QR Code Layer

QR Code layers generate scannable, machine-readable codes that can link to websites, encode text data, share contact information, or provide any string-based content. Perfect for modern board games, product packaging, educational materials, or any project where you need to bridge the physical and digital worlds.

This guide covers everything you need to know to create effective, scannable QR codes in your designs!

What is a QR Code Layer?

A QR Code layer automatically generates a two-dimensional barcode from the text or URL you provide. Unlike traditional barcodes that only store information horizontally, QR codes store data both horizontally and vertically, allowing them to hold much more information in a compact square format.

The beauty of QR Code layers in Component.Studio is that they're dynamic—you can use variables to generate unique codes for each card in your dataset. Imagine a deck of character cards where each one has a scannable code linking to that character's unique backstory page!

Core QR Code Properties

These properties control what your QR code contains and how it looks.

Property	What It Does	Default
Text	The data to encode in your QR code. This can be any text, URL, or template variable.	https://component.studio
Background Color	The color of the QR code's background (the light areas between the dark modules)	White
Foreground Color	The color of the QR code's pattern (the dark modules that form the actual code)	Black
Error Correction	How much of the code can be damaged or obscured while remaining scannable	Low (L)

The Text Property: What Can You Encode?

The Text property is incredibly versatile. Here's what you can put in your QR codes:

Type of Data	Example	Use Case
Website URLs	`https://example.com/rules`	Link to online rulebooks, product pages, or companion apps
Dynamic URLs	`https://game.com/card/{{ row.id }}`	Unique pages for each card in your dataset
Plain Text	`{{ row.secretMessage }}`	Hidden messages, puzzle clues, or game data
Contact Info (vCard)	`BEGIN:VCARD<br>FN:John Doe<br>TEL:555-1234<br>END:VCARD`	Share contact information for characters or creators
WiFi Credentials	`WIFI:S:NetworkName;T:WPA;P:password;;`	Event or venue QR codes for easy WiFi access
Email Address	`mailto:support@example.com`	Quick feedback or support links
Phone Number	`tel:+1-555-1234`	Click-to-call functionality
SMS Message	`sms:555-1234?body=Join the game!`	Pre-filled text messages

Pro Tip: You can use Component.Studio's template variables to create unique QR codes for every item in your dataset. For example, https://mygame.com/player/{{ row.playerName }} will generate a different URL for each row in your data!

Understanding Error Correction Levels

Error correction is one of the most powerful features of QR codes. It allows the code to remain scannable even if parts of it are damaged, dirty, or obscured. The trade-off is that higher error correction creates more complex patterns (more "modules" or small squares).

Level	Recovery Capability	When to Use It
Low (L)	Can recover from ~7% damage	Clean, protected environments where the code won't be handled much. Digital displays. Minimal data.
Medium (M)	Can recover from ~15% damage	Most general-purpose applications. Cards that will be shuffled and handled. Good balance.
Quality (Q)	Can recover from ~25% damage	Cards that might get worn or slightly damaged. When you want to add small logos or branding.
High (H)	Can recover from ~30% damage	Heavy use environments. Outdoor applications. When placing logos or images over the QR code.

Important: Higher error correction means the QR code will have more modules (it will look more dense). If you're encoding a lot of data with high error correction, make sure your QR code is large enough to remain scannable—at least 2cm × 2cm when printed.

Example: Adding Your Logo

Want to place your game's logo in the center of your QR code? Use Error Correction Level H (High), which allows up to 30% of the code to be covered. Keep your logo small (no more than 20-25% of the total QR code area) and centered for best results.

Colors: Background and Foreground

While traditional QR codes are black on white, Component.Studio lets you customize both colors. However, there are important considerations:

The Golden Rule of QR Code Colors: Always maintain high contrast between foreground and background colors. The scanner needs to clearly distinguish between the two.

Color Combination	Scannability	Notes
Black on White	Excellent	The gold standard. Maximum contrast. Use this when scannability is critical.
Dark Blue on Light Yellow	Excellent	Brand-friendly while maintaining great contrast
Dark Red on White	Good	Works well, but test thoroughly
White on Black (Inverted)	Good	Most modern scanners handle this fine
Light Gray on White	Poor	Insufficient contrast—avoid this
Yellow on White	Poor	Low contrast—scanners will struggle

Testing Tip: Convert your colors to grayscale mentally. If you can't see a clear difference in brightness, your scanner can't either. Aim for a brightness difference of at least 50%.

Position and Size Properties

These properties control where your QR code appears and how large it is.

