Reliable QR Code Generator?

[jfiscus]

I've recently been (almost) running into issues with trustworthy QR code generators. Who do you use/trust for generating QR codes? I do NOT want to use one that is a forwarding QR code, that goes through a 3rd party website, just simple QR codes that take you to your destination.

 

[CanuckSigns]

I use the built in generator in CorelDraw, it works well for simple URL type codes, but I don't think it does some of the more advanced features like adding to contacts etc.

 

[Joe House]

I've used FlexiSign to create QR codes. If you have Flexi, it's in the text menu.

 

[netsol]

funny thing, about 10 years ago, one of my largest clients decided to put a QR code for a national company on the side of their trucks,
the national company paid, arranged to have a contractor come in and apply QR codes to the side of all the trucks.
surprise ending. the QR code the vendor applied was for a porn site

i was not in the sign business (at least not to any great extent) and was functioning as a computer consultant & just got to watch
the whole thing unfold.

 

[jfiscus]

We had a client that was a hot air balloon company that we did trailer wraps for come to us once with a question about how to "fix" their balloon. Apparently they had a balloon made with a QR code on it that redirected you through their website for tracking; the company went out of business and the QR code no longer worked. We couldn't help them, but it was a lesson to verify QR codes do NOT go through third parties.

Unfortunately(?), no Corel of Flexi here, so still looking for recommendations.

 

[netsol]

in theory, the QR code should have been fine.
they should have been able to make changes to their dns.
this is only a problem when you let a 3rd party company control something as important as your dns

we argue with clients every day about this.
"the new hosting company says this will only work if WE LET THEM CONTROL OUR DNS.
never, never NEVER!!!

 

[ikarasu]

funny thing, about 10 years ago, one of my largest clients decided to put a QR code for a national company on the side of their trucks,
the national company paid, arranged to have a contractor come in and apply QR codes to the side of all the trucks.
surprise ending. the QR code the vendor applied was for a porn site

i was not in the sign business (at least not to any great extent) and was functioning as a computer consultant & just got to watch
the whole thing unfold.

Similar story.... We do all the high pressure decals for a pipeline, were talking 25-50,000 reflective decals applied to carsonite posts that get spread out all throughout the country.

Customer supplied art... Both in English and French (Canadian law... Stupid, but whatever). Well years after doing these, we were asking to re design it for something else - we did, sent off the proof.... Got a reply "looks great, but the French number and Canadian number should be the same"

So out of curiosity I call the French number... And it's a phone sex line there's probably 100,000 of them out in the field with the wrong phone number....

We didn't get in shit because it was their artwork / fault. We printed some cover ups for them, but I doubt they applied them all.


What I took away from it was were forced to include french on all our labels.... But in years not a single person called the French number. Shows how useless and what a waste it is.

 

[netsol]

i have a good friend who manufactures security camera systems for a large mutinational based in canada
in order to avoid a (at that time) $50 "customs broker fee" per package, he had to become a "french canadian company'
which meant having a small office (rented) with one employee who answers the phone in french. he had to have all the writing on his boxes in french and english. i believe the french had to be 25% larger.

i understand they are much harder to deal with now

 

[ikarasu]

French is a pain. We just had a Tylenol shortage for kids - We're being hit really hard with Covid / Flu / RSV... Every hospital is over run with kids with fevers - Cant get kids meds though... Because they ran out of boxes with french on it. Theres stockpiles of kids fever meds waiting to be re-packaged... but it's actually illegal to sell something here without french on it. You cant walk into a store and find a box without french - Even when you import something...you need to re-produce a french label and attach it to the box. It's stupid. I'm in Western Canada - I just looked it up...1.4% Of people can speak french in BC. Yet the law is Canada wide...so we're stuck with it too. We waste millions of dollars a year ensuring french is on everything, just to "keep the heritage" It's ridiculous.

