Why Circular QR Code is Great for Customization

Have you ever tried designing round QR codes for your marketing campaign? If yes, you would know it’s quite simple but has its complexity.

You have to consider a lot of factors that can impact their scannability, such as their size, color contrast, and, most importantly, content, among others. On top of it all, you have to consider its oomph factor.

Keep reading to learn how to effectively integrate circular QR codes into your designs to maintain a visually appealing layout.

What is a circular QR code?

A circular QR code or a round QR code is a variation of the traditional square QR code.

They serve the same purpose of storing information that can be easily scanned and interpreted by a QR code reader.

Due to its rounded corners, a circle QR code is easy to blend in any design where the square one can look out of place.

Hershey’s, for instance, placed two QR codes within circle frames before integrating them on their packaging. This not only made the QR codes unique but also made them complement the overall packaging layout.

Factors to consider when designing a QR code

There are several factors that should be taken into consideration when designing QR codes, especially circular ones.

This helps ensure that they are easily scannable and effective. Check out below for reference:

Content

Think of what you want to embed in the QR code. This could be a URL, text, contact information, phone number, or other data types supported by QR codes.

The ultimate goal here is to provide value to users, so make sure that the content is relevant and beneficial for you and your audience.

Branding

Consider customizing the QR code’s appearance with your logo and additional branding elements.

For this one, you can use a free QR code generator that has personalization features you can use to customize QR codes to your heart’s content.

Keep in mind that too much customization can sometimes interfere with scanning reliability, so balance aesthetics with functionality.

Frame and quiet zone

Here’s the truth about circle QR codes: scanners cannot easily scan them.

While round QR codes are indeed aesthetic, QR code scanners can have a hard time scanning them due to the lack of white space or “quiet zone” around them.

But this does not mean that you can’t use them. One simple solution to this is to place the square QR code inside a circular frame — easy as pie!

This not only enhances its appearance but also ensures that there is a quiet zone around the QR code, preventing interference with the surrounding graphics or text.

Color contrast

For easy scanning, there should be enough contrast between the QR code and its background.

Typically, black QR codes on a white background work best, but you can experiment with different color schemes as long as there’s sufficient contrast.

Error correction level

Choose an appropriate error correction level based on the environment where the QR code will be displayed.

Error correction allows QR codes to still be scanned even if they are partially damaged or obscured.

Higher error correction levels are useful for outdoor or high-traffic environments where the QR code might get damaged.

QR code testing

Test the QR code on multiple devices and with various QR code scanning apps to ensure compatibility and readability.

This is particularly important if the QR code will be used by a wide audience with different types of devices.

Resolution

Ensure that the QR code has a high enough resolution to maintain scanning accuracy, especially if it’s going to be printed on large surfaces like billboards or posters.

You can download the QR code image in PNG format for digital use and SVG for prints. Both can be scaled without affecting the QR code’s image quality.

Size

When it comes to size, QR codes should be large enough to be easily scanned but not so large that they take up unnecessary space.

We recommend you maintain a minimum QR code size of 2 by 2 centimeters (0.8 x 0.8 inches).

Of course, you can scale your QR codes up or down. Just remember that being too small or too large can affect the code’s scanning reliability.

Placement

Think about where the QR code will be placed and ensure that it’s easily accessible to users (i.e., eye level). Avoid placing QR codes in locations where they might be obstructed or difficult to scan.

QR codes in shapes for aesthetic marketing

People’s attention spans can be quite fickle, so you need to up your game when it comes to strategic marketing. One thing you can put your focus on would be designing your props.

If you opt to use QR codes to disseminate your event information, for example, you should put some effort into designing your QR code.

You can experiment with various frames, colors, patterns, and eye shapes as long as the QR code remains functional and visually pleasing.

Custom QR codes are much easier to integrate into different marketing material layouts than the simple black-and-white square ones.

Circular QR codes, in particular, are good for graphic placements as they would go with almost every design you could think of.

Out with the old, in with the new

It’s not wrong to stick to conventional ways. But in today’s marketing standard, visually appealing paraphernalia is something you must have.

Round QR codes unlock a new door full of possibilities. Potential marketing design-wise, they make it easier to design a banner or logo that contains your information, whether for an event or your business.

Leveling up your creativity to keep up with the trends will take you to places.