PRACTICAL GUIDES

Choosing QR error correction without guessing

Understand the tradeoff between error correction, data density and logo overlays.

What error correction does

QR codes include redundant information that helps a reader recover some damaged data. Raising error correction uses more capacity, so the same message may require a larger or denser symbol. It does not repair a wrong URL or make a low-contrast image readable.

Choose for the actual design

Start with Standard for a clean code with no overlay. This toolkit also offers higher correction choices and automatically uses H when a logo is present. H is not permission to cover a fixed percentage of the image: damage to position patterns and other important regions can still stop a scan. Keep the logo small and the background plain.

Test the exported artwork

Compare the actual downloads at the same printed size. If a high-correction version becomes too dense, shorten the payload or give it more room. Test with and without a logo to isolate the problem. Error correction helps with some damage but cannot guarantee that a folded, reflective or badly printed code will work.

Further reading

DENSO WAVE: error correction

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