A good portion of our stuff is American made - probably like 80% of it. Now imagine all your guys's companies having to produce a second set of packaging... just to add french. Theres a lot of products we cant get over here because its deemed not worth it to go through that hassle. So your friends story seems about right to me! and shows why a lot of brands wont jump through the hoops in order to sell to a country whos population is about half the size of Californias population...doesnt make sense economically, then people cry about why no one invests or comes to Canada... our government is just as bad, if not worst as every other government

 

[netsol]

there is/was a tylenol shortage everywhere
we live about 12 miles from the facility where it used to be produced in central jersey
back when we were johnson & johnson/mcneil vendors we met the Dr. who was named on the patent

if i was guessing, they probably have a chinese company producing tylenol now. it seems the whole world is going that way

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

We just use this site... you can make the QR do whatever you like:

QR code free generator (Quick Response)

Create QR codes (Quick Response), vector (PDF, AI, EPS) or image (PNG, JPG).

www.free-barcode-generator.net

It exports to all the popular formats, including a few vector ones.

Here's one that goes directly to this thread:

 

[ewded]

qr code generator script for illustrator

 

[CanuckSigns]

French is a pain. We just had a Tylenol shortage for kids - We're being hit really hard with Covid / Flu / RSV... Every hospital is over run with kids with fevers - Cant get kids meds though... Because they ran out of boxes with french on it. Theres stockpiles of kids fever meds waiting to be re-packaged... but it's actually illegal to sell something here without french on it. You cant walk into a store and find a box without french - Even when you import something...you need to re-produce a french label and attach it to the box. It's stupid. I'm in Western Canada - I just looked it up...1.4% Of people can speak french in BC. Yet the law is Canada wide...so we're stuck with it too. We waste millions of dollars a year ensuring french is on everything, just to "keep the heritage" It's ridiculous.

A good portion of our stuff is American made - probably like 80% of it. Now imagine all your guys's companies having to produce a second set of packaging... just to add french. Theres a lot of products we cant get over here because its deemed not worth it to go through that hassle. So your friends story seems about right to me! and shows why a lot of brands wont jump through the hoops in order to sell to a country whos population is about half the size of Californias population...doesnt make sense economically, then people cry about why no one invests or comes to Canada... our government is just as bad, if not worst as every other government

Yup, it can be a massive PITA for sure! We just made 24 gemini plaques that were shipped all over the country, sponsored by a huge national company, they were sent to the 24 largest cities in Canada to commemorate a partnership. They had to be in both languages and it was a squeeze to get the English text on, but the french text is about 30% longer, there were months of back & forth on the translations, trying to get the french text to be the same overall sizeas the English text. Finally got it sorted and made all the plaques for everywhere but Quebec.

Then they told me the ones going to Quebec will be done in french only!!! Imagine if somewhere like Calgary or Victoria decided they only wanted English on theirs, there would be an uproar!

 

[Vassago]

We have exactly the same issue in Wales.. Everyone can speak English, yet signage has to be Welsh first then English. (only a tiny percentage speak Welsh, and I'm sure no one cannot understand english)

When visiting a beach recently there was a Welsh sign on the top of the cliff.. Couldn't understand it.. Halfway down there was another sign - this time in English.. "Don't Jump - Call the Samaritans"

Why? I understand the cultural thing, but surely there's got to be common sense involved somewhere?

 

[BetaCtz]

What would be a good QR generator that allows you to alter the URL re-direct after the fact?
As well, something that helps you track clicks? I know there are companies out their with a "pay for it" model.

Curious if anyone's utilized this for marketing campaign tracking?

 

[CanuckSigns]

What would be a good QR generator that allows you to alter the URL re-direct after the fact?
As well, something that helps you track clicks? I know there are companies out their with a "pay for it" model.

Curious if anyone's utilized this for marketing campaign tracking?

I would imagine most people would setup a landing page for that particular campaign and direct the QR code to it, add a Google analytics tracker and you get an easy way to see all the metrics you could possibly want.