How to make an event QR code
- Type the event name and choose when it starts.
- Add an end time if you like; without one, the event lasts an hour.
- Add the place and any details people need, such as "Bring ID".
- Download PNG or SVG for invitations, posters and tickets, and test it with a phone.
Good uses
- Wedding, party and save-the-date invitations
- Posters for talks, gigs, classes and open days
- Appointment cards for clinics and salons
- School letters: parents' evening, sports day, trips
What goes in the code
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Summer fair
DTSTART:20270612T110000
DTEND:20270612T160000
LOCATION:Village hall
END:VEVENTAn iCalendar event (VEVENT), the format calendar apps and phone scanners use. Commas, semicolons and line breaks are escaped automatically.
Good to know
- Times are saved as local times, without a time zone: an 11 am event shows as 11 am wherever it's scanned. That suits events people attend in person.
- Most phone cameras and scanner apps offer to add the event to the calendar; a few only show the text. The Yuzool scanner shows the details with an Add to calendar button.
- Keep the details short so the code stays easy to scan.
Static codes: no expiry, no tracking
Codes made here are static: the event is written into the code itself, not kept on a server. So the code never expires, works without an account or subscription, and nobody, Yuzool included, sees who scans it or when.
The trade-off is that a static code can't be edited after it's printed: make a new one instead. Dynamic codes from other services point to a short link they control, so they can count scans and change the destination, but they stop working if the service or your subscription ends.
Printing, size and error correction
- Size: at least 2 cm (about 0.8 in) square for anything held in the hand. For posters and windows, make it about a tenth of the scanning distance: 20 cm across to scan from 2 m away.
- Contrast and border: a dark code on a light background, with the plain border (the quiet zone) kept clear of text and pictures. The app warns you about low contrast and light-on-dark codes.
- Error correction (in Style and size) lets a code still scan when part of it is dirty, scratched or covered: Low recovers about 7%, Medium 15% (the default), Quartile 25% and High 30%. Higher levels make the code denser, so keep Low or Medium for small prints with a lot in them, and choose Quartile or High for stickers, outdoor signs and things that get handled.
- File: SVG stays sharp at any size, so use it for print. PNG (up to 2048 pixels) suits screens, documents and slides.
- Test with two different phones before you print a batch.
Questions
What happens when someone scans an event QR code?
Most phones show the event and offer to add it to the calendar, with the name, times, place and details filled in.
What time zone are the times in?
None: they are local times, so 7 pm shows as 7 pm for everyone. That is right for events in a set place.
Can I change the date after printing?
No. A static code can't be edited, so make a new one if the date changes.