PDF QR code generator: open brochures, manuals and price lists on any phone

A PDF QR code holds a link to a PDF that is stored online. When someone scans it, the phone opens the link and shows the document in the browser or the built-in PDF viewer. A QR code cannot hold the PDF itself, because even the largest QR code stores under 3 KB of data.

Two ways to link a PDF

• Static: the code contains the PDF's full URL. If the file moves or is renamed, the code breaks.
• Dynamic: the code contains a short CardDeck link that redirects to the PDF. When you publish a new version, you change the destination and the printed code opens the new file.

Because PDFs are usually updated, such as a new price list, a corrected manual or next season's brochure, a dynamic QR code is the safer choice for anything printed.

What the person sees

1. They scan the code with their phone camera.
2. The browser opens the PDF. On most phones it displays straight away; some may download it first.
3. They can scroll, zoom, save or share the document.

No app is needed on either side.

Put the PDF online at a public link, create a dynamic QR code that points to it, style it and download. Then test it on a phone using mobile data.

Step by step

1. Prepare the PDF. Make it readable on a phone screen and compress it. Aim for a few megabytes at most.
2. Host it at a public link. Your website, cloud file storage or a document platform all work. Make sure the link opens without a sign-in and is set to "anyone with the link can view".
3. Create a dynamic code in CardDeck and paste the PDF link as the destination.
4. Name the code after the document and where it is printed, such as "Product brochure, trade show stand".
5. Style it with your colors and logo.
6. Download SVG for print.
7. Test on an iPhone and an Android phone, on mobile data rather than office WiFi.

When the PDF changes

Upload the new version, then open the code in CardDeck and change the destination to the new link. You can also schedule the switch for a date, such as the first day of a new price list. If your hosting lets you replace a file while keeping the same URL, even better: the code needs no change at all.

Common mistakes

• Linking to a private file that asks for a login.
• Using a link to a folder rather than the file.
• Uploading a 40 MB print-resolution PDF that takes a minute to open on a phone.

Make the PDF small, single-column and large-text, so it opens quickly and is readable without constant zooming. A print-ready brochure is rarely phone-ready as it is.

Checklist

• File size: compress images and export a "smallest file size" or web version. Under 5 MB opens comfortably on mobile data.
• Layout: single-column pages read better than wide spreads. Avoid two-page spreads exported as one wide page.
• Text size: body text that is comfortable on A4 may be tiny on a phone. Larger type helps.
• First page: put the most important information on page one. Many people never scroll.
• Links: make phone numbers, emails and web addresses clickable in the PDF.
• Accessibility: export with tagged text so screen readers can read it, and give the document a proper title in its properties.

Consider a web page

If the content changes often or people mainly read it on phones, such as a restaurant menu, a mobile web page may serve them better than a PDF. A dynamic code can point to either, and you can switch between them later. See the menu QR code for an example.

PDF QR codes are useful wherever printed material points to a longer document: product packaging, brochures, trade show stands, property boards, reception desks and equipment. Print the code at least 2 × 2 cm, larger for signs.

Common uses

• Product manuals and safety sheets on packaging or the product itself.
• Brochures and catalogs at trade shows, so visitors leave with the document without carrying paper.
• Price lists and rate cards that change each season.
• Property particulars and floor plans on estate agent boards and windows.
• Course outlines and timetables for schools and training centers.
• Event programs on badges and signage.
• Restaurant menus where a PDF is the simplest option.

Sizing

Use the 10:1 rule: make the code about one-tenth of the scanning distance. That is 2 cm for a code on a product held in hand, 5 cm for a counter sign and 10 cm for a poster read from a meter away. Leave a quiet zone of four modules and test the final print. Add a short label next to the code, such as "Scan for the full brochure", so people know what they will get.

Use a dynamic QR code. Each scan passes through the CardDeck redirect, which counts it by date, device type and approximate region before opening the PDF. A static code linking straight to the file cannot be counted.

What you learn

• How many people opened the document from each printed piece.
• When they opened it, such as during or after a trade show.
• Which placement works, if you give each brochure, stand or product line its own code.

Using it

1. Create one dynamic code per placement, all pointing to the same PDF.
2. Name each code after its placement.
3. Compare scan counts after a week or after the event.
4. Retire placements that get no scans and improve the ones that do.

Basic analytics with CSV export are included in Pro; Team and Business add team and advanced analytics. Scan data is aggregated and contains no personal information. The full range of code types is on the main QR code generator page.

Read the numbers with care

A scan is an open, not a read. Someone may scan, glance at page one and close the document. Treat scan counts as a measure of interest in each placement rather than proof that the document was read.