The common mistake: pointing the QR at the data
Many cards carry a QR with the data inside it, as a vCard. It looks practical, and it has one fatal flaw: the data is frozen in the paper. Change your number and the QR gives the wrong one, forever, with nothing to do but reprint.
The QR should point at an online profile. The square on the paper never changes, but what it opens is always current. Change your job title in the dashboard and the card you handed out last year shows the new one.
Where to put the QR
A QR needs space and contrast to be read quickly, often in bad light and with a shaky hand.
- At least 2 cm across on an 85 x 55 mm card.
- Clear margin around it: without one, the camera struggles to find the code.
- Strong contrast, dark on light. Avoid placing it over photos or patterns.
- A line of text beside it, something like «point your camera», matters more than you would think.
Beyond the printed card
The same QR works in plenty of places where there is no paper at all, and that is usually where it earns its keep.
- On your phone screen, to show whoever is in front of you.
- In your email signature and in presentations.
- On a badge at a trade show or conference.
- In a shop window, on a vehicle or on a stand.
How to create yours
With Saluto every person gets their QR automatically, with the profile behind it, ready to download at print resolution. If you want the physical card too, the builder places the QR in the design and exports a PDF for the printer.
Frequently asked questions
Do QR codes expire?
The QR itself does not. What matters is where it points: if it points at an online profile, it works for as long as the profile exists, even when the details inside it change.
Can I change where the QR points after printing?
If the QR points at a profile, you do not need to: you change the profile's content instead. That is exactly what the model is designed for.
How big should the QR be on a card?
At least 2 cm across, with a clear margin and good contrast. Below that, scanning starts to fail on older phones or in poor light.