A restaurant prints a thousand menus with a QR code, and a year later every code leads to an error page or an advert. It happens often, and it is almost always because the code was a dynamic QR code from a service whose free trial ended.
If you want a code that keeps working as long as its destination exists, you need a static QR code. Here is the difference, and how to make and print one properly.
Static versus dynamic QR codes
A static QR code stores your content directly in the pattern: the full website address, text or contact details. Any phone camera decodes it without contacting anyone, so there is nothing to expire and nothing to pay for.
A dynamic QR code stores a short link to the provider's server, which then redirects to your destination. That allows scan statistics and changing the destination later, but the code only works while the provider keeps the redirect alive. If the subscription lapses or the company shuts down, the code breaks.
Step by step: create a static QR code
Enter your content
Open QR Code Generator and type or paste your link or text. The code updates instantly.
Choose error correction
M (about 15 percent recovery) is a good default. Pick Q or H for codes that will be printed on things that get scratched, folded or partly covered.
Set colors and size
Keep a dark code on a light background. Set the size between 200 and 1000 pixels for screens.
Download and test
Download SVG for print (it stays sharp at any size) or PNG for screens, then scan it with two different phones before using it.
Printing QR codes that scan reliably
- Size: at least 2 x 2 cm (about 0.8 inches) for close-up scanning. A rough rule is one unit of code width for every ten units of scanning distance, so a poster read from 2 meters away needs a code about 20 cm wide.
- Quiet zone: codes need a clear margin around them. Drible adds a small white border; on busy designs, leave extra white space around the code as well.
- Contrast: dark on light works everywhere. Light codes on dark backgrounds confuse some scanners.
- Shorter content makes a simpler pattern that scans faster and from further away. Use the shortest clean URL you can.
Where static codes work best
Static codes are ideal wherever the destination will not change:
- Your website, online menu or booking page on printed menus, flyers and shop windows.
- A link to a portfolio, CV or LinkedIn profile on business cards.
- Wi-Fi details on a card in a guest room or office.
- Product manuals and support pages on packaging, where the code may be in use for years.
The one trade-off
Because a static code contains the destination itself, you cannot change it after printing. The workaround is simple: point the code at a page you control, such as your own website address, and update that page instead of the code. Double-check the link for typos before printing, and make sure it uses https.
Frequently asked questions
Do QR codes made with Drible expire?
No. They are static codes that contain your content directly, with no redirect service in between, so they work for as long as the link or text they contain is valid.
Can I track how many people scan a static QR code?
Not through the code itself. Add tracking parameters to the link (such as utm_source=poster) and read them in your website analytics instead.
Which format should I download for printing?
SVG. It is a vector format, so it stays perfectly sharp at any print size. PNG is best for websites and documents.
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