Property	What It Does	Range	Default
X (Left)	Horizontal position from the left edge of your design	-9999 to 9999 pixels	Safe zone left
Y (Top)	Vertical position from the top edge of your design	-9999 to 9999 pixels	Safe zone top
Width	The width of the QR code	1 to 10000 pixels	300
Height	The height of the QR code	1 to 10000 pixels	300
Anchor	Which point of the layer the X/Y position refers to	9 positions (corners and centers)	top-left

QR Code Size Guidelines

Size matters with QR codes! Here are the critical sizing considerations:

Minimum Size: QR codes should be at least 2cm × 2cm (approximately 75 × 75 pixels at 300 DPI) for reliable scanning. Smaller codes may not scan, especially with longer data or higher error correction.

Data Length	Recommended Minimum Size	Example
Short URL (under 25 characters)	2cm × 2cm	`https://gm.me/abc123`
Regular URL (25-50 characters)	2.5cm × 2.5cm	`https://example.com/game/card/42`
Long URL (50-100 characters)	3cm × 3cm	`https://mygame.com/player-profile?id=12345&session=abc`
vCard or complex data	4cm × 4cm or larger	Contact information with multiple fields

Pro Tip: Use URL shorteners (like bit.ly or your own short domain) to keep your encoded text short. Shorter text = simpler QR code = smaller minimum size = better scannability!

Square is Best

While Component.Studio allows you to set different width and height values, QR codes should always be square. The rendering engine automatically uses the larger of your width/height values to maintain the QR code's square aspect ratio, then scales it to fit your specified dimensions.

What Happens with Non-Square Dimensions?

If you set Width to 300 and Height to 200, the QR code will be rendered at 300×300 (using the larger dimension) and then scaled to fit. This ensures the QR code pattern remains intact and scannable, though it may appear slightly stretched vertically in this example.

Transform Properties

Property	What It Does	Range	Default
Rotate	Rotates the QR code by a number of degrees	-360 to 360	0
Rotate Around	The point around which rotation occurs	9 positions (corners and centers)	middle-center

Rotation Warning: While you can rotate QR codes in Component.Studio, be aware that extreme rotations (anything other than 90° increments) may make the code harder for some scanners to read. Most modern smartphone cameras handle any rotation, but older or dedicated QR scanners may prefer upright codes.

Visibility and Layer Control

Property	What It Does	Default
Render	Whether to display this layer. Set to false to hide without deleting.	true
Hide Overflow	Clips any content that extends beyond the layer's boundaries	false
Z-Index Enabled	Enables custom stacking order control	false
Z-Index	Controls stacking order when enabled (higher = on top)	1000

Visual Effects

QR Code layers support Component.Studio's effects pipeline, allowing you to add visual polish while maintaining scannability.

Blending Effects

Property	What It Does	Range/Options
Opacity	How transparent the QR code is	0 (invisible) to 100 (solid)
Blend Mode	How the QR code blends with layers behind it	Normal, Multiply, Screen, Overlay, and 12 more modes

Advanced Effects

Through the Visual Effects panel, you can add:

Drop Shadow - Adds depth and makes the QR code stand out from the background
Glow - Creates a luminous effect around the code
Outline - Adds a stroke around the entire QR code
Color Overlay - Applies a color tint over the code
Color Adjustments - Fine-tune brightness, contrast, and saturation
Blur - Softens the edges (use sparingly—too much blur = unscannable code!)

Effects and Scannability: While effects can make your QR codes look stunning, remember that the primary goal is scannability. Avoid heavy blur, extreme color adjustments, or low opacity that might interfere with scanning. When in doubt, test with an actual phone camera!

Best Practices for Scannable QR Codes

The Quiet Zone

QR codes need breathing room! The "quiet zone" is the empty space around the QR code that helps scanners identify where the code begins and ends.

Quiet Zone Rule: Leave at least 4 modules of white space on all sides of your QR code. A "module" is one of the small squares that makes up the QR pattern. If you can't count modules easily, aim for a margin equal to about 10% of the QR code's size on each side.

Creating a Quiet Zone in Component.Studio

If your QR code layer is 300×300 pixels, set its position so there's at least 30 pixels of clear space on all sides. Don't place text, images, or other design elements right up against the QR code's edges.

Contrast is King

Stick to high contrast: Dark foreground on light background (or vice versa)
Test in grayscale: Convert your design to grayscale to verify contrast
Avoid patterns: Don't place QR codes on busy backgrounds or textured areas
Be careful with color: Some color combinations look good but scan poorly

Size Appropriately

Minimum 2cm × 2cm for printed materials
Larger is better when encoding long URLs or complex data
Consider viewing distance: A QR code on a poster viewed from 2 meters away needs to be much larger than one on a business card
Test at actual size: Print a test sheet at final size before committing to production

Error Correction Strategy

Scenario	Recommended Level	Why
Digital displays only	L (Low)	Pristine viewing conditions, no physical wear
Standard game cards	M (Medium)	Balance between simplicity and durability
Heavily-used cards	Q (Quality)	Cards will get worn from shuffling and handling
QR code with logo overlay	H (High)	Need to compensate for obscured center area
Outdoor or rough environments	H (High)	Weather, dirt, and wear protection

Testing is Essential

Always Test Before Production!

