Following foundational design standards guarantees high scannability across diverse smartphone cameras and lighting environments.
Core design guidelines
- Maintain High Contrast: always use dark foreground modules on a light background. Avoid inverted (light-on-dark) codes.
- Respect the Quiet Zone: maintain an unobstructed margin of at least 4 module widths around the entire code.
- Size Appropriately: ensure the code dimensions match the scanning distance (minimum 2 cm for handheld items).
- Export as Vector: use SVG or PDF for all physical printing to avoid pixelation and blur.
- Include a Clear CTA: tell users what they will receive upon scanning.
Always test printed proofs with multiple smartphone models before completing large-scale production runs.
