In short
A QR code on your business card opens your contact with the phone’s camera, with no typing. You can encode the contact itself (a vCard) or a link to an online profile. The link is the better choice, because you update the profile without printing a new code. Make the code at least 2 × 2 cm, dark on a light background, and test it with two phones before printing.
Contact or link: what to encode
| Contact in the code (vCard) | Link to a profile | |
|---|---|---|
| What it opens | A ready contact to save | A profile with an “Add to Contacts” button |
| Without internet | Works | Needs internet |
| Changing details | A new code and a reprint | Update the profile, the code stays |
| How much it holds | Little: more data makes the code denser | Everything: photo, links, files |
How to make a QR code for a business card
- Decide whether to encode the contact (a vCard) or a link to a profile.
- Make the code with a generator and download it as SVG or a high-resolution PNG.
- Put it on the back of the card, with a blank margin around it.
- Test it with an iPhone and an Android camera before you print.
Size and printing
- At least 2 × 2 cm on a business card, bigger if the code is dense
- A dark code on a light background, with no photo underneath
- A blank margin around the code, so the camera can find it
- A matte finish: gloss reflects light and gets in the camera’s way
Where else to use the same code
If the code leads to a profile, you can also put it on the last slide of a presentation, on a stand, in a shop window or in your email signature. They all lead to the same place.
A QR code and NFC on one card
A QR code needs unlocking, the camera and aiming. NFC is one tap. Every Echo Card has both: an NFC chip and a QR code on the back that lead to the same profile. You update the profile yourself, and the code and the card stay the same. One card is €30, with no monthly fee.