Test with multiple devices (iPhone, Android, tablets)
Test with different lighting conditions
Test at actual printed size
Test with both native camera apps and dedicated QR scanner apps
If using colored QR codes, test extensively—not all scanners handle them equally

Creative Use Cases

Dynamic Game Content

Character Cards with Unique Links

Create a deck where each character card has a scannable code linking to their backstory:

https://mygame.com/character/{{ row.characterId }}

Players can scan the code to learn more without cluttering the card with text!

Hidden Information

Secret Messages

Use plain text in your QR codes to hide puzzle clues or secret messages:

{{ row.secretClue }}

Players must scan the code to reveal information that's not visible on the card itself.

Campaign Tracking

Track Game Sessions

Generate unique session IDs for each game:

https://tracker.mygame.com/session/{{ game.sessionId }}

Perfect for ongoing campaigns where progress is tracked online.

Product Information

Link to Rules or FAQs

https://mygame.com/rules/v2.0

Place a QR code on your game box or rulebook linking to the latest online rules, errata, or FAQ.

Dynamic Data with Variables

One of the most powerful features of QR Code layers in Component.Studio is the ability to use template variables. This means you can generate hundreds of unique QR codes from a single layer definition!

Variable Expression	What It Does	Example Output
`{{ row.url }}`	Uses the "url" column from your dataset	Each row gets its own unique URL
`{{ row.name }}`	Uses the "name" column	Different text for each card
`https://game.com/{{ row.id }}`	Builds URL with row data	https://game.com/123 https://game.com/124 https://game.com/125

Pro Tip: You can also use variables in the Background Color and Foreground Color properties! For example, {{ row.teamColor }} could generate QR codes in different team colors based on your data.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

QR Code Won't Scan

Possible causes and solutions:

Too small: Increase size to at least 2cm × 2cm when printed
Low contrast: Make foreground darker or background lighter
No quiet zone: Add white space around all edges
Too much data: Shorten your URL or text, or increase the QR code size
Heavy effects: Reduce blur, increase opacity, check blend mode
Printing issues: Check print resolution (300 DPI minimum)

QR Code Looks Pixelated

QR codes are inherently pixelated—they're made of square modules! However, if it looks excessively blocky:

Increase the Width and Height values for higher resolution
Ensure your export/print resolution is at least 300 DPI
Don't scale up QR codes after export—set the size in Component.Studio

Different Codes Generated for Same Data

This shouldn't happen! Component.Studio caches QR codes based on all properties (text, colors, error correction, size). If you're seeing different codes for identical settings:

Check for invisible characters or spaces in your text field
Verify error correction level is the same
Ensure colors are specified consistently (e.g., "white" vs "#ffffff")

Layer Toolbar Features

The layer toolbar provides quick access to useful visualization tools:

Button	Function
Eye Icon	Toggle layer visibility while designing (doesn't affect export)
Brim Icon	Show/hide the layer's boundary outline for precise positioning
Bounds Icon	Display detailed boundary information and measurements
More Menu	Access rename, delete, duplicate, move, and reorder functions

Technical Specifications

QR Code Standards

Component.Studio generates QR codes following the ISO/IEC 18004 standard, ensuring maximum compatibility with all modern scanners and smartphones.

Module Structure

QR codes use square modules (the small squares that make up the pattern) with no rounding. This "radius: 0" approach provides the best scanning reliability across all devices.

Performance

QR codes are generated on-demand and cached for performance. The system maintains a cache of up to 50 QR codes, automatically clearing older entries as needed. This means rapid rendering for repeated designs while keeping memory usage reasonable.

Quick Reference Guide

Task	How To Do It
Create a simple URL QR code	Set Text to your URL, use default black/white colors, Error Correction M
Make QR codes for each card	Use `{{ row.columnName }}` in the Text property
Brand colors for QR code	Set Foreground to dark brand color, Background to light brand color, test extensively
Add quiet zone	Position QR code with at least 10% margin on all sides
Maximize scannability	Use black/white, size 2-4cm, Error Correction M or Q, test on multiple devices
Add logo to center	Use Error Correction H, keep logo under 20% of QR area, test thoroughly

Ready to create scannable magic!
Remember: When in doubt, test it out. Scan your QR codes with real devices before going to print.