Print and QR
QR codes for print that outlast the campaign
QR codes for print face two risks after the run: a fake sticker over them, and a redirect someone else controls. With CTAurl you control where every printed code points.
Last reviewed 27 October 2026 by the CTAurl team
Before print
Six checks before you print a QR code
Before you print a QR code, check its border, contrast, size and finish, and scan a real proof on two phones. Then print the short link in text under the code, such as read-it.now/menu, so people can type it instead of scanning. The US Federal Trade Commission tells people to inspect the URL before opening a QR code found somewhere unexpected (December 2023). On a CTAurl code, the camera preview shows read-it.now, CTAurl's redirect address, whatever the printed link says.
Governments or police in all five of CTAurl's Asian markets now warn about fake QR codes. Japan's anti-phishing council issued an emergency alert about QR-code phishing in August 2024, according to a JPCERT/CC presentation (November 2025), and Thailand's government warned in August 2025 about edited news clips carrying fake QR codes, Pattaya Mail reported. In Hong Kong, police warned in April 2026 about fake government letters with QR codes, World Journal reported, and Korea's government warned about fake stickers on shared e-scooters in October 2024. Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau warns that fake LINE "customer service" accounts ask victims to scan a QR code and transfer money (Criminal Investigation Bureau press release on the Executive Yuan website, 2026).
- Four modules of plain border
- Dark code on a light background
- At least 2 cm wide, larger for distance
- Matte finish, no glare
- Scan the real print on two phones
- The short link printed under the code
After print
Change where a printed QR code goes, keep the box
A printed QR code from CTAurl can change destination because it encodes a short CTAurl address, not the final page. A carton can open a care page when it ships and a reorder page next month, and the very next scan after you save goes to the new page. Scans are counted next to your online clicks, as requests, not people.
Printed QR codes keep working, even after you cancel
Printed CTAurl codes keep opening the page they last pointed to after you stop paying. Nothing is deleted for inactivity, and clicks and scans are never billed.
A printed code is only as reliable as whoever runs its redirect. In Basel in 2023, QR codes on printed civil-protection notices sometimes opened a paid-subscription advert instead of the intended page, and the canton asked residents to destroy the notices, according to the Basel-Stadt Justice and Security Department, September 2023. CTAurl sends every scan to your page with a 302 and no ad screen, unless you turn on the optional location-consent page for that code.
Exceptions to the first two: abuse of the service, a legal requirement, or CTAurl ceasing to operate, in which case we give advance notice and an export.
What happens when you stop paying
Frequently asked questions
How big should a QR code be on a poster or table card?
A printed QR code should be about one tenth of the scanning distance wide, and no smaller than about 2 cm. A table card read from 20 to 30 cm away needs a code of 2 to 3 cm. A poster read from two metres away needs a code of about 20 cm.
How much empty border does a QR code need?
A QR code needs four modules of plain space on every side. In our decoding test (20 October 2026, clean digital renders and one decoder, no print or camera), a code on a dark surround failed with no border and decoded with one module. Real print adds blur and glare, so keep the standard four.
How can people tell a real QR code from a fake sticker?
People can look for a sticker stuck over the original code before they scan. Korea's science ministry, police and KISA warned in October 2024 about fake QR stickers on shared e-scooters, and the FBI advises looking for stickers placed over the original code. Scan your own codes before you print and check them on site, and print the short link under each code so people can type it instead.