QR code on a poster, flyer or shop window

How big should a poster QR code be?

It depends on the scanning distance: 2 cm minimum for a hand-held flyer, much more for a poster read from afar. A common rule of thumb is a side of about a tenth of the scanning distance.

Details and examples are in the minimum QR code size. Give the printer the SVG for a sharp large print; see the SVG QR code.

What should I write next to it?

A concrete promise: “Scan to book”, “Today’s menu”, “10% off your first order”. Without one, people don’t know what it opens, and have less reason to get their phone out.

Add a readable short address for people who won’t scan: a Scanotte short link with a custom name is easy to type.

Where should it go on a shop window?

At eye or chest height, not at the bottom of the glass, and out of direct reflections. A sticker on the inside works if the glass is clean and the code big enough — but test it from outside, by day and by night.

How do I know which poster works?

Give each placement its own editable code: one for the window, one for the flyers, one for the market poster. Each code’s statistics show which gets scanned, and when.

For each scan, Scanotte records the date, the type of device, the operating system and the approximate country. It never keeps the IP address and sets no cookie on the people who scan; link previews (WhatsApp, Slack…) aren’t counted. With Starter (15 editable codes) you can track several campaigns at once.

Static or editable for a flyer?

For a campaign where the page might change (offer ended, event postponed), editable saves you binning leftover flyers: redirect to the new page. For a stable website address, a free static code is enough.

Static QR codes are free and unlimited. For editable QR codes with statistics: 1 is free, then Starter at €6.90 a month (15 editable QR codes), Pro at €12.90 a month (100) or Business at €39 a month (500). Billed yearly, that’s €5.90, €11 and €33 a month. Both are compared in static vs dynamic.

What about bus shelters and large banners?

Same rules, bigger scale: work out the distance people will stand at, size the code for it, and keep it on a plain light panel. On a banner, place it where people naturally stop, not at the very top.

For outdoor use, check the print resists sun and rain: a faded code loses contrast and scans less well over time.