QR Codes Decoded

Have you ever wondered about those odd looking square bar codes that are everywhere?  Quick Response (QR) Codes have become popular thanks to smart phones.  Applications that you can download (usually for free) can translate these boxy cryptograms by snapping a picture, retrieving from a website, or utilizing a saved image. 

What Information is in a QR Code?

QR Codes can reveal a static or dynamic URL, written information, contact details (A.K.A. vCard), send SMS (Text) messages, obtain an address, initiate a phone call, or open a pre-addressed email.   QR Codes for marketing are typically found on an advertisement, mobile website, business card, handout, direct mailing, menus, and any other media you might access while on-the-go. 

Apps for Your Smart Phone, Tablet PC, Laptop, or Desktop.

• Barcodes Scanner is a free App that will allow you to scan these tags you now see almost everywhere! It does not only tell you what's behind the code you just scanned, but it will trigger the appropriate action, like opening a URL, creating a contact, making a phone call, writing an SMS.
• Google Goggles is a fantastic (free) App that does quite a bit more than just translate QR Codes.  It uses image recognition technology to recognize objects and return relevant search results. It can identify products, famous landmarks, storefronts, artwork, and popular images found online. Goggles can translate words in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian. Google Goggles can also extract contact information from business cards and add them directly to your contacts.
• ZXing Decoder Online allows you to paste a URL or upload a saved image to extract the QR Code information while on your regular computer.  This isn’t nearly as convenient as the mobile apps, but allows you to extract the information. 

What’s in a QR Codes?

A QR Code is made up of small squares.  Each square is called a module.  There are specific module sets that will always be on a QR Code. 

• Position squares: There will always be 3 position module sets in the corners.  These squares are used to align the image within the QR Code Reader. 
• Alignment square: There will be at 1 alignment module near the lower right corner of the QR Code.  This is the secondary alignment feature and works in relation to the Position squares. 
• Timing modules: These connect the Position modules allow the reader to measure the total size of a QR Code.  Timing modules also assures that the Reader can see the whole image since the number of timing squares should be the same in both directions. 
• Version Information:  There are forty different versions of QR Codes.  The version is directly tied to the number of modules, which ranges from 21x21 to 177x177 modules.   As you add modules and increase the size the amount of data you can store increases.
• Format Information: This information tells the reader what type of information is contained within the QR Code.  For example, if the information is a URL and should be opened within a browser or is contact details and should be imported to your contacts.
• Data & Error Correction: The data is the unique information within the QR Code.  The error correction determines how many of the modules in the data portion of the QR Code are used to confirm that the information is accurate.  If you have a QR Code with a high level of error correction it will be easier to read.  Error correction does limit the amount of information that can be stored, as some of the modules are being used for backup.
• Quiet Space: This space is necessary for the reader to be able to deduce what is QR Code information and what is extraneous information.