A QR code for posters and flyers that is part of the artwork

A QR code for posters and flyers turns a passer-by into a ticket buyer in a few seconds. The problem is that a plain QR box often looks like an afterthought. QRPetal builds the code from your poster artwork, so the code itself is the eye-catching part.

Link to one clear action

A poster is seen for a few seconds. Give the code one job:

• Buy tickets.
• Sign up or register.
• Read the full programme.
• Follow the event page.

Write that job next to the code in a few words, like “Scan for tickets”. People scan when they know what they will get.

Why editable codes help campaigns

Flyers get handed out for weeks. With an editable code you can send people to the ticket page before the event, to the photo gallery after it, and to next year’s event later, all from the same printed paper. The scan counts tell you which poster locations work, and codes never expire even if you pause your plan between events.

Tip: print a separate editable code for each location or each batch of flyers. Then the scan stats show you exactly which spot brought people in.

Sizes for posters

Posters are read from further away than flyers. A common rule of thumb is that a code can be scanned from about ten times its width:

• Flyer held in the hand: at least 3 cm.
• A4 or letter poster read from 1 to 2 m: 10 to 15 cm.
• Large poster read from across a room: 25 cm or more.

Use the Photo first style where people stand close, and move towards Easy scan as the reading distance grows. Our guide on QR code print sizes has more detail.

Common mistakes

• Putting the code too high or too low. Place it at chest height where people can get close.
• Glossy posters under strong lights. Reflections hide parts of the code. Matte paper scans more reliably.
• Codes on moving things such as bus sides. People cannot scan what drives away.
• Links that break. A static code that points to a page you later delete is a dead poster. See why QR codes stop working.