How to create an Artistic QR code with QR Artist

Hello Everyone! Today we have prepared a tutorial to create an artistic QR code using QR Artist to help you get over your Monday morning blues. This particular QR code looks like it would be complicated to create but can really be made in just a few easy steps. Here’s how:

1). Go to www.qrartist.net and register/log in to an account

2). Click on the tab ‘My QRs’ and then select the green icon on the left hand side ‘create new QR’ 

3). Enter the content for where the QR code will send the user. http://qrartist.net was used in the example above therefore once the QR code is scanned you will be redirected to qrartist.net.

4). Click the green generate button on the top right

  

You should now have a regular black and white QR code that is scannable

5). Now to add more effects to the QR code. Go to ‘add effects from the effect library’ bar on the right side of the page. Now click on ‘color effects’ that should bring up a page with three possible options (Plain colour, multiple random colour, and linear gradient). For this QR code select Linear Gradient

6). Now select the colors that you want for your QR code. The colours in the example are: Red Color 1: #F70303 Blue Color 2: #0351FA. The Linear gradient effect will blend the two colours together

7). Now add the break blog effect. Do this by going to ‘add effects from effect library’ and selecting shape effects. Then select break blog.

8). Now make the break blog targets only the individual blocks by changing the selection bar from ‘foreground’ to ‘individual blocks’ followed by pressing the green generate bar

9). Now go to ‘image effects’ and select the finder substitution effect. Use the finders that are available under the ‘image library tab’ 

10). Now to finish off the QR code, add the effects ‘Round Corner’ which can be found under shape effects and then go to ‘Shadow Effects’ and use both the ‘Inner Shadow’ and ‘Drop Shadow’ effects.

Now your QR code is complete. Remember you can add and delete effects as you choose. Feel free to leave questions or comments below we would love to help you create the best artistic QR code that you can. Also, feel free to post artistic QR codes that you have created so we can see what kind of artistic capabilities that you are able to come up with by using QR Artist.  

Top 10 Wild and Crazy uses of QR Codes

QR codes are starting to appear everywhere! I’m sure you’ve seen QR codes everyday whether you’re on your way to work, school, or on a trip. But what are the craziest and unique uses of QR codes that you have ever seen? Here is a handpicked list from the Muprime Technology team of our favourite all-time top 10 creative uses of QR codes.

10). QR codes on resumes. This gentleman has sent in a resume with nothing but a QR code on the front with a picture of him and details to scan the QR code. Once scanned, the QR code links to a YouTube video of him presenting his skills and qualifications as if it were a real interview. Watch the video and read more here: http://mupri.me/4srPq

 9). A night cub has used QR codes as their entrance stamps on customer’s wrists. Depending on the time of night the QR code is scanned the recipient will receive free drinks (if QR code is scanned early in the night), taxi phone numbers (if QR code is scanned at the end of the night) and hangover tips (if QR code is scanned the next morning). See the video here for more information: http://mupri.me/gwlhO

8). Art Galleries are using QR codes that link to more information about certain pieces of art and paintings. This includes virtual tours and videos about the art. There is even a really dedicated museum in Russia that has a QR code exhibit where the entire walls including the roof and floor are covered in QR codes. You can see pictures and more information here: http://mupri.me/sNjUX

7). Finder Codes is a company that uses QR codes on stickers and tags to help retrieve lost items to the original owner. Watch the video here: http://mupri.me/BZ3qc

6). Volkswagen has created an advertisement where they have created a giant QR code entirely out of Orange crates. When the orange crate QR code is scanned it shows a video of how the QR code was created and taken down. Watch the video here! http://mupri.me/eJzDa

5). A Hotel Room has decorated the entire room with QR codes.  The walls, curtains, pillow cases, and even the blankets are covered with QR codes creating a virtual hotel room. See the pictures here: http://mupri.me/o0CHk

4). A bar in Singapore has started using QR codes on beer bottles to help singles meet. A QR code is put on a bottle for the person to scan. Next, the person buys another person in the bar a beer and the same QR code is then sent to that person. Once the next person scans the QR code they are able to SMS each other through the website. See the full article and video here: http://mupri.me/4Gwci

