What is a QR Code? QR Codes were created by Denso Wave, a subsidiary of Toyota, in 1994 for the primary use of tracking inventory during vehicle manufacturing. A two-dimensional QR Code is very different than the standard one-dimensional barcode we are used to seeing on retail packages. The one-dimensional barcode holds a maximum of only about 20 digits, reading information vertically. A two-dimensional QR Code stores and reads information both vertically and horizontally and can store up to a Maximum of 7,089 numeric only characters or up to a maximum of 4,296 Alphanumeric characters. A QR Code is about the size of a postage stamp or smaller, and is readable from any direction.

A QR Code can be scanned and deciphered with any smart phone that has a barcode scanning app. There are many barcode scanning apps available for free, just do a search in your app store - you can even read QR Codes using any cell phone that has the ability to take and text a photo.

Click to learn more about ut how QR Codes are generated and how they can be used in packaging.