Create a QR code for an art exhibition catalog

A QR code in an exhibition catalog can take visitors straight to a digital version, an accessible text edition, or extra information about the works. The code itself does not contain your full catalog. It points to a web address where visitors can open it.

First make sure the catalog is available at a link people can open on their phones. Then use the QR Code Generator to create and test a code that is easy to scan from the printed page.

Make a QR code for the catalog

1. Open the QR Code Generator and choose the option for a link.
2. Paste the complete address of the online catalog. Include https:// if it is part of the address, and check for typos before generating the code.
3. Choose a dark code on a light background. You can adjust the colors or add a logo, but keep the pattern clear and leave an empty margin around it.
4. Generate the QR code and place it in a draft of the catalog. Keep the code square and avoid stretching it to fit a narrow space.
5. Scan the draft with a phone camera. Confirm that it opens the right catalog, and check that the page loads without requiring visitors to sign in.

Test the code from the actual page, not only from the QR generator preview. A code that scans on a bright monitor may be too small, blurry, or low-contrast after printing.

Choose the right catalog destination

A PDF hosted online

A PDF is a straightforward choice when the catalog is designed as a fixed document. Put it at a stable web address and check that people who are not signed in can open it. Try the link in a private browsing window or on a phone that is not logged in to the account that hosts the file. If access is restricted, visitors may see a sign-in page instead of the catalog.

Check the PDF on a phone before using its link. Small captions, image labels, and page numbers should still be readable without excessive zooming. If your PDF is very large, give it time to load over a mobile connection.

A web page for the exhibition

A dedicated page can work better if the catalog includes audio, video, image galleries, or material that changes over time. The QR code opens that page, where visitors can choose what to explore. Make sure the page is designed for a narrow phone screen, and avoid placing the catalog behind a form or an account requirement.

A link that may change later

The code stores the web address you enter. If you later move the catalog to a different address, the printed code will still point to the old one. Before printing, decide whether you can keep the destination stable. If the address must change, use a redirect you control and update where that redirect leads, rather than changing the QR code printed in the catalog.

Keep a copy of the final address with your catalog files. If someone updates the exhibition page after printing, they can check the destination without having to scan every copy.

If the QR code is hard to scan

1. Increase the printed size. Make the code larger and scan it again from the distance visitors are likely to hold the catalog. For a hand-held catalog, start around 1.25 inches (3 centimeters) square, then test the final print. A long or complex web address can create a denser pattern that needs more room.
2. Restore strong contrast. Use a dark code on a pale background. Avoid pale colors, gradients, or a dark background with a light code, which can make recognition less reliable.
3. Leave space around the pattern. Keep text, artwork, borders, and page folds away from the code. The clear margin around it helps a phone camera distinguish the code from nearby details.
4. Remove or reduce the logo. A logo placed over the pattern can hide information the camera needs. If you add one, keep it small and scan the printed result with more than one phone.
5. Check print quality. Reprint at the size used in the catalog and look for blur, smudges, or compression artifacts. A code copied from a screenshot may lose detail, so use the generated code rather than a cropped image of a preview.
6. Check the destination separately. Open the exact link on a phone. If it is broken, private, or redirects to the wrong page, making the QR code larger will not solve the problem.

Place the code where visitors will notice it

Put the code near a short explanation, such as “Scan to open the digital catalog.” Give it enough room that visitors can point a phone at it without covering nearby text. If the code is on the back cover, repeat the link or a short instruction elsewhere in the catalog for people who cannot scan it.

Before approving the print file, test one physical copy under the lighting visitors will encounter. Scan it with different phones, and confirm the destination still works on a mobile connection.