Does a QR Code Have to be Black and White?

Does a QR code have to be black and white? The answer — is no.

QR codes now come in different colors, and some even have logos in the middle of their pattern.

There are also QR codes having different frames with a call to action in them.

This innovation allows businesses and marketers to create QR code campaigns that represent them and help in promoting brand recognition among a wide audience.

How can you modify your QR codes?

With the best QR code generator online software, of course.

It comes with an extensive set of customization tools that let you design your QR codes.

Learn various tips and hacks on how to make your QR code more lively and scannable in this article.

How to create an innovative QR code layout?

To see is to believe—that's what they say. To answer the questions, "Can QR codes be white?" and "Do they really have to be black and white?" Let's try to make one using a custom QR code generator with logo. 

To create one, there are 7 simple steps that everyone can follow through.

1. Open a QR code software with a logo

QR TIGER is the best dynamic QR code generator that you can use to make creative QR codes.

QR TIGER is a credible and reputable QR code platform that every QR code user can use to create a creative QR code design.

2. Select the category that fits your content

Proceed in selecting the category your content fits in.

With different QR code types available in the QR code generator, you can know what category fits your content.

3. Fill in and Generate your QR code

After selecting the category of your content, continue filling up the required fields, and generate your QR code.

For a more visually appealing look, generate your QR code as a dynamic QR code.

This way, your QR code’s design will not be crowded with more dots.

4. Customize your QR code

Once you have generated your QR code, you can personalize the QR code by adding a set of patterns, colors, and eye shapes and adding your logo and call to action.

By doing this, you can create a creative QR code layout aside from having a black-and-white QR code layout.

5. Test if your QR code is scannable

As you have customized your QR code, test your QR code by running a series of test scans.

In this way, you can quickly detect any scanning error and fix it before deploying.

6. Download your QR code

Once you are satisfied with your QR code tests, proceed to download your QR code.

If you plan to deploy them in the print paper, the best format that other QR code users recommend using is by downloading the QR code SVG format.

In this way, you can ensure the QR code’s quality on print paper.

7. Place and Print your QR codes in different marketing materials

After downloading your QR code, you can place the QR code in your campaign material template and proceed with printing them.

When placing and printing your QR code, there are different QR code printing guidelines that other QR code users are using.

Benefits of having a Creative QR code design

With that in mind, here are 4 more benefits that creative QR code designs can bring to businesses and their users.

Instill brand awareness

One thing that black and white QR codes inhibit brands when using them is the limitation to instilling brand awareness in the public.

Because of that, many people will regard these black-and-white codes as the common QR code design.

But with the use of colorful and creative QR codes, brands can build brand awareness among their customers and clients by adding the brand’s prominent colors into the QR code.

In this way, people can easily recognize which brand the QR code belongs to.

Promote QR code uniquity

QR codes with different designs and layouts promote uniqueness. Because of that, having a unique QR code increases the brand’s ability to create original stories and designs for its QR code campaign.

Grabs more attention

Creative QR code designs yield more chances of getting a high scanning rate than the normal black-and-white QR codes.

With an increased scanning rate of 173%, there’s no denying that creative QR codes grab more attention than traditional ones.

Because of that, many QR code users are getting creative with their QR code designs.

Blends with thematic QR code campaigns

If you are having trouble with implementing a thematic marketing campaign with QR codes, then generating one in a colorful format is the best way to go.

With the customization of QR codes, a thematic QR code campaign is possible.

Because of that, some users are customizing their QR codes to blend with the thematic QR code campaigns that they are currently running.

Tips on how to make a creative QR code layout

Because of that, the QR code experts have drafted 8 important design tips for making one.

With these tips, you can make the most out of your QR code design layout.

1. Choose the appropriate QR code color that will match what you are promoting

The first tip when making a creative QR code layout is to choose the appropriate QR code color.

When choosing one, you should always consider its content to relay your QR code message correctly.

In this way, your target will know what your QR code content is.

A definitive example of this is if your content is a document file, the right color for its QR code is dark blue.

Taking it from the Microsoft Word office prominent software color.

2. Be mindful of your QR code’s color contrast

Once you are done with choosing the QR code’s background color, you can check if it creates a definitive color contrast in your output.

Color contrast plays an important role in keeping the QR code scannability.

Without knowing if its color contrast is pleasing to the eyes of the person and the machine, then the QR code’s purpose will fall apart.

Because of that, QR code experts formulated a universal color contrast guideline for QR code users to follow.

And the rule of thumb states the foreground color is always needed to be darker than the background color.

Due to this ruling, the selection of light colors such as yellow and other pastel colors is discouraged.

3. Add your logo for a more professional look

As there are many QR codes that are spiraling everywhere, people are having a hard time scanning legitimate ones.

Because of that, QR code experts encourage QR code users to add their logo to make their QR code more professional looking.

Through this, people can distinguish that your QR code comes from a legitimate owner and can be safely scanned.

4. Keep it fair and square

Reshaping the QR code into a rectangle is a big NO for QR code experts.

Aside from its trademark look as a black and white QR code, one thing that people can recognize as a QR code is their shape.

Because of that, these codes have a trademark look in a QR code scanner.

5. Give your codes a space to blend in (use a dynamic QR code)

This tip is one of the overlooked tips that QR code users are continuing to neglect. Because of that, many QR code scanners are struggling to read the QR code.

To make a fast scanning QR code, QR code experts encourage users to leave spaces for the QR code to blend in with.

By doing this, QR code scanners can automatically recognize your QR code and quickly unpack its content for people who are scanning it.

6. Add your call to action or CTA

One way to give people a hint about what they are scanning about is by adding a call to action to your QR code.

In this way, they will know the purpose of the QR code that they are scanning.

If the call to action states “Scan to Follow,” the QR code content contains the owner’s social media links.

7. Mind the QR code size

To ensure the QR code’s scannability, minding its size is an important task a QR code user should always do.

As they can play an important part when scanning, a QR code sizing guideline is taken into place.

If the QR code is placed in the distance scanning area, the minimum QR code size is 2 cm x 2 cm (0.8 in x 0.8 in).

If the QR code requires a greater scanning distance, then the following rule of thumb is for you.

The rule of thumb states that the right QR code sizing is measured by knowing the approximate QR code distance from the scanner and the QR code divided by 10.

8. Keep a clean and minimalistic QR code look

To make a creative QR code layout, QR code experts recommend the use of a clean and minimalistic QR code look.

As the use of static QR codes increases the number of QR code dots, the use of dynamic QR codes can help to keep the QR code looking clean and minimalistic.

Because of that, many QR code color design enthusiasts are recommending the use of dynamic QR codes over static ones.

Innovate from black and white QR codes and make customized QR codes with QR TIGER

As we are living in a world where there are different options for everything we do, the QR code options are not always black and white.

With different customization elements that go through every QR code generation, printing different QR code outputs are possible.

Because of that, many QR code users can now customize their QR codes with the use of QR code software with a logo like QR TIGER.

Through its use of it, they can start their creative journey with different QR code designs.

If you have more queries about QR codes, you can contact us directly on our website.

FAQs

Can QR codes be white?

Yes. But make sure to use contrasting colors for the background and foreground to make it scannable. If you choose a white QR code pattern, use a dark-colored background. If you choose a white background, use a dark-colored QR code pattern.

You can also make your QR code background transparent with our platform for a more seamless blending to your material.

Do QR codes need to be black and white?

No. QR codes don’t need to be black and white. As long as your QR codes are not inverted in colors and have proper color contrast, your QR codes will still work.