QR codes on product packaging

What the code should open

• A setup guide or quick-start video for the first five minutes
• The full manual, so the printed one can be shorter
• Product registration and warranty
• A reorder page for refills, filters or other consumables
• Recipes, care instructions or new ways to use the product
• The origin story: who made it, where and how

Almost all of these are a website QR code. Choose the one that matters most while someone is holding the box, which is usually setup. Keep safety warnings and anything your regulations require printed on the pack or in the box.

Link to a page you control

Packaging lives for years and a static code can't be changed after it's printed. Don't link straight to a file on a shared drive, a marketplace listing or a campaign page that will be retired. Link to a stable page on your own site, like yourbrand.com/setup, and change what's on that page as the product evolves. Our guide to static and dynamic codes explains the tradeoff.

If you sell several products, give each one its own short path. A code that lands on the right product's page is worth more than one generic code on every box.

Small labels and curved surfaces

Print the code at least 2 cm (0.8 in) square on a box someone holds in their hands. Small jars and tubes tempt you to go smaller. If you must, keep the link very short so the pattern stays simple, and test real samples before committing.

Curves distort the pattern. On a bottle, can or tube, the sides of the code bend away from the camera. The smaller the container, the worse it gets. Keep the code small relative to the container's width, or move it to a flat area like the lid, the base or a hang tag.

Printed on the pack or on a label

A code printed directly on the box is part of the artwork. It can't peel off, but it inherits the printing method. Printing on corrugated board tends to spread ink, so give the code extra size and a clean white area to sit on.

Labels let you add a code to stock you already have, but adhesion matters. Labels on curved, cold, textured or oily surfaces lift at the edges, and a peeling corner can take part of the pattern with it. Use a label stock rated for the surface and keep the code away from the label's edges.

Either way, set error correction to Q or H. Packaging gets scuffed in shipping and on shelves.

Test it across the pack's life

Test a production sample, not just the proof. Scan it straight out of the carton, after a trip in a shipping box, and in the light where it'll be used, like a kitchen counter or a dim garage. The size and printing guide covers contrast and quiet-zone checks. Keep a list of the URL each product points to, so nobody retires one by accident, and add the code to your next print run.