[ QR · AR ]
QR and AR glossary
Short definitions of the QR code and AR terms you'll meet when making and printing codes.
- Dynamic QR code
- A QR code that contains a short link instead of the final destination. The short link forwards to wherever you choose, so the destination can change after printing and scans can be counted. Most QR Crown codes are dynamic.
- Static QR code
- A QR code whose content is stored in the code itself, such as Wi-Fi details, a calendar event or plain text. It works without the internet but can't be changed or counted after printing. Read more
- Short link
- A short web address that redirects to a longer one. Shorter content means fewer modules in the code, so it can be printed smaller and still scan.
- Module
- One square “pixel” of a QR code. The more data a code holds, the more modules it needs, and the smaller each one gets at the same print size.
- Finder patterns
- The three large squares in the corners of a QR code. They tell the camera where the code is and which way up it is, so they need to stay clear and high-contrast even in a designed code.
- Error correction
- Extra data in a QR code that lets it scan when part of it is dirty, damaged or covered by a logo. There are four levels, L, M, Q and H, recovering roughly 7%, 15%, 25% and 30% of the code. QR Crown makes codes at level H.
- Quiet zone
- The empty margin around a QR code. Scanners need it to find the edge of the code; printing a code right up against text or a pattern can stop it scanning.
- Contrast
- The difference in brightness between the code and its background. Dark modules on a light background scan best. QR Crown tests each code before download and warns when the contrast is too low.
- vCard
- A standard file format for contact details (.vcf). A vCard QR code opens a contact card that the phone can save in one tap. Read more
- Augmented reality (AR)
- Showing a 3D object in the real world through the phone's camera, for example a dish on your table or a product in your hand.
- AR Quick Look
- Apple's built-in AR viewer on iPhone and iPad. It opens 3D models in USDZ format from Safari without an app; QR Crown uses it on iPhones.
- Scene Viewer
- Google's AR viewer on Android phones. It opens 3D models in GLB format from the browser; QR Crown uses it, or WebXR, on Android.
- WebXR
- A web standard that lets a page show AR or VR directly in the browser, on browsers and devices that support it.
- GLB
- The binary form of glTF, an open format for 3D models that keeps the model, textures and materials in one file. On the Business plan you can upload your own GLB models to QR Crown.
- USDZ
- The 3D file format Apple devices use for AR Quick Look. QR Crown prepares a USDZ version of each scene for iPhones, so you only need a GLB.
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