Have you noticed these black and white crossword looking things showing up lately?
They are called QR (Quick Response) Codes. If you take a picture of the QR Code with your smartphone it will usually take you to a website, but it can also encode other stuff, like your contact information, or any text you’d like. The above QR code links to electricquilt.com. You can make them for free at sites like qrcode.kaywa.com.
Again, you can set it up to link to anything you want. So, link it directly to the sign-up for your newsletter, to friend your shop on Facebook, go directly to your Etsy shop, follow you on Pinterest or Twitter…it’s easier than handing out web addresses and hoping people type it in and find what they are looking for. I was thinking that they would be a fun addition to quilt labels. So, if someone sees your quilt and they take a picture of the QR code, it links directly to where you are selling the quilt’s kit!
And of course you’ll want to use EQ Printable Fabric to print your QR code labels out on!
(Also—one of our users, Bea Lee, made a whole QR code quilt. Very cool.)
If this inspires you to make something, let us know! Email photos to Heidi@electricquilt.com.
05-22-2013
9:52 am
Love the idea of these, but the only downfall is that it assumes you have a smart phone. There would still need to be the normal info for non-smartphone users, of which there are many.
05-22-2013
10:20 am
Very true. QR codes are new and not everyone is using them, yet. Just an idea for those who are though
05-22-2013
11:06 am
I saw a couple of vendors in Portland who use QR codes to add pictures, video and audio to your quilts. I’ll be reviewing these for the Canadian Quilters’ Association and posting details on my Blog. An interesting idea!
05-22-2013
11:37 am
Thanks, Daphne. Very interesting. Let us know when your post is up!
05-22-2013
12:04 pm
There is a Flickr group with QR code creations including gloves, Legos and lots of other fun stuff…you can check it out here http://www.flickr.com/groups/qr-3d/pool/
05-23-2013
4:40 am
The company stkr.it is one that was in Portland and allows you to add voice, video, photos or text to your quilts. They’ve been around since October in the quilt industry. The nice thing is that they have made QR codes usable by people who don’t hav smartphones. All you need is a computer. I’ve been usin the products since they came out and demoing them for shops. They have 3 varieties: sew on, iron on, and sticker versions. I highly recommend trying them. There is one downfall, they are highly addictive! Once you start using them, you will find many uses for them!
12-21-2013
6:51 am
Hi! Last 5 days I was searching for making QR codes my self and make free QR codes. So know I know how to make them . It is very easy and I can make them my self and It is free.