QR Codes Explained: What They Are and How to Use Them

Those little square barcodes are everywhere now - on menus, posters, packaging, and business cards. A QR code (short for "Quick Response" code) is simply a machine-readable pattern that your phone camera can scan to instantly open a link or read some text. Here's how they work and how to make your own.

How a QR code works

Unlike a traditional barcode that stores a short number, a QR code stores data in a two-dimensional grid of black and white squares, which lets it hold much more - a website URL, plain text, contact details, or Wi-Fi login information. When you point your camera at it, the phone decodes the pattern and acts on what it finds, usually opening a link. No app is needed on most modern phones; the camera does it.

Common ways to use QR codes

• Link to a website - send people to your site, menu, booking page, or social profile without typing a URL.
• Business cards and flyers - let contacts save your details or visit your page with one scan.
• Wi-Fi sharing - guests join your network by scanning, without you reading out a password.
• Events and payments - tickets, check-ins, and payment links all use QR codes.

How to create a QR code

1. Open the QR Code Generator.
2. Choose what it should contain - a URL, text, contact, or Wi-Fi details.
3. Generate it and download the image as a PNG to print or share.

Tips for a QR code that always scans

• Keep good contrast - a dark code on a light background scans most reliably.
• Leave a quiet margin - don't crowd the code right up to other elements.
• Don't print it too small - especially for codes people scan from a distance, like on a poster.
• Test it - always scan your downloaded code yourself before printing hundreds of copies.

A static QR code like the ones this tool makes never expires - it encodes the data directly, so it keeps working as long as the destination (for a URL) stays online.