Does the linked page need to repeat everything already printed on the label?

No, and duplicating it wastes the extra space the code is meant to add. Use the physical label for whatever must be visible at a glance or is required by regulation, and use the linked page for the deeper detail — full ingredient breakdowns, sourcing, extended instructions — that would otherwise need a second insert or a font nobody can read.

Does printing the code on a curved surface like a bottle cause problems?

It can. A code that wraps around a cylindrical bottle or jar gets distorted at the edges of its visible arc, and a camera reading it from an angle sees a stretched pattern that's harder to decode. Place the code on the flattest part of the packaging where possible, or keep it small enough that curvature stays minimal.

Why does the packaging material and colour matter for scanning?

A scanner relies on strong contrast between the code's dark modules and its background. Glossy, reflective packaging, dark substrates, or a code printed close in colour to the background all reduce that contrast, particularly under the mixed lighting of a shop shelf.

Product Label QR Code

A shopper scans the label and gets the ingredient list, care instructions or safety data that wouldn't fit on the packaging itself.

02 / Content

Where should the code go?

Website URL

03 / Style

Module shape

may fail printed smalldecorative — scan it before you print it

Eye frame

Eye centre

04 / Preview

Exactly what downloads

See it on

Previews only — the card, tent, poster and sticker are not in the download. You get the code.

Checking that it scans…

What the scan delivers

Scanning a code on a product’s packaging typically opens a page carrying whatever detail didn’t fit on the label itself — a full ingredient list, allergen information, usage or care instructions, sourcing story, or in some categories the regulatory disclosures required by law. It effectively gives the label unlimited extra space, provided the destination page stays genuinely useful rather than a marketing page dressed up as information.

Curved packaging distorts the pattern

Placing a code on a rounded surface — a bottle, a jar, a tube — is one of the more overlooked mistakes in product labelling. As the surface curves away from a camera’s straight-on view, the code’s edges stretch and the module spacing becomes uneven, which some scanners tolerate and others reject outright. Where the packaging allows it, put the code on the flattest available panel; where it doesn’t, keep the code smaller so less of its width sits across the curve.

Contrast against the substrate

A scanner needs real contrast to separate the code’s pattern from its background, and packaging materials work against that more often than plain paper does. Glossy foil, dark bottle colours and metallic finishes all reduce the contrast a camera can pick up, especially under a shop’s mixed overhead lighting. A plain white or light matte panel behind the code, printed in solid black, remains the most reliable combination regardless of how the rest of the packaging is designed.

Choosing the error correction level

Product labels get scuffed in transit and on shelves, so a mid-high error correction level is worth the slightly denser pattern it produces — it buys tolerance for the scratches and smudges that packaging accumulates between the factory and a customer’s hand.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does the linked page need to repeat everything already printed on the label?: No, and duplicating it wastes the extra space the code is meant to add. Use the physical label for whatever must be visible at a glance or is required by regulation, and use the linked page for the deeper detail — full ingredient breakdowns, sourcing, extended instructions — that would otherwise need a second insert or a font nobody can read.
Does printing the code on a curved surface like a bottle cause problems?: It can. A code that wraps around a cylindrical bottle or jar gets distorted at the edges of its visible arc, and a camera reading it from an angle sees a stretched pattern that's harder to decode. Place the code on the flattest part of the packaging where possible, or keep it small enough that curvature stays minimal.
Why does the packaging material and colour matter for scanning?: A scanner relies on strong contrast between the code's dark modules and its background. Glossy, reflective packaging, dark substrates, or a code printed close in colour to the background all reduce that contrast, particularly under the mixed lighting of a shop shelf.

Other QR code types

QR code guides

Printing, sizing, or troubleshooting a code? Read our QR code guides and troubleshooting articles.