QR Code or Augmented Reality? Which Works Better for Print?
The differences, strengths and limits of QR codes and augmented reality (AR), and when to use each one in catalogs, posters and packaging.
When you want to connect a printed piece to digital content, the first thing that comes to mind is a QR code. In recent years, web-based augmented reality (AR) has started doing the same job in a different way. They aren't rivals; they often work best together. This article covers their differences, strengths and weaknesses, and when to use which.
In short: what do they do?
- QR code: a square code printed on the page. Scanned with a phone camera, it takes you to an address (a web page, a video, a form).
- Augmented reality (AR): the phone camera recognizes the printed image itself and plays the content linked to it (for example a video). No separate code is needed; the photo itself is the trigger.
Comparison
| QR code | Augmented reality | |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | A square code on the page | The image itself |
| Effect on design | Takes space on the page for every link | Page design stays the same |
| Several pieces of content on one page | A separate code for each | Each image opens its own video |
| Experience | A jump to another page | Content tied to the image you're looking at |
| Setup | Very easy | Easy (upload images and videos) |
| Scanning conditions | Reliable even in small print | The image should be detailed and well lit |
Strengths of QR codes
The QR code is a standard everyone knows, and almost every phone camera can read it directly. It's very simple to set up and works reliably even in small print and difficult lighting. It's still the most practical way to send people to a website, a form or a download page.
Limits of QR codes
You need a separate code for each piece of content. Six products on a catalog page means six QR codes cluttering the design. Scanning a code takes the reader to another page and breaks the link with the printed piece. And if the address behind a printed code changes, the code may have to change too.
Strengths of augmented reality
With AR you don't touch the page design; the photo itself is the trigger. Readers see the video of whatever they are looking at, which makes the experience far more natural and memorable. Every image on a page can open its own content. Even if the video changes later, the print stays the same.
Limits of augmented reality
An image needs enough detail to be recognized: flat-colored, very plain or near-identical pages are hard to recognize. Very glossy (laminated) surfaces and poor light can also make recognition harder. A little care before printing solves this; see the AR image checklist for details.
Best results: use both
In practice the most effective approach combines the two:
- A single QR code (on the cover, first page or a corner of the poster) invites the reader in and opens the AR page in the browser.
- The reader then points the camera at any image and that image's video plays. No other codes on the pages.
You get the QR code's “everyone knows how to scan it” advantage together with AR's “the design stays clean and every image opens its own video.”
Which one, when?
- If you only need to send people to a website or a form: a QR code is enough.
- For image-rich pieces like catalogs, exhibitions and menus where each image should have its own video: AR, with a single QR code at the entrance.
- For posters and packaging where you want attention and measurable engagement: AR, because the image itself turns into a video and every scan is counted.
Examples for posters, packaging and print ads are on the posters & print ads page.