Over the past 20 years, we’ve seen the advent of plenty of technologies and innovations. The Internet of Things world is no longer dependent on traditional methods of data capture and data-based communication for there now exist technologies like Wi-Fi. Bluetooth, BLE, NFC, QR Code, and many others have transformed various businesses into advanced modern business environments with point-to-point data capture and communication facilities.
The advancements in internet and networking technologies also have a great role to play here.
What is a QR Code?
QR Code, also known as a quick Response code, is a two-dimensional (2D) barcode image, encoded with a URL, text, an image, a PDF, a UPC, or an EAN.
The QR Code technology, which might seem like a new tool for asset tagging and promotional, advertising, given the post-pandemic popularity, has been around for quite some time now, first invented in 1994, in Japan by Masahiro Hara.
QR Codes are basically advancements over the 1D (one-dimensional) barcodes with vertical black lines on a white background. Unlike UPC barcodes, QR Codes are quite efficient when it comes to data storage and scanning capabilities. When it comes to storing data in a QR Code, one can store a URL, SMS, text, numbers, PDF file, Google form, image, etc. This allows you to use QR Codes for all kinds of applications ranging from advertisements and marketing to customer service, feedback, Google reviews, asset tracking and identification, patient ID and OPD cards, access control, retail asset tagging, etc.
Encoding Data in a QR Code
As I mentioned before, you can encode various data types including image, text, and numbers. One can encode around 4200 alphanumeric characters, 7000 numeric characters, and 2000 Kanji characters in a QR Code, which far exceeds the amount of data one can encode in a traditional barcode.
To encode a QR Code with some information, one needs to visit a QR Code generator website or simply download the RS-Lens QR Code Scanner app from the Google Play Store.
How to Encode a QR Code?
To encode a QR Code, follow these steps:
1.Open the web or app version of a QR Code Generator (say RS-Lens)
2. Select the type of data you wish to encode and choose from URL, Text, SMS, Email, Image, PDF, etc.
3. Put the necessary information/data in the selected field
4. Click on ‘generate QR Code’
5. Download the QR Code.
If you wish to customize your QR Code with color, brand logo, etc, you can do that as well.
Types of QR Code
QR code comes in many shapes and sizes but usually, it is a small white square block containing small squares and dots in black color. Colorful QR Codes are also available which can be easily generated online using a QR Code Generator/Scanner website/app.
QR Codes are primarily of two types:
1.Static QR Code
2. Dynamic QR Code
While both the QR codes look the same, static QR Codes are different than dynamic QR Codes as static QR codes cannot be edited once generated/printed. Dynamic QR Codes can be edited even after being printed.
How come we are seeing more QR Codes now than before?
QR Codes aren’t new. As a barcoding technology, QR Codes have been around since 1994 when Masahiro Hara invented QR Code. Mr. Hara, a Japanese engineer, was working at Denso Wave at the moment and Denso Wave had a contract with Toyota to manufacture auto parts. In the factory, keeping track of auto parts in the assembly line was an issue and Hara was put in charge to come up with a technology that made it easier to store information about parts for easy tracking. Of course, barcodes existed back then but barcodes have limited data-storing capabilities.
Hara was inspired by the popular board game ‘GO’ with black and white patterns and he came up with QR Code, a two-dimensional, matrix barcode.
Smartphones made QR Codes Popular
QR Codes were quite a trend in the 2010s, not to the scale that it is today but people used it a lot. You could see QR Codes on walls, t-shirts, movie posters (Inception movie promotional team incorporated QR codes in their promotional strategy in 2010), etc. However, QR Code applications were limited by the technology of the day as internet availability was also limited and smartphone penetration was quite low.
Fast forward to the 2020s, QR Codes are everywhere and everyone is using their smartphone to scan a QR Code. They are paying bills, scanning QR codes for restaurant menus, doctor’s appointments, promotion and advertising, and a lot more.
The use of QR codes, more frequently now, is propelled by various technological advancements especially when in 2017 APPLE Inc. integrated QR code scanning with its iPhone mobiles running on iOS. Others followed suit and did the same with their mobile devices, tablets, and PCs. Upgrade to 4g internet is also a driving factor.
Applications of QR Codes
QR Codes have a wide range of applications in asset management, inventory control, logistics, advertisement and marketing, etc. Since QR Codes can hold way more data than a UPC-12 barcode, it is easily customized and used for various purposes. While a barcode has limited data storing capacity, QR Codes can contain the entire Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg address, so you get the idea.
At present, QR Codes have been quite prevalent. In India, a great percentage of people use QR Codes on a daily basis. You can easily find QR codes in Indian restaurants, flight tickets, museum tickets, grocery shops, and small stalls where you can scan a QR Code and digitally pay for a bottle of water. But that is not all, QR Codes are also now used in healthcare, and education departments as well. In libraries, dynamic QR Codes are used for keeping tabs on book borrower’s details and fines, etc.
Here are 10 Popular Uses of QR Codes:
1. QR codes can be used for identification and granting access to employees and customers.
2. Retail businesses use QR codes for merchandise details. They also offer QR Code-based coupons to their new members and existing members.
3. QR codes are also used in marketing. People not only promote their business, and customer services but also use QR Codes to ask customers to review their business. Feedback QR Codes are designed for that purpose only.
4. QR codes are used to create promotions and sale offers by many businesses. QR Code coupon codes are generated on the line of “20% discount”, and “Buy 1 get 1” and distributed to customers through brochures and emails.
5. QR codes are cost effective and easy to use thus making it easier for small businesses to adopt and automate their business. Small businesses in India use QR code-based UPI payments which is one of the best examples of QR code digital payments in the world.
6. Hospitals use QR codes to keep track of medical instruments vital medicines, and injections.
7. FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) comes with QR codes that contain product descriptions.
8. Many service-related businesses use QR codes to improve customer experience by creating a digital catalog and access to their services.
9. Schools and libraries use QR codes on books, PCs, and lab instruments to keep track of their usage and location.
10. Many digital payment services use QR codes to provide customers with their UPI (Unified Payment Interface) ID, and account details and felicitate easy payments.
Frequently Asked Questions on QR Codes
Q. Are QR codes and barcodes the same thing?
Ans- No. Unlike a barcode, a QR code is a two-dimensional barcode, meaning it contains more data (horizontally and vertically) whereas a barcode contains less data (horizontally only) usually product name, manufacturer’s name, and manufacturing date.
Q. Can you generate a QR Code for free?
Ans- Many QR code-generating websites can be used for this purpose. You can customize your QR Code with URLs, Text, Image, Google form, etc. It is very easy and a few clicks away.
Some websites/services also offer this at nominal charges.
RS Lens QR generator app is a popular choice where you can generate and download QR codes for free.
Q. Do QR Codes work as RFIDs do?
Ans- QR Codes don’t use an IC (integrated circuit) chip, unlike RFID tags. That’s why QR Codes do not use RF waves although many RFID Readers are equipped to read QR codes and many RFID labels on assets also use QR Codes for better results.
Q. How to generate a QR CODE in a few quick steps:
Ans- Visit a QR code-generating website; select your data type which might be a text, an image, a URL, or a brochure. Enter the data and click generate. There you go. You can now download and print your QR code in physical form or share it digitally.
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