QR code not working? Reasons and fixes

First, check which problem you have

• The camera does not react at all. The phone cannot read the pattern. Look at size, contrast, margins and glare below.
• It opens, but shows an error, an ad or the wrong page. The pattern is fine and the problem is the link inside it. Jump to the link problems.

When the phone cannot read it

1. Printed too small. Keep it at least 2 cm wide for close scanning. From further away, make it about a tenth of the scanning distance: 10 cm wide for a poster read from 1 metre.
2. Not enough contrast. Phones need a dark code on a light background. Light grey, yellow, pastel or metallic codes often fail.
3. Inverted colours. A light code on a dark background works on new phones but not on every scanner. Use dark on light for anything printed.
4. No margin. The code needs a clear border around it, about the width of four of its small squares. Text or a border pressed against it stops it scanning.
5. Glare or a curved surface. Gloss, laminate, cups and bottles reflect light or bend the pattern. Tilt the phone, or reprint on a matte surface.
6. Too much data. A long web address or a big contact card makes a dense pattern that blurs when printed small. A short link fixes this, which is what an Editable code uses.
7. Logo too big or blurry print. A large logo hides too much of the pattern, and a low-resolution image prints with soft edges. Use an SVG or a large PNG for print.

When the link inside it is the problem

8. The generator switched it off. Many sites put their own short link in your code and stop it when a free trial or monthly plan ends. The code then shows "expired", a login page or an ad. See Do QR codes expire?
9. The page moved or was deleted. The code still points at the old address. A dynamic code can be pointed at the new page. A static one has to be reprinted.
10. The link was typed wrong. A missing letter in the address sends every scan to an error page. Scan it yourself and read the address before you print.

How to test a code before printing

• Scan it with the camera on an iPhone and on an Android phone.
• Print one copy at the real size, on the real paper, and scan it from the distance people will use.
• Check the page it opens on mobile data, not only on your Wi-Fi.

Every SortedQR code runs a scan check while you design it, and warns you before download if the colours or style would be hard to read.

A code that will not stop working

SortedQR codes are paid for once. A Locked code ($4.99) holds everything in the image and never depends on any server. An Editable code ($7.99) uses a short link you can repoint if your page moves, with no plan to lapse. See QR codes that never expire.

Questions