User Guide Cancel

Generate QR codes

Search
InDesign

InDesign

Open app
  1. InDesign User Guide
  2. Get to know InDesign
    1. Introduction to InDesign
      1. What's New in InDesign
      2. System requirements
      3. Common questions
      4. Use Creative Cloud libraries
    2. Workspace
      1. Workspace basics
      2. Contextual task bar
      3. Customize your workspace in InDesign
      4. Toolbox
      5. Set preferences
      6. Properties panel
      7. Touch workspace
      8. Default keyboard shortcuts
      9. Undo edits and manage History panel
      10. Document recovery and undo
    3. Generative AI (Not available in mainland China)
      1. Text to Image
      2. Generative Expand
      3. Generate Effect in InDesign (Beta)
      4. Generative AI FAQ
  3. Create and layout documents
    1. Documents and pages
      1. Create documents
      2. Work with parent pages
      3. Work with document pages
      4. Set page size, margins, and bleed
      5. Work with files and templates
      6. Convert PDFs to InDesign files in InDesign (Beta)
      7. Create book files
      8. Add basic page numbering
      9. Number pages, chapters, and sections
      10. Convert QuarkXPress and PageMaker documents
      11. Share content
      12. Understand a basic managed-file workflow
      13. Save documents
    2. Grids
      1. Grids
      2. Format grids
    3. Layout aids
      1. Rulers
      2. Align and distribute objects using rulers
      3. Measure objects using the Measure tool
  4. Add content
    1. Text
      1. Add text to frames
      2. Threading text
      3. South-East Asian Scripts
      4. Arabic and Hebrew features in InDesign
      5. Create type on a path
      6. Bullets and numbering
      7. Insert MathML to create math expressions
      8. Glyphs and special characters
      9. Text composition
      10. Text variables
      11. Generate QR codes
      12. Edit text
      13. Align text
      14. Wrap text around objects
      15. Anchored objects
      16. Linked content
      17. Format paragraphs
      18. Format characters
    2. Typography
      1. Using fonts in InDesign
      2. Kerning and tracking
      3. Scale and skew type
      4. Apply color effects to type
    3. Format text
      1. Format text
      2. Auto Style text
      3. Work with Style Packs
      4. Tabs and indents
    4. Review text
      1. Track and review changes
      2. Add editorial notes in InDesign
      3. Import PDF comments
    5. Spell check and language dictionaries
      1. Check spelling, autocorrect, and dynamic spelling
      2. Create, add, and manage dictionaries and words
      3. Change dictionary preferences
      4. Duden dictionary
    6. Add references
      1. Create a table of contents
      2. Footnotes
      3. Create an index
      4. Endnotes
      5. Captions
    7. Styles
      1. Paragraph and character styles
      2. Map, export, and manage styles
      3. Object styles
      4. Drop caps and nested styles
      5. Work with styles
      6. Leading
    8. Tables
      1. Format tables
      2. Create tables
      3. Table and Cell styles
      4. Select and edit tables
      5. Table strokes and fills
    9. Interactivity
      1. Hyperlinks
      2. Dynamic PDF documents
      3. Bookmarks
      4. Buttons
      5. Forms
      6. Animation
      7. Cross-references
      8. Structure PDFs
      9. Page transitions
      10. Movies and sounds
    10. Graphics
      1. Understand paths and shapes
      2. Draw with the Pencil tool
      3. Draw with the Pen tool
      4. Apply line (stroke) settings 
      5. Compound paths and shapes
      6. Edit paths
      7. Clipping paths
      8. Change corner appearance
      9. Frames and objects
      10. Align and distribute objects
      11. Linked and embedded graphics
      12. Integrate AEM assets
    11. Color and transparency
      1. Apply color
      2. Use colors from imported graphics
      3. Work with swatches
      4. Mix inks
      5. Tints
      6. Understand spot and process colors
      7. Blend colors
      8. Gradients
      9. Flatten transparent artwork
      10. Add transparency effects
  5. Find and replace
    1. Find and replace text
    2. Find and replace fonts
    3. Find and replace glyphs
    4. Find and replace using GREP expressions and queries
    5. Find and replace objects
    6. Find and replace colors
    7. Search options to find and replace
  6. Share
    1. Save and access cloud documents
    2. Organize, manage, and share cloud documents
    3. View and manage versions in cloud documents
    4. Common questions about InDesign cloud documents
    5. InCopy on the web (Beta)
    6. Share and collaborate        
    7. Share for Review
    8. Review a shared InDesign document
    9. Manage feedback
    10. Invite to edit
  7. Export, import, and publish
    1. Place, export, and publish
      1. Publish online
      2. Publish online dashboard
      3. Copy, insert graphics
      4. Export to Adobe Express
      5. Export content for EPUB
      6. Adobe PDF options
      7. Export to HTML5
      8. Export content to HTML (Legacy)
      9. Export to Adobe PDF
      10. Export to JPEG format
      11. Import SVG files
      12. DPS and AEM Mobile overview
      13. Supported File Formats
      14. Export and import User Settings
    2. Printing
      1. Print booklets
      2. Printer's marks and bleeds
      3. Print documents
      4. Inks, separation, and screen frequency
      5. Overprinting
      6. Create PostScript and EPS files
      7. Preflight files before handoff
      8. Print thumbnails and oversized documents
      9. Prepare PDFs for service providers
      10. Prepare to print separations
  8. Extend InDesign
    1. Automation
      1. Data merge
      2. Plug-ins
      3. Capture extension in InDesign
      4. Scripting
  9. Troubleshooting
    1. Fixed issues
    2. Known issues
    3. Crash on launch
    4. Preference folder read-only issue
    5. Troubleshoot file issues
    6. Unable to export InDesign file to PDF
    7. InDesign document recovery

