Generate QR codes

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Adobe InDesign User Guide

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Applies to: Adobe InDesign

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About QR codes

QR codes are machine readable printed representation of data for various industry uses. It has now become common in consumer advertising. A consumer with a Smartphone can install an app with a QR code scanner that can read and decode the URL information and redirect the phone’s browser to a company website.

After scanning QR codes, users may receive text, add a business card contact to their devices, open a Web hyperlink, or compose an email or text message.

Manage QR codes in InDesign

You can now generate and edit high quality independent QR code graphics from within InDesign. The generated QR code is a high-fidelity graphic object that behaves exactly like native vector art in InDesign. You can easily scale the object and fill it with colors. You can also apply effects, transparency, and printing attributes, such as overprinting, spot inks, and trappings to the object. You can copy-paste the code graphic as a vector graphic object into a standard graphics editor tool such as Adobe Illustrator.

Generate QR code

  1. From the menu, choose Object > Generate QR Code. The Generate QR Code dialog box is displayed.

    Generate QR Code dialog box
    Generate QR Code dialog box

    The Generate/Edit QR Code dialog box has two tabs – Content and Color.

  2. In the Content tab, select any one of the following data types in the Type drop-down list:

    • Web Hyperlink
    • Plain Text
    • Text Message
    • Email
    • Business Card

    Based on the selected type, one or more fields are displayed to provide the content for which you want to generate the QR code.

  3. The Color tab shows Swatch List. If you want to apply a specific color to the QR code, switch to the Color tab and select a specific color. By default, the generated QR code is Black with transparent background.

  4. Click OK.

  5. If you have selected a Frame before generating the QR code, the code is placed directly in the selected Frame replacing its content.

    If you have not selected a frame, the QR code is loaded on the Place Gun and you can place it just like a traditional EPS object:

    • Clicking inside the document places the object in its original/default size – 30 X 30 (cm units).
    • Clicking into an existing frame places the code inside the frame with default size. (It replaces its existing content if you click in the frame with the Alt key pressed.)
    • Click and dragging draws a new frame with fixed aspect ratio and releasing the mouse places the code inside the frame.

Once placed inside a document, the QR code is treated as a traditional EPS object, except that a tooltip appears on hovering over the object, revealing the content details in the form of the embedded code.

Place a generated qr code
QR code

Edit the content and color of the QR code

  1. Select the QR code object or the frame: double-click inside the frame.

  2. From the menu, choose Object > Edit QR Code. You can also right-click and choose Edit QR Code in the context menu.

  3. The Edit QR Code dialog box is displayed with the existing content and color information.

  4. In the Content tab, change the data type and content as appropriate.

  5. To select a different color for the QR code, click Color tab and select an appropriate color.

  6. Click OK.

Modify the QR code’s frame attribute

The default background of a QR code frame is transparent. However, you can change the Frame’s Fill and Stroke attributes such as the Color, Line Style, and Thickness using the traditional controls.

Modify qr code frame's attributes
Change the attributes of a QR code

Transform the QR code object

You can move, resize, or rotate the placed QR code object with the Selection tool. When you drag the frame’s box, only the frame resizes. However, while dragging:

  • If you press the Shift key, the aspect ratio of the frame is preserved.
  • If you press the Ctrl (on Windows) or Command (on Mac) key, both the frame and the content scales with preserved aspect ratio.
  • If you press the Shift plus Alt (on Windows) or Option (on Mac) keys, the frame scales from its center with unpreserved aspect ratio. You can press the Shift key to preserve the aspect ratio.
Change qr code object
Transform a QR code