Generate QR Codes with Python: An Easy Guide

9 min readJan 20, 2023

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Introduction

Brief overview of QR codes and their uses

A QR code, or Quick Response code, is a two-dimensional barcode that can be scanned using a smartphone camera or QR code reader. These codes can contain a variety of information, including text, URLs, contact information, and even entire documents. QR codes are commonly used for a variety of purposes, including marketing and advertising, product tracking, and as a quick and easy way to access information or navigate to a website. They are particularly popular in the retail and e-commerce industries, as they allow customers to easily access product information, reviews, and special deals. QR codes are also frequently used in events, such as conferences, to provide attendees with information about the schedule, speakers, and location. With the increasing use of smartphones, QR codes have become a quick and convenient way for businesses and individuals to share information and connect with customers.

Explanation of how Python can be used to create QR codes

Python is a powerful and versatile programming language that can be used to create a wide range of applications, including those that generate QR codes. One of the most popular libraries for creating QR codes in Python is the qrcode library. This library allows developers to easily generate QR codes by providing a simple and intuitive interface for creating and customizing the codes.

To create a QR code using Python, you will first need to install the qrcode library by using the command pip install qrcode. Once the library is installed, you can import it into your Python script and use it to generate a QR code by providing the information you want to encode, such as a text or a URL. You can also customize the appearance of the QR code by adjusting the size, color, and error correction level.

Additionally, you can use Python to generate QR codes with more advanced features, such as including a logo or image in the QR code or creating QR codes with more complex data types. Python libraries such as Pillow and qrcodegen can be used in combination with qrcode library to add such functionalities.

In summary, Python provides a simple and efficient way to create QR codes, making it a popular choice among developers. With its easy-to-use libraries, developers can easily generate a wide range of QR codes, customize their appearance, and add advanced features.

Setting up the necessary libraries

Installation instructions for the qrcode library

Installing the qrcode library in Python is a simple process that can be done using the pip package manager.

Open the command prompt or terminal on your computer.
Type the command “pip install qrcode” and press enter. This will begin the installation process for the qrcode library.
Wait for the installation to complete. You should see a message indicating that the library has been successfully installed.

Alternatively, you can also install the library by using the command “!pip install qrcode” if you are running the python script in Jupyter notebook or similar.

You can verify that the library has been successfully installed by typing “import qrcode” in the python script and executing it. If no error appears, it means the library is successfully installed.

It’s worth noting that, if you’re working on a virtual environment or have multiple versions of python installed on your computer, you might have to use pip3 or pip3.x (depending on the python version) instead of pip to install the library.

Explanation of how to import the library into your Python script

Once the qrcode library is installed, you can import it into your Python script and use its functions to create QR codes. To import the library, you can use the “import” keyword followed by the library name:

from qrcode import QRCode
qr = QRCode(version=1, box_size=10, border=5)

Creating a basic QR code

Code example of how to generate a QR code with basic information (text or URL)

Here is an example of how to generate a QR code with basic information, such as a text or a URL, using the qrcode library in Python:

import qrcode

# Create a QR code object with a larger size and higher error correction
qr = qrcode.QRCode(version=3, box_size=20, border=10, error_correction=qrcode.constants.ERROR_CORRECT_H)

# Define the data to be encoded in the QR code
data = "https://medium.com/@rahulmallah785671/create-qr-code-by-using-python-2370d7bd9b8d"

# Add the data to the QR code object
qr.add_data(data)

# Make the QR code
qr.make(fit=True)

# Create an image from the QR code with a black fill color and white background
img = qr.make_image(fill_color="black", back_color="white")

# Save the QR code image
img.save("qr_code.png")

Discussion of how to customize the appearance of the QR code (e.g. size, color, error correction level)

The qrcode library in Python provides several ways to customize the appearance of a QR code, such as changing the size, color, and error correction level.

Size: The size of a QR code can be adjusted by changing the “version” parameter when creating the QR code object. The version number corresponds to the number of modules (small squares) in the QR code. The higher the version number, the larger the QR code will be. Additionally, you can also adjust the “box_size” parameter, which controls the size of each module in the QR code.
Color: The fill color and background color of a QR code can be adjusted using the “fill_color” and “back_color” parameters when creating the QR code image. These parameters accept a variety of color formats, including RGB values and CSS color names.
Error Correction Level: The error correction level of a QR code can be adjusted by setting the “error_correction” parameter when creating the QR code object. There are four error correction levels available: L (low), M (medium), Q (quartile), and H (high). The higher the error correction level, the more data can be recovered if the QR code is damaged.

Advanced QR code features

Explanation of how to include a logo or image in the QR code

The qrcode library in Python does not provide an inbuilt method to include a logo or image in a QR code, but there is an easy way to achieve this by using other libraries like Pillow in combination with qrcode library.

