common vector formats include SVG, EPS, PDF, and PS.
Here is a quick comparison between raster and vector images.
These images were zoomed in. And as you can see, the image in PNG format started pixelating while that in the SVG format was still intact.
B. QR Code image in SVG format
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format is designed for printing as well as web purposes. It could be anything such as logos, animations, drawings, and graphs.
SVG files are pure XML. That means you can easily handle them with HTML and CSS.
Plus, this format retains its quality no matter how much resizing is done. Hence, it is scalable and can be used for all editing and designing purposes.
To generate a QR Code image in SVG format, you need a QR Code generator that offers this format.
But the question is—where can you find such a QR Code generator?
You can go to a search engine such as Google, type in the query “QR Code Generator with SVG format”, and compare the top results.
But would you visit each result manually to see which one would suit you the best? That will take a lot of your time and effort.
So, to make it easier for you, here is a detailed comparison chart of the best QR Code generator. You can go through it to decide which one you’d like to go ahead with.
C. How to create a QR Code in SVG format
Now you’ve seen why it makes sense to create a QR Code in SVG format. The next question—how to create one?
1. Decide on your QR Code category
Depending on what you’d want your end-users to see, you’ll have to choose an appropriate QR Code category.
For example, if you want to redirect them to your website, you need to select a Website URL QR Code. But if you want to show them the complete product information, you’d need to create a Product QR Code. Or if you want to give them discount coupons, you can create a Coupon QR Code.
Once decided on the QR Code category, you can head on to your chosen QR Code generator.
2. Create a QR Code
Using Scanova QR Code generator for a demo, here is a step-by-step guide on how you can create a QR Code in SVG format:
a.Go to Scanova
b.Select the most relevant QR Code category
c.Add the content you want to encode in the QR Code and click Continue
d.On the page that loads, name the QR Code and click Create QR Code
e.Now, you’ll see the preview of the QR Code along with the Edit design button. If you click on it, you’ll see two design options—Custom Logo Design and Custom Background Design
Custom Logo Design: It allows you to add your business’s logo and color to it.
Custom Background Design: It helps you place your QR Code on any image.
f.Once you’ve decided on the design or no design, click Download. A window will open prompting you to sign-up for a 14-day free trial.
Note that you won’t have to enter your card details to sign up.
g.Once you’ve signed up, click on Download. Now, you’ll then have to specify the QR Code image’s format and size. Here, click on SVG under vector image formats followed by clicking on Export
That’s it. Your QR Code will be created.
D. How to edit the QR Code content
Did you know that you can edit the content encoded in the QR Code without having to create a new one? Well, a dynamic QR Code allows you to do that.
Dynamic QR Codes are editable and trackable. That means you can edit the content encoded in it anytime you want without having to recreate the QR Code. Hence, no need to reprint them either.
To edit or make changes to the content encoded in your QR Code, you need to follow these steps:
1. Login to your Scanova account
2. From the dashboard, go to My QR Codes
3. Go to the QR Code you wish to make changes to and click on View/Edit
4. On the page that loads, head on to the content section and click View/Edit
5. Make the required changes
6. Once you’re done, click Apply
That’s it. Your QR Code will be updated. Hence, there is no need to reprint them again.
E. Best practices
Besides using a high-resolution image, here are some best practices that you should be aware of while using a QR Code:
1. Add a design to the QR Codes
If you’re planning to use QR Codes for print media creatives, consider adding a design to them. Why? That’s because a custom-designed QR Code attracts 50%-200% more scans than a generic black-and-white one.
They are visually appealing and act as a point-of-engagement to attract the target audience’s attention. And that’s exactly what you’d want to make your marketing efforts successful.
2. Test the QR Code
It is always advisable to test scan the QR Code before putting it out for your audience. You can either scan it by using your native camera or third-party QR Code scanning apps.
3. Add an appropriate CTA
CTA means ‘Call to action’. It is a small statement that instructs the users what they need to do or what to expect after taking the required action. Hence, it nudges your audience to take action. It could be anything such as ‘Scan here to visit our website’ or ‘Scan here to view contact details’.
Now, you know everything about image formats—both raster and vector. And how to create QR Codes in SVG format using a QR Code generator.
You can now go ahead and create your very own high-resolution QR Code.
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