Sharing well

Checking where a QR code leads before you print

The poster is designed, and one small square still needs to be right.

Four adults set plates of food on a long table in a covered open-air space.

Before you print, scan the code yourself and read the page it opens. If the page is right, current and asks for nothing personal, the code is ready.

A QR code is a picture of a web address. Once it is on paper, you cannot change where it points, so the check has to come first.

What should I check before printing?

Go through this list with a proof copy in your hand.

Does the code open the page you meant, and not a home page or an old page?
Does that page load on mobile data, not just on office Wi-Fi?
Does it ask for names, phone numbers or IC details? If so, is that really needed?
Does the page show the right language for your readers?
Is the page still the one you expect in a week?

If any answer is no, fix it before the printer sees it.

Try this: the proof test

This takes ten minutes.

Print one draft at the real size, on the real kind of paper.
Scan it with your own phone and read the whole page that opens.
Ask a friend with a different phone, ideally an older one, to scan it.
Scan from the distance a reader will stand at, for example at the noticeboard.
Write the web address in plain text under the code, then compare it with what the phone shows.

Why test on different phones?

Phones differ. A newer camera scans a small code easily, and an older one may not. Glossy paper and bright light can also cause trouble.

If two different phones both work, you have a good sign. If either fails, make the code larger or move it away from the fold and any lamination glare.

What should I print next to the code?

Print a short line saying where it goes, for example “Opens a free guide on [site name]”. Add the address in plain text, and the date you checked it.

This helps readers who do not want to scan, who do not trust unlabelled codes, or who are reading on a screenshot. Our guide on keeping source dates on a printed handout shows where the date can sit.

What if I am sending readers to an app?

Check what the page or app store listing actually says, and keep your handout to that. If you mention the Miracle of Mind app, say what you checked, and remind readers it is optional.

When features change, the handout can go stale, so see updating a handout when an app feature changes.

Fitting it into a real week

A poster in a surau lobby, a kopitiam board or a condo lift can stay up for months. Put a reminder in your calendar to scan it again, say once a month.

If your readers speak more than one language, test each version, because each might point to a different page. See preparing a handout in more than one language, and for large print, making a resource pack readable for older adults.

Where to go next

Everything on this theme is gathered on the sharing calm with family, friends and groups page.

Once the poster is at the printer, you might take a short pause. Sadhguru’s free seven-minute guided meditation in the Miracle of Mind app is there if you would like it, and it is entirely optional.

Common questions

Why test the code when it looks fine?

A code can look perfect and still lead to the wrong page, an old page or a page that asks for personal details. The only way to know is to scan the printed proof with a phone and read what opens.

Should I print the web address under the code?

Yes. Some people cannot scan, some phones struggle with glossy paper, and some readers prefer to type. A short address under the code gives everyone a way in.

What if the page moves after printing?

Fix the page, not the poster, if you can: keep the old address working or forward it to the new one. If you cannot, mark the printed copies as out of date and replace them.

How big should the code be?

Big enough to scan from where people will stand, with a plain blank border around it. Test by scanning from that distance, not from the desk where you designed it.