QR codes in print advertising: how to measure offline traffic and find out which pieces work

Classic print advertising (magazine, billboard, flyer, packaging) has one clear limitation: once it is out in the world, you do not know how many people saw it or how many reached your website through that channel. The QR code partially solves that problem.

Every time someone scans the code, the server logs the event: time, approximate country and device type. If you use a dynamic QR code with analytics, that data goes into your codigo-qr.es dashboard. If you add UTM parameters to the destination, those visits also appear in Google Analytics, broken down by campaign and medium.

Beyond the scan event itself, a QR code lets you send users exactly where you want: not to the homepage, but to the landing page for the flyer offer, the product video from the magazine ad or the contact form from the billboard. Without a QR, the user has to type a URL or search for you on Google, and that friction reduces conversion.

The size of a QR code depends on the distance from which it will be scanned. This table covers the most common print media:

| Medium | Typical reading distance | Minimum QR size | |--------|--------------------------|------------------| | Business card | 15-20 cm | 2 x 2 cm | | A5/A6 flyer | 20-30 cm | 2.5 x 2.5 cm | | A4 brochure | 30-40 cm | 3 x 3 cm | | Small packaging | 20-30 cm | 2.5 x 2.5 cm | | Shop window poster | 50-80 cm | 5 x 5 cm | | Magazine ad | 30-50 cm | 3 x 3 cm | | Small outdoor billboard | 2-5 m | 15 x 15 cm | | Large billboard (8 x 3 m) | 5-15 m | not recommended |

For large billboards at more than 5 metres, a QR code rarely works well because users do not typically take out their phone to scan while driving or walking briskly. In those cases, a short, memorable URL is more effective.

Two additional rules: use error correction level H if you add a logo to the QR (it withstands up to 30% of the code being damaged), and always download in SVG or PDF so printing at any size does not lose sharpness.

To tell whether a visit came from the trade-fair flyer, the magazine ad or the product packaging, you need distinct labels per medium. The standard method combines two tools.

UTM parameters per medium: Assign a different `utm_content` to each medium within the same campaign:
• Trade-fair flyer: `utm_content=flyer-fair-june`
• Magazine ad: `utm_content=magazine-entrepreneurs-jun26`
• Packaging: `utm_content=box-product-a`

`utm_campaign` is the same for all (e.g. `launch-june-2026`) and `utm_medium=print` for all physical media. In GA4 you can then see the breakdown by medium within the same campaign.

Dynamic QR with its own analytics: If the destination does not have Google Analytics (a PDF, a Maps listing, a third-party website), the dynamic QR from codigo-qr.es is the only way to count scans. Create a different dynamic QR per medium, with descriptive names in the dashboard, and compare the scans from each.

Combining both: A dynamic QR (to count scans even when the destination has no GA) whose destination URL includes UTM parameters (so GA4 also logs it if the destination does have GA). You get both records, and the more complete one is always the most useful.

This is the most practical difference between a static and a dynamic QR in print advertising.

Static QR: the URL is encoded inside the QR. If the offer expires, you change the landing page or the campaign ends, the QR still points to the same place. The user may land on a page that no longer exists or on an expired offer.

Dynamic QR: the QR points to a short URL of the form `/r/abc123` that redirects to whichever destination you choose. If the May campaign ends on the 31st, you change the destination on 1 June to the new offer. The flyer already in the customer's hands keeps being scanned and leads to current content.

Concrete cases where this makes a difference:
• Packaging: the same QR code on the box can point to the version 1.0 instructions and then, when you release version 1.1, you update the destination. No need to pull stock or reprint.
• Event flyer: the QR points to the event landing page before the day. On the day, it redirects to the live programme. After the event, it redirects to photos or a summary.
• Magazine ad: the May issue sits on news-stands for 30 days. The QR can point to different offers each week without the printed ad changing.

The Pro plan at codigo-qr.es includes unlimited dynamic QRs at €5.99/month with scan analytics and real-time destination editing.