PDF to QR code: free, and the code doesn't expire

How a PDF QR code works

A QR code is a link written as a pattern of squares. When someone scans it, their phone opens that link. To make a QR code for a PDF, the PDF has to live at a web address that anyone can open, and the code points at that address.

Flatpage does both halves: it hosts the PDF at a short link and makes the QR code for it. The link opens the PDF in a viewer that reads well on a phone, instead of downloading a file that many people never open.

Static and dynamic QR codes

Most QR code generators offer two kinds of code, and the difference decides whether your printed code still works next year.

• A static code holds the final link itself. It works for as long as that link does, and nobody can switch it off.
• A dynamic code holds the generator's own short link, which then forwards to your file. You can change where it goes, but it only works while the generator keeps forwarding. Many tie that to a trial or a subscription, and when it ends the code leads to an error or an upgrade page.

The code from Flatpage is static: it holds your site's link. You still get the main benefit of a dynamic code, because you can replace the PDF behind the link at any time. There is just no middleman that can expire.

Update the PDF, keep the printed QR

Prices change, dates move and typos turn up after the flyers are printed. Open your dashboard, choose Replace on the site and upload the new PDF. The link stays the same, so every code already on paper opens the new version straight away. Uploading a new copy to most file-sharing services gives you a new link instead, which means a new QR code and a reprint.

What people use PDF QR codes for

• Menus. Table cards and window stickers; see the QR code menu guide.
• Flyers, brochures and price lists. Print one code and keep the document current.
• Event programmes and wedding booklets. Guests open them on their phones and you can fix last-minute changes.
• Manuals and spec sheets. A code on the product or the box opens the instructions.
• CVs and portfolios. A code on a printed CV or a business card; see putting your resume online.

Printing the QR code so it scans

• Print it at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) square on paper people hold, and bigger on posters people scan from across a room. A rough rule is one centimetre of code for every ten centimetres of scanning distance.
• Keep a clear white border around the code, and print dark on light. Inverted colours, low contrast and glossy or curved surfaces all make codes harder to scan.
• Don't stretch it or crop the edges. Scale it evenly in your design tool.
• Add a short line such as "Scan to read the brochure", and print the link underneath for anyone whose camera won't focus.
• Test a printed copy, not just the screen, with an iPhone and an Android phone, on mobile data rather than your Wi-Fi.

Making the PDF read well after a scan

• Design in portrait. People read the PDF on a phone held upright.
• Keep text as text, not a flattened image, so it stays sharp when zoomed. Use body text of at least 11 pt.
• Compress photos before exporting. A 3 MB file opens far faster on a weak signal than a 30 MB one.
• Put the most important page first.

Other ways to make a QR code for a PDF

• Google Drive or Dropbox plus a QR generator. Free, but the code only works while the file's sharing setting stays on "Anyone with the link". If it changes, or you upload a new copy, people land on a request-access page or a missing file.
• A QR generator that hosts the PDF. Quick, but read what happens when the trial or subscription ends. Many of these codes are dynamic and stop working with it.
• Your own website. Upload the PDF and make a static code for its address. That works well until the site is redesigned or the domain lapses.

When Flatpage isn't the right fit

If you need a QR code for something other than a document, such as a Wi-Fi password, a contact card or a payment, use a QR generator. Flatpage hosts PDFs and web pages and makes a code for their link. And if you need to know who scanned the code, or where, you need a tracking service: Flatpage counts views, not people.