Barcode With Logo (QR Code)

How to make your own QR code barcode with a logo in it.

QR codes might be useful for putting on websites, business cards, clothing, buildings with coloured bricks or cunningly place windows to form a giant QR code?

Method in brief:
Use a QR code generator with error correction set as high as possible.
Draw a logo on the barcode, relying on error correction to make up for the lost data.


Or The full story:

You will need.......
Paint / Paint Shop Pro / Gimp / Photoshop (pretty much any drawing software will do).
An internet connection (but if you are reading this I guess that one should not be a problem).

Step 1: Generate the Barcode

Go to the Raco QR code generator.

Add the message you want to be included in the barcode.

Set error correction to H (~30% of codewords can be restored).

Generate the barcode.

Save the barcode: Right click on the barcode image and save as….

Step 2: Add the Logo

Open the barcode picture in your image editor.

I found it easiest to make it so that each square in the barcode represented a single pixel, to do this I reduced the picture to 25% scale.

Best to do a “save as” at this point as you don’t want to accidentally write over the original barcode as you may need it again if you make a mistake.

Draw your logo, keep it small or it will cover too much of the barcode. If you cover too much of the barcode the error correction will not be enough to allow the barcode to be read. I found it easiest to draw the logo to the side of the barcode and paste it on top when done.

Test it the barcode can still be read, I used the Barcode Scanner Android app by ZXing.

Some image editors will make the barcode fuzzy when you try to enlarge the barcode. To get around this problem you can zoom in on the picture and then take a print screen.

Done

Have Fun

Step 3: Links

Raco QR Code Barcode Generator:
http://www.racoindustries.com/barcodegenerator/2d/qr-code.aspx

Inspiration for the project:
http://2d-code.co.uk/bbc-logo-in-qr-code/

My website:
http://j44industries.blogspot.com/

Your escape to reality:
http://www.theskepticsguide.org/

Comments

[hardwarehank]

Using this for bitcoin private key overlays. I did some (image)magick, and came up with this:

# Generate some valid bitcoin private keys
# Then, put them into qrencode:
qrencode -o /tmp/test.png -s 50 -l H -m 6 Shv3ceecGvTCc3to7YMr8M
# Overlay images:
composite coin.png test.png cointest.png

Result:

[keagz]

@hardwarehank

I don't have an account here, so using bug me not website. Regardless, I wish you had written the article because you seem to be the only one on this thread, including the author, that knows anything. You actually generated QRcodes without going to some goofy website, giving up ones privacy on the Net. Thank you! I can now do the same with this FOSS on my computer.

[makaveiljojo]

Nice tool. I know a online QR code generator with Logo, it's quite nifty:

http://www.qrcode-monkey.com/qr-code-generator

[eligreen]

Wow, this is really awesome. Cool. I gonna change my barcode tattoo. By the way, I think these barcode images posted above can not be read, right?



http://www.barcodelib.com/barcode_software/qrcode.html

[bodoalbstadt]

Wow, it works ;-)
Thanks for these informations

[Sarah White]

I've tried lots of online qr code generators and they work well. But, most of them have no information about setting qr code barcode size.

Fortunately, an article on http://www.onbarcode.com/qr_code/qr_code_size_setting.html describes the details.

And the information about C# qr code size setting is still provided.
http://www.onbarcode.com/qr_code/csharp_qr_code_size_setting.html
Those articles are really helpful.

[Dean AAron]

Nice share~It's really easy to use.
The use of QR codes makes it tremendously convenient for people to have a direct and fast connection to social media. In my spare time, I do love to use online tools to generate and scan QR codes. That's really awesome.
These are my favorite QR code generatosr~have a try~
http://generator.onbarcode.com/online-qr-code-barcode-generator.aspx
http://www.onbarcode.com/software/barcode_generator.html

[alltootechnical]

It worked!

[el-haber]

something freaky - we have made a QR-PR-campaign last year
about public-Government partizipation Project.
Using QR-Tags to lead to our "mogdy" webspace, intended to be
signed on every lamppost.
Indeed with great effort but stunning resonance.

[JetCityOrange]

The QRdvark QR generator lets you create QR barcodes that include UPC, ISBN-13, and other standard barcode data within a QR. http://www.QRdvark.com/qr-generator/

[taodih]

Nice idea , kinda cool to have a special barcode like that =D

Also a note on the "fuzzyness". When resizing , If you have the option to chose "nearest neighbor" or "perserve hard egdes", you can remove it.

[n1LWeb]

Great idea. Works like a charm. Thanks.