How to create an event QR code
- 1
Add the event
Enter the event name, the start time and, if you like, the end time.
- 2
Add the place and details
Add the venue and a short description, such as the dress code or what to bring.
- 3
Download and test
Scan it on an iPhone and an Android phone and check that the time looks right in the calendar.
How an event QR code works
The code stores the event in iCalendar format, the same format used by calendar invitations sent by email. When scanned, the phone shows the event and offers to add it to the calendar. People get your title, time, venue and notes without typing anything, and their calendar reminds them before it starts.
Phone support
The iPhone Camera app offers “Add to Calendar” for event codes, and many Android phones and scanner apps do the same. A few older scanner apps show the event as plain text instead. If some of your guests may use older phones, print the date and time next to the code as well.
Time zones
The time is saved as a “floating” local time: 7:00 PM shows as 7:00 PM on every phone, wherever the person is. That’s exactly right for an in-person event.
For an online event with people in several countries, write the time zone in the event name or details (for example “7 PM IST”). Or create the event in Google Calendar or Outlook, copy its link, and share that in a URL QR code, so each calendar converts the time.
Where to use event QR codes
- Wedding, birthday and party invitations: “Save the date” in one scan
- Conference posters, meetup flyers and college fests
- School notices for parent–teacher meetings and annual days
- Workshop and webinar promotions
- Appointment cards at clinics, salons and service centres
- Sale and launch announcements in shop windows
Keep it short
Everything you type goes into the code. A long description makes the pattern dense and harder to scan from a printed invitation. Keep the details to a line or two, and put the full agenda on a web page if you need more space.
What to write in the details
Use the details field for what people need on the day, not the whole story:
- The dress code, or what to bring (“Bring a photo ID”)
- The entrance or hall number at a large venue
- A contact number for the host or organiser
- A link to the full agenda or registration page
Anything longer belongs on a web page. Link to it in the details, or use a URL QR code.
Pair it with directions
An event code tells people when; a location QR code tells them where. On invitations, print both side by side, labelled “Save the date” and “Get directions”, so guests have everything they need on the day.
Print tips
Event codes with a short description print well at 2.5–3 cm on invitations and cards. On posters, go larger, about a tenth of the distance people stand away. Match the code to your design with a dark colour from your palette, and keep a clear white margin around it so it scans quickly.