Sheet 04 · destinations
The address is the code.
No shortener, no tracking domain, no company in the middle that can switch your code off in three years. Just the URL, drawn as pixels.
Content
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Plate
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Long URL, small square
A link code is the simplest and the most used. The entire address sits inside the pattern, so scanning it either opens the page or fails on the spot: there is no middleman that can be offline.
That is also its limit. A link with tracking parameters, a session token, or a nested query string produces a dense pattern that small print cannot hold.
How the length affects the print
| URL length | Typical modules | Smallest comfortable print |
|---|---|---|
| up to 40 chars | 25 × 25 | 20 mm |
| 40–80 chars | 33 × 33 | 25 mm |
| 80–150 chars | 41 × 41 | 35 mm |
| 150–300 chars | 57 × 57 | 45 mm |
Rules of thumb at error correction M: about 0.4 mm per module for close scanning, 0.6 mm for arm's length.
Before you print
- Strip the tracking.
utm_*parameters can double a URL's length and gain you nothing from a printed poster. - No redirect chains. A shortener that later folds takes your code with it. If you must use one, own the domain.
- Test on the worst phone you can find. The budget Android from four years ago is the real target, not your current model.
- Dark ink on light paper. Inverted codes look stylish and fail on a good number of scanners.
- Leave a quiet zone. The blank border around the code is part of the specification, not padding. Cutting it off is a common print mistake.
Link QR questions
Should I use a short link in the QR code?
A short link makes the pattern less dense, which helps at small print sizes. A direct link removes one redirect that could break later. At normal sizes, use the direct link.
Do these links expire?
The link inside the code never expires on its own. If you point it at a shortener or a redirect service, then that service's policy decides when it stops working.
Can I track how many people scanned it?
Not without a redirect in the middle. Any scan counter works by sending the scanner through a server that records the click, which is exactly the dependency some people are trying to avoid.
How short should the URL be?
Under about 100 characters keeps the code readable at business-card size. Past that, the modules get small enough to need a closer scan.
HTTPS or not?
Use HTTPS. Some Android browsers warn on plain HTTP links after scanning, and the warning looks like a fault in your code.
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