3). QR codes have started to appear on Tombstones. The QR code engraved into a tombstone will link to a biography of the deceased explaining information about their lives, where they are from, and general information. Find out more here:  http://mupri.me/vZOOR

2). Grocery store Tesco in South Korea uses QR codes for customers to add items into their grocery cart. The walls of the grocery store are covered with pictures of what the products look like with QR codes for the customer to scan. The purchased items will be directly sent to their home so the customer doesn’t have to carry any heavy bags. See more here:  http://mupri.me/HPfjO

1). A corn maze near Lacombe has been declared the biggest QR code in the world. I know what you’re thinking – Is the QR code still scannable? The answer is yes. The family that created the QR code maze checked to see if it is scannable by flying over the maze in a helicopter with their mobile devices. They have officially been presented a world record by the Guinness book of world records for the largest scannable QR code. http://mupri.me/E7TB8

Have you seen a unique usage of a QR code that should be in our top ten? Post it as a response below and we will incorporate it for next time! 

Misconceptions of QR Codes

How is everyone today? We were really busy here at Muprime Technology last week with the SOHO SME trade show and were unable to posts as much as we would like! The trade show was a success and we are back with some more posts just for you! Here are some general misconceptions about QR codes that we wish to clear up with the general public.

Content of QR Codes:

There are still people who don’t quite fully understand QR codes or the endless possibilities that QR codes offer. Some individuals think that QR Codes only link to company websites and URL’s. This is not the case; QR codes can be used for much more than just regular websites. Here is a detailed list of some effective uses of QR codes and what they offer:

-Link to business contact information

-Send text messages

-Display text

-Play videos

-Play music

-Send phone calls

-Display images

-Give out free coupons and discounts

-Display links to buy products online

-Link to mobile friendly websites.

The possibility for using QR codes is endless. It seems there are new creative uses for QR codes every day. For example, art galleries have recently been using QR codes to display information for who created certain pieces of art. Also, real estate agents have been using QR codes on for sale signs that link to a video walk through of the house with more detailed information that would not originally fit on the sign.

Number of Scans:

One of the biggest misconceptions about QR codes is that there are not very many people scanning them. Some people may think that QR codes are not being scanned as much as they actually are. However, QR codes are actually increasing in popularity with the number of scans. According to Scan Life “the trend report for Q2 of 2012 showed a record breaking number with 5.3 million scans in the month of June alone, the highest ever number of scans in a month” and over the last year the amount of scans in Europe have doubled. Also according to Scan Life “60 percent of people scanned from home and the most popular hours of scanning seem to fall midday and early evening between the hours of 3 and 7pm.”

Damage to QR Codes:

Another misconception about QR codes is that once they are damaged or torn they are no longer scannable. This is not true because each QR code is built with error correction which means that if some of the QR code is damaged the scanner can still pick up information from the rest of the QR code. Depending on the error correction level, as long as the main finders in the top and bottom left corners remain intact approximately up to 30% of the QR code can be damaged and still be readable.

Artistic QR Codes:

Some consumers may think that the average QR code looks boring and makes creative colourful advertisements look bad. This is where QR Artist can be of great assistance. With the help of QR Artist you can insert logos, texts, colours, and shapes into QR codes with the freedom of being able to edit your results to make the QR code look just the way you want. QR Artist is a great way to spice up QR Codes and look truly unique compared to the competition. Here is an example of some QR’s made with QR Artist!

Thanks for taking the time to read the posts! Please feel free to leave questions or comments below and we will get back to you as soon as possible :)

We’re Exhibiting at the SOHO SME Expo Tomorrow!

QR codes are one of the hottest new marketing tools today that is both affordable and effective. Muprime Technology is proud to be exhibiting at the SOHO SME Expo tomorrow October 16^th and we want to give you some insider tips on how to use QR codes at a trade show.

