QR codes for flyers and posters
A flyer on a notice board or a poster on a pole is read from a few feet away by someone who is busy. Typing a long web address from a poster is easy to get wrong, and scanning a code takes a second.
Pay $3 for one code, point it at the page where the event, sale, or sign-up lives, and print it on every copy.
Why the web address on a poster gets lost
Long web addresses are hard to remember and easy to mistype, and most people reading a poster will not stop to write one down. A code removes the typing, and it works even when the address is long.
It also lets you send people straight to the right page, such as the ticket page for one event, rather than a homepage they have to search.
Size and placement on the sheet
Place the code where the eye finishes reading, with a short action line beside it.
- Put it in the bottom third of the poster, near the date and the call to action.
- Size it for the reading distance. A common rule of thumb is a code about one tenth as wide as the distance people scan from, so a poster read from 5 feet suits a code around 6 inches wide.
- Print dark on a plain light background. A code over a busy photo is much harder to read.
- Keep it clear of folds, staples, and tape.
Match the action to the setting
A poster at a bus stop is read in under a minute, so send people to a one-screen page with the date, time, and a ticket or sign-up button.
A flyer on a library or gym notice board can link to more detail. Tear-off tabs along the bottom, each with the same code, let people take the link home with them.
Plan for after the event
Print the date on the poster so nobody scans an old sheet. When the event is over, change the page the code opens to say it has ended and show your next date, so late scanners still land somewhere useful.
Example signs
Each example code opens threedollarqrcode.com. Your code can open any page you choose.
Questions
How big should the code be on a poster?
Use roughly one tenth of the distance people will scan from. For a poster read at 5 feet, a code about 6 inches wide works. Bigger is better.
Can I use the same code on many posters?
Yes. Every copy opens the same page, so one code can go on 500 flyers.
What if the poster hangs outside in the rain?
Print on weather-resistant material or laminate it with a matte finish, so the laminate does not glare.
Make your code for $3
Pay once. Pick the page your code opens and print it wherever you need it.