QR codes on brochures

Link to what didn't fit

Treat the code as the rest of the page. Good destinations:

• The full course list, service menu or price sheet
• A video walk-through of the venue, product or campus
• A booking or registration form
• Directions and parking for a location the brochure mentions
• A contact card for the person to call, using a vCard QR code

Most brochures need a website QR code pointing at a page you control. The code can't be edited after printing, so link to a page whose content you can update, not a file that might get renamed or moved.

One code per goal

It's tempting to put a code on every panel. Resist it. Each code should match one clear action, and readers should never wonder which one to scan. A trifold usually needs one or two: one beside the main offer, and maybe a second for booking or contact.

If you do use two, label each one plainly, like Scan for the full timetable and Scan to book a visit, so nobody scans the wrong one.

Which panel

Where the code goes depends on what it adds.

• Inside panel, next to the relevant section: best when the code expands on something specific, like a list of programs that links to full details. People scan while they're interested, so put the code where the interest happens.
• Back panel: best for the general next step, like booking, visiting the website or getting in touch. It's where people look for contact details anyway.
• Front cover: rarely. The cover's job is to get the brochure opened, and a code there competes with the headline.

Print the code 2.5 to 3 cm (1 to 1.2 in) square. People read a brochure at arm's length, so it doesn't need to be large.

Watch the folds

A letter trifold has panels a little over 9 cm wide, and the fold lines shift slightly from one print run to the next. Keep the code well inside one panel, with at least 5 mm of clear space between it and any fold. A crease through the pattern bends it and can stop it scanning. Roll folds, where one panel tucks inside the others, are especially easy to misjudge.

Ask your printer for the folding template and drop the code into it before you design the rest of the panel.

Proof it folded

Gloss stock is common for brochures and can glare under office lights. A matte or silk finish scans more reliably. Keep the pattern dark on a light background, and if you add a brand color or logo, watch the contrast warning in our generator. The custom design guide covers how far you can push color before scanning suffers.

Then fold a printed proof the way the final piece will be folded, and scan every code on it before you approve the run.