With the increasing popularity of Smartphones more people have the capability of scanning QR codes. One of the most important things to consider is why the user would want to scan your QR code, what’s in it for them, what is the value of scanning the code? To properly demonstrate the value behind QR codes make sure the code is clearly labelled and properly communicates to the scanner where they will be directed.  Having a QR code by itself linking to a non-mobile friendly website is not very effective when the person could just find your website through Google in the same amount of time. Such examples could be, scan this QR code for a free sample of our product or scan this QR code for an interesting video of our products. Let the user know where they will be directed or they may be hesitant to scan.

Communicate with others around you even when you are talking to someone else. Here’s how: Let’s say you have set up an exhibit at a trade show, fair, or networking event and you are having an in depth-conversation with a potential client. You will have bystanders that will be looking at your information but unable to speak with you. They may just keep walking by since you are clearly busy.  This is where the QR codes come into effect. Having them easily visible at your booth gives them something new and exciting to stop and interact with. While in the same conversation with the potential client, individuals will be stopping and scanning your pamphlets at the same time and you can be interacting with both people at once. Try putting the QR codes on brochures, stickers, and pamphlets that bystanders will notice. 

Now consider standing out from the rest of the crowd, try being creative with your QR codes. For example, put QR codes on your tee-shirt with a slogan ‘scan me’ and become a walking billboard. Yes this may seem a little silly but it will be a great way to draw attention and is a great conversation starter. We will be doing something similar to this at the SOHO SME expo tomorrow. We are having a contest to win a free Amazon Kindle where all the Muprime employees will be wearing tee-shirts with QR codes and when you scan them you will be entered into the draw.

Lastly, we would like to introduce to you a new package that we are offering especially for individuals exhibiting at trade shows. In this package we offer artistic QR codes, tracking of how many scans took place and where they were scanned, mobile friendly webpages, and a real time dashboard displaying the number of scans and registered customers. This is a great way to see how effective your marketing materials are at a trade show and gives you the ability to compare results from one trade show to another. Stop by the SOHO SME trade show in Vancouver October 16th to learn more about this package!

Don't forget to stop by the trade show for free demonstrations on how to make artistic QR codes with QR Artist! Tickets can be purchased for free at the SOHO SME Expo website or pay a fee of $25 at the door! Enjoy the trade show! 

Showcase of QR Artist's Available Effects

Hello Everyone,

Hope everyone is doing well. There is a wide range of effects available to you on QR Artist and we want to make sure that you know about them all! Today we’re going to demonstrate to you all of the effects that are currently available. We will provide real examples of what they look like once logos and texts have been inserted. Now remember these are all the very basic examples of the effects. To make your QR code look even more creative we recommend adding multiple effects all at once.  

Colour Effects

        Multiple Random Colour

    Plain Colour

Linear Gradient 

Shadow Effects

Drop Shadow

         Inner Shadow

Shape Effects

        Round Corner

       Break Blob

Image Effects

      Finder Substitution

        Image Overlay

         Background Image

Hope you enjoyed some of these examples. Now go to qrartist.net to try making your very own unique QR code and have fun using these examples. Don't forget that you can use multiple effects at once. Please leave a comment or question below and we'll get back to you as quick as possible!

Ultimate uses of QR Codes!

Firstly I need to reiterate what I have said in earlier posts, the biggest mistakes that marketers can make when using QR codes in marketing and advertising is having them link to a non-mobile website or in an area where scanning is impossible! For example, do not put QR codes on an airplane where phones are not allowed and there is no internet access. Now that I have cleared up some of the most common mistakes, I will provide below some effective and unique uses of QR codes.

- Business Cards: Have you ever been to a trade show, networking event, or conference and have given out and received more business cards than you can remember? This is where QR codes can be a huge help. QR codes can easily be scanned and have the contact information automatically uploaded into your phone contacts. You can add notes right there to remind yourself about the person and what to bring up when you follow up with them after the networking event. Additionally, scanning a QR code on a business card would eliminate any chance of miss typed numbers of e-mail addresses. This is definitely a possibility when typing with a touch phone.

