Do I know anyone who has to produce QR codes for work, and if so, what do you use? There are a zillion free apps out there but they all have some major scamminess to them.
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Thank you! This tool seems to address some of the pitfalls of others I've used in the past. Nothing like having to trash a bunch of printed material because a QR code just quit working...
We were using a free app that decided it wanted money after we’d already printed flyers & whatnot. I found out when folks started yelling at me because they were being directed to a page that basically said “they ain’t pay they QR bill.” We paid the QR mafia that one time, but now use Canva.
I paid up to keep the codes alive. It would’ve been shittier to have to pay for reprints with new codes & also backtrack to partners to switch them out.
I was just thinking about this. I have a DuckDuckGo search for "wifi qr codes" and the first thing that occurred to me when reviewing the results was, "Wait a minute, are they just scavenging SSIDs and passwords?"
I've used the command-line application qrencode, which was installed via Homebrew. It could easily be used with a simple script and a CSV file of the links you want to generate QR codes for. https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/qrencode
QR codes are open source and there’s no reason to use a 3rd party. Just point the code directly at whatever you want to track, i.e. “monthlyspecial.html” and then change what your html points to, not the code.
I’ve sued Adobe Express at work for QR codes. They claim they never expire, but I haven’t tested that yet. I have a personal Creative Cloud account but the QR generator is free to all.
Last time I used a Perl script. Can’t tell you which now, but I would do the same again. I mailmerged the ~100 of them to print on labels and they went on wedding invites for RSVPs
Google Chrome has a built-in QR code generator in the browser. That's the one I use most often. Click the 3 dots at top-right near the URL, look for "Cast, Save, Share" menu, and select "Create QR code".
Bonus points if what you recommend allows me to produce and manage a number of QR codes centrally over time. I really worry about them expiring/ceasing to work in the future.
The QR code simply encodes the URL in the pattern, so they can't expire. You just need to keep the URL live. For archiving, just use any photo librarian app.
We don't otherwise use bitly though, since I can create shortlinks at my own domain name. I might look at it, but the simplicity of QRCode Monkey is tempting.
Ooh, I didn't know Canva did it - we have a free Canva account so that might be the way to go! I am not even sure I need centrally managed, so much as we just need a consistent approach for the organization, and codes that won't suddenly stop working.
Let me know if you find anything good. My predecessor subscribed to a paid site that tracks performance. But there are so many annoying limits to it that I am loathe to even name it. Our metrics are so low anyways that I just stopped caring.
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https://duckduckgo.com/?q=qr+code+generator+12345&ia=answer
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/qr-code-generator-qr-maker/id1574018167
For DDG, just search
Unfortunately even the paid accounts limit how long you can get click/scan data.
If you need something free, Adobe Express has a simple QR code generator that does not seem scammy. https://www.adobe.com/express/feature/image/qr-code-generator
For centrally managed, do you need dynamic QR or static?