Question: Can you change a QR code link after printing?
Answer: A barcode’s function on an adhesive label is to carry information. Once a QR code is printed onto a label, the information is locked-in. So, no, we cannot change the information contained in the code, HOWEVER, we may have a loophole that could work—especially if you have information that needs frequent updating!
*IF* the QR code contains a link to a document or webpage, you can change what is saved in the destination link.
Can I Change the Link of a QR Code?
When a customer asks us if they’re free to change their QR code’s destination after we print their labels, we hate to disappoint them, but usually have to explain that no, you can’t change a QR code’s information after you print it.
But as we stated above, there’s some fine print to that no, and while we can’t change your QR code’s path to its selected destination, some types of QR code destinations have a little wiggle room for making changes!
How to (Kinda) Change Your QR Code’s Destination
Once that QR code is printed, regardless of whether you print it yourself or have a label maker like EIM print it for you, you are locked-in to the information you encoded your QR code with.
In essence, as soon as the ink on your code hits the label, the encoded destination path is locked. You can’t change the encoded information.
What you sometimes can change is not the path, but the destination itself. Allow us to explain.
Instead of plain data, some QR codes contain a hyperlink that takes the user directly to a company’s website, a PDF, file, an order form page, etc. When your QR code takes you to a file or webpage location (instead of just displaying text) that’s when you can go in and make edits to the destination page itself—everyone who scans that QR code in the future will see your changes, but the QR code itself doesn’t change.
QR Code Destinations You Can “Change”
- Weblinks
- Links to PDFs
- Links to Videos
- Links to Other Documents & Editable Files
REMEMBER: when you edit these you CANNOT change the path you’ve encoded into your QR code. Make sure when you save your changes and updates, the link name STAYS THE SAME, otherwise you’ll be sending people to an empty 404 page instead of your updated content!
Question: Can I change the text & numerical data in my QR code after my label is printed?
Answer: Nope. No luck on this one. Whether it’s a barcode number or textual data, once that code is printed you are stuck with it. This is one of the reasons we always ask our customers to closely review their label proofs when they receive them pre-print run.
Always check that your barcode data is accurate before giving your label printer the signal to go!
Why Should I Choose a QR Code Over Regular Barcodes?
Although a lot of our customers use 1D barcodes (think the rectangular block of black vertical lines you see on items in the grocery store) they are somewhat limited in the amount of data they can encode in a given space. 2D barcodes like QR codes are a great choice when you need a barcode to carry a high volume of information. Learn more about how QR codes work here.
Got More QR Code Questions?
We are always happy to answer your questions on all things barcodes and labels. Give The Label Experts a call and we can help you sort your QR code questions out!