About QR codes

QR codes are machine readable printed representation of data for various industry uses. It has now become common in consumer advertising. A consumer with a Smartphone can install an app with a QR code scanner that can read and decode the URL information and redirect the phone’s browser to a company website.

After scanning QR codes, users may receive text, add a business card contact to their devices, open a Web hyperlink, or compose an email or text message.

Manage QR codes in InDesign

You can now generate and edit high quality independent QR code graphics from within InDesign. The generated QR code is a high-fidelity graphic object that behaves exactly like native vector art in InDesign. You can easily scale the object and fill it with colors. You can also apply effects, transparency, and printing attributes, such as overprinting, spot inks, and trappings to the object. You can copy-paste the code graphic as a vector graphic object into a standard graphics editor tool such as Adobe Illustrator.

Generate QR code

  1. From the menu, choose Object > Generate QR Code. The Generate QR Code dialog box is displayed.

    Generate QR Code dialog box
    Generate QR Code dialog box

    The Generate/Edit QR Code dialog box has two tabs – Content and Color.

  2. In the Content tab, select any one of the following data types in the Type drop-down list:

    • Web Hyperlink
    • Plain Text
    • Text Message
    • Email
    • Business Card

    Based on the selected type, one or more fields are displayed to provide the content for which you want to generate the QR code.

  3. The Color tab shows Swatch List. If you want to apply a specific color to the QR code, switch to the Color tab and select a specific color. By default, the generated QR code is Black with transparent background.

  4. Click OK.

  5. If you have selected a Frame before generating the QR code, the code is placed directly in the selected Frame replacing its content.

    If you have not selected a frame, the QR code is loaded on the Place Gun and you can place it just like a traditional EPS object:

    • Clicking inside the document places the object in its original/default size – 30 X 30 (cm units).
    • Clicking into an existing frame places the code inside the frame with default size. (It replaces its existing content if you click in the frame with the Alt key pressed.)
    • Click and dragging draws a new frame with fixed aspect ratio and releasing the mouse places the code inside the frame.

Once placed inside a document, the QR code is treated as a traditional EPS object, except that a tooltip appears on hovering over the object, revealing the content details in the form of the embedded code.

Place a generated qr code
QR code

Edit the content and color of the QR code

  1. Select the QR code object or the frame: double-click inside the frame.

  2. From the menu, choose Object > Edit QR Code. You can also right-click and choose Edit QR Code in the context menu.

  3. The Edit QR Code dialog box is displayed with the existing content and color information.

  4. In the Content tab, change the data type and content as appropriate.

  5. To select a different color for the QR code, click Color tab and select an appropriate color.

  6. Click OK.

Modify the QR code’s frame attribute

The default background of a QR code frame is transparent. However, you can change the Frame’s Fill and Stroke attributes such as the Color, Line Style, and Thickness using the traditional controls.

Modify qr code frame's attributes
Change the attributes of a QR code

Transform the QR code object

You can move, resize, or rotate the placed QR code object with the Selection tool. When you drag the frame’s box, only the frame resizes. However, while dragging:

  • If you press the Shift key, the aspect ratio of the frame is preserved.
  • If you press the Ctrl (on Windows) or Command (on Mac) key, both the frame and the content scales with preserved aspect ratio.
  • If you press the Shift plus Alt (on Windows) or Option (on Mac) keys, the frame scales from its center with unpreserved aspect ratio. You can press the Shift key to preserve the aspect ratio.
Change qr code object
Transform a QR code

 Adobe

Get help faster and easier

New user?

Quick links

View all your plans Manage your plans
View quick links
Hide quick links

Legal Notices    |    Online Privacy Policy