Here’s an example of how to include a logo or image in a QR code using the qrcode and Pillow libraries:

from PIL import Image
import qrcode

# Create a QR code object
qr = qrcode.QRCode(version=1, box_size=10, border=5)

# Define the data to be encoded in the QR code
data = "https://www.example.com"

# Add the data to the QR code object
qr.add_data(data)

# Make the QR code
qr.make(fit=True)

# Create an image from the QR code
img = qr.make_image(fill_color="black", back_color="white")

# Open the logo or image file
logo = Image.open("logo.png")

# Resize the logo or image if needed
logo = logo.resize((50, 50))

# Position the logo or image in the center of the QR code
img_w, img_h = img.size
logo_w, logo_h = logo.size
pos = ((img_w - logo_w) // 2, (img_h - logo_h) // 2)

# Paste the logo or image onto the QR code
img.paste(logo, pos)

# Save the QR code image with logo or image
img.save("qr_code_with_logo.png")

In this example, we first import the qrcode and Image libraries from the Pillow package. We then create a QR code object and add the data to be encoded in it. We then create an image from the QR code using the make_image() function.

Next, we open the logo or image file using the Image.open() function, and resize it if needed, using the resize() function. We then calculate the position of the logo or image to center it on the QR code using the img.size method.

Finally, we paste the logo or image onto the QR code using the paste() function and save the QR code image with logo or image using the save() function.

It’s worth noting that you can experiment with different positions and sizes for the logo or image to achieve the desired appearance for your QR code.

In summary, to include a logo or image in a QR code using the qrcode library in Python, you can use other libraries like Pillow. This can be done by opening the logo or image file, resizing it if needed, positioning it on the QR code, and pasting it onto the QR code. Finally, you can save the QR code image with logo or image.

Discussion of how to create QR codes with more complex data types (e.g. vCards, WiFi network information)

The qrcode library in Python can be used to create QR codes with more complex data types, such as vCards and WiFi network information.

vCard: A vCard is a digital business card that contains contact information, such as name, address, phone number, and email address. To create a QR code with vCard information, you can use the add_data() function to add the vCard data in the form of a vCard string.

Here’s an example of how to create a QR code with vCard information:

import qrcode

# Create a QR code object
qr = qrcode.QRCode(version=1, box_size=10, border=5)

# Define the vCard data
vcard = """BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:4.0
FN:John Smith
ORG:Example Company
TITLE:CEO
TEL;TYPE=WORK,VOICE:(555) 555-5555
EMAIL;TYPE=PREF,INTERNET:john.smith@example.com
URL:https://www.example.com
END:VCARD"""

# Add the vCard data to the QR code object
qr.add_data(vcard)

# Make the QR code
qr.make(fit=True)

# Create an image from the QR code
img = qr.make_image(fill_color="black", back_color="white")

# Save the QR code image
img.save("qr_code_vcard.png")

In this example, we first define the vCard data as a string and add it to the QR code object using the add_data() function. We then make the QR code, create an image, and save the image as usual.

WiFi network information: To create a QR code with WiFi network information, you can use the add_data() function to add the WiFi data in the form of a WiFi string. The WiFi string contains the network name (SSID), encryption type, and password.

Here’s an example of how to create a QR code with WiFi network information:

import qrcode

# Create a QR code object
qr = qrcode.QRCode(version=1, box_size=10, border=5)

# Define the WiFi data
wifi = "WIFI:S:Example_Network;T:WPA;P:password123;;"

# Add the WiFi data to the QR code object
qr.add_data(wifi)

# Make the QR code
qr.make(fit=True)

# Create an image from the QR code
img = qr.make_image(fill_color="black", back_color="white")

# Save the QR code image
img.save("qr_code_wifi.png")

In this example, we first define the WiFi data as a string and add it to the QR code object using the add_data() function. We then make the QR code, create an image, and save the image as usual.

It’s worth noting that you can create QR codes with many other data types, such as calendar events, location coordinates, and even Bitcoin addresses, by following the same approach of creating a string of the data type, and adding it to the QR code object using the `

Conclusion

Summary of key takeaways from the tutorial

In summary, the qrcode library in Python is a powerful tool that can be used to create QR codes with various data types. The key takeaways from this tutorial are:

You can install the qrcode library in Python using the pip package manager by typing the command “pip install qrcode” in the command prompt or terminal.
You can import the library into your Python script and use its functions to create QR codes.
You can customize the appearance of the QR code by adjusting the version, box size, border, error correction level, and other parameters.
You can include a logo or image in a QR code by using other libraries like Pillow in combination with qrcode library.
You can create QR codes with more complex data types such as vCards and WiFi network information by encoding the data in a specific format and adding it to the QR code object using the add_data() function.
The qrcode library in Python can be used to create QR codes with various data types and allows you to customize the appearance of the QR code to suit your needs.

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