- For Sale Signs: Real Estate Agents can keep up with the rising popularity of smartphones and mobile communication. Putting a QR code on For Sale signs is a great way to communicate more information to interested clients. For example, having a For Sale sign with a QR code that links to more information, pictures, and even a video walk through of the house will make the buying process easier for the client. Firstly incorporating a QR code on a For Sale Sign can be beneficial, but having a branded artistic QR code is even better. A branded QR code which can be easily created at qrartist.net attracts the client’s attention while expressing your brand image at the same time.

- Newspaper Articles: The Vancouver Sun is a perfect example of how to use QR codes in the newspaper. They are currently using QR Artist to create branded QR codes that connects the reader with additional relevant content online. The text usually explains to the reader that by scanning the QR code they will be redirected to more information, videos, pictures, or anything related to the article. This is a great way to connect customers from print to online media.

- Print Advertisements/Brochures/Pamphlets/Catalogues: Are you running out of space for important information on your brochures or promotional pamphlets? QR codes are the perfect solution! Simply put a QR code on you brochure and link it up to your mobile friendly website where you can provide as much information as you like and can even include pictures and videos.  

- Retail Stores: Ever have the problem at a retail store where your item is sold out? Your size is not there? Or you want a different colour of jacket that is sold out? Why not put QR codes on your shelves for when items are sold out customers can still immediately order the product and have it shipped directly to their house. This would keep the customers at your store instead of shopping elsewhere.

- Restaurants: Have QR codes on menus linking to photos of complete meals. Without the use of QR codes you can only have a select amount of food items with pictures as examples. This way the customers have full access to photos of all the food items and can pick a meal that looks most appealing to them resulting in a better customer experience. This also decreases the likelihood of unsatisfied customers and any possible comments such as "I was not expecting it to look like this". Another use of QR codes in restaurants is to have them appear on receipts where the customer can fill out a survey for x% off their next meal even if they have already left the restaurant.

- Banner advertisements: Place QR codes on your banner advertisements. This would be great for networking events, trade shows, public events, fairs and even on the side of the street. Make sure that where the banner is posted a person is able to stop and pull out there phone to scan. A poor placement of a banner would be in an area without internet access or in a crowded area where there are a lot of people walking and it is difficult to pull out a smart phone to scan.

- Business hour signs: Put QR codes on the sign of your business so people can scan the sign and have your business hours saved into their phone for future reference.

-Posters: QR codes are great for community events or even band posters. The QR code can provide directions through Google Maps, video/sound samples of bands attending and more. The QR code can also put the event date into your calendar to make sure you don't forget.

Any great ideas that we've missed? Leave a comment below!

QR Artist in the Vancouver Sun

Hope everyone has gotten over their Monday blues! We’re thrilled to announce that the Vancouver Sun has started using QR Artist to create QR codes in their newspaper articles. They have been putting custom QR codes designed with QR Artist labelled with colourful text at the end of articles. These QR codes direct the viewers to videos or extra information related to the articles.  They look great on the newspaper and really catch the reader’s attention. They have used their first QR codes in the sports section for the BC Lions Football team and the Vancouver Giants hockey club. This is a great way for the author to be able to provide an example of the certain play or moment in the game with a video while being able to describe it on the newspaper at the same time. These QR codes can be scanned with smart phones by downloading a scannable app for free from the app store. Here is the lasted article in the Vancouver Sun with a QR Artist code at the bottom right-hand corner! J

  

This QR code stands out much more than the regular black and white codes and even tells the reader where they will be directed once they scan the QR code. One of the biggest problems that faces QR codes is readers are unsure of where they will be directed. If the reader is told (right in the middle of the QR code) that they will be directed to a video or free coupon they will be much more willing to scan. Branded QR codes increase customer awareness while promoting your brand identity simultaneously. Consider an advertisement on the side of a bus stop that has a black and white QR code without any directions of where you will be redirected. The customer is unsure and will more likely ignore the code compared to a coloured, branded QR code that has your company’s logo in the centre. This is a more effective use of the space because the QR code is promoting the company's brand while at the same time customers will be more likely to scan the QR.  Thanks for reading and don’t forget to leave a comment, suggestions, or questions as a response below.  We would love to hear from you!