FREE QR Code Maker Software for Mac + Windows

Professional Freeware for Making QR Codes

+TEC-IT announces a completely free software tool for creating QR code images. The free app is named QR-Code Studio and is available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X.

Countless Applications

Post-Processed QR Code

QR codes are bi-dimensional codes that can be scanned with most camera equipped smartphones. Besides industrial applications, QR codes are in widespread use in everyday situations: QR codes can be found on advertisements and in marketing campaigns for linking products to web-sites, in sweepstakes, on electronic business cards to encode contact details, on tickets and vouchers, on the new SEPA money transfer slips or on web-sites to provide faster access to smartphone apps.

It's a Breeze

Using TEC-IT’s freeware QR-Code Studio anyone is able to create QR codes fast and easily. High quality QR code symbols are generated without any special know-how. The user is supported by a data entry wizard: even QR codes for vCard and meCard business cards or QR codes for sending text messages are created in seconds.

Free Download

Download QR-Code Studio using this link. Versions for Microsoft Windows (Windows XP SP3 or later, Windows 8 is supported) and Mac OS X are available.

The software and the generated QR code images are free for private and non-commercial use.

Watch it - Share it!

Check out the video introductions for QR-Code Studio

German language video: http://youtu.be/xfN8MDNHLhk

If you like the software share the download link on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter! Many thanks!

About TEC-IT

QR Code as Image Mask

TEC-IT Datenverarbeitung GmbH provides high quality software in the areas of automated data acquisition and data collection, bar-coding, barcode extensions for ERP systems, label and form printing, report generators and output management. TEC-IT products are available for all major platforms, thus customers benefit from complete and versatile software solutions for all possible requirements. The company is located in Austria / Europe and can be reached via www.tec-it.com.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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New 2D Codes: Han Xin Code & DotCode

The More, the Better!

+TEC-IT extends its barcode products with the support of two new 2D symbologies. Both symbologies were officially released by the AIM, the association of automatic identification and mobility.

Han Xin Code

Han Xin Code

The first two-dimensional symbology is named Han Xin Code and was developed by AIM China.

The Han Xin Code is optimized to encode Chinese characters while still being able to encode ASCII and numeric data. Han Xin code is also sometimes known under its old, unofficial name Chinese Sensible.

Basic Han Xin Facts

• The symbology is intended as the main two-dimensional (2D) symbology for applications and paper based communication in China.
• Variable size, matrix symbology with square modules.
• Square overall symbol shape (rectangular shapes are not possible).
• 84 different symbol versions (sizes), ranging from 23x23 up to 189x189 modules.
• Standard code page is Latin 1, the alternative code page for Chinese characters is GB18030.
• Optimized to encode Chinese 2-byte and 4-byte characters.
• The symbology encodes a maximum of 7827 numeric characters, 4350 ASCII characters, 3261 binary bytes, 2174 common Chinese characters from region 1 or region 2, 1739 2-byte Chinese characters or 1044 4-byte Chinese symbols.
• 4 user selectable error correction levels ranging from L1 (8% error correction capacity) up to L4 (30%) are available.
• Offers advanced features like octet byte encoding and ECI (Extended Channel Interpretation) support.
• AIM publication date: August 2011.
• The Han Xin code is in the public domain and free to use.
• Strong similarities with QR code symbols.

DotCode

DotCode

The second 2D symbology was invented by Dr. Andrew Longacre, Jr. and is named DotCode.

DotCode is targeting industrial applications and is not simply just another 2D symbology. It is a 2-D bar code designed and uniquely suited for high-speed, on-demand printing on labels or directly on products, by ink-jet and lasers as used in direct part marking (DPM) applications.

DotCode Images

DotCode 15 lines

The sample symbols to the right all encode the URL http://www.tec-it.com. The size of the symbol can be varied as required.

Basic DotCode facts

DotCode 26 lines

• The symbology is intended for industrial, high-speed marking with ink-jet or laser.
• Variable size, dot matrix symbology. It encodes data in an array of nominally disconnected dots arranged within a regular grid of possible locations.
• The overall symbol shape is adjustable, rectangular to nearly square shaped symbols are possible.
• The symbol size is theoretically unlimited but practically limited to appr. 124 modules (lines/columns).
• Standard code page is Latin 1.
• Ready for GS1 applications and suitable for encoding application identifiers (AIs).
• Advanced features like structured append and ECI (Extended Channel Interpretation) support are available.
• 33% + 3 characters error correction capacity (not adjustable).
• AIM publication date: November 2012 (update).
• The DotCode is in the public domain, the symbologie itself is free to use.
• DotCode was designed to tolerate missing, extra or poorly-placed dots without sacrificing reading integrity.

Free Demo Download

The first software product with support for Han Xin and DotCode is the barcode generator component TBarCode SDK -  free demo download.

Other TEC-IT products will integrate these new 2-D symbologies within the next few weeks. Updates and new releases are planned for the
- label printing software TFORMer Designer V7,
- the barcode maker software Barcode Studio
- and the Microsoft Office barcode add-in TBarCode Office.

About TEC-IT

+TEC-IT Datenverarbeitung GmbH provides high quality software in the areas of automated data acquisition and data collection, bar-coding, barcode extensions for ERP systems, label and form printing, report generators and output management. TEC-IT products are available for all major platforms, thus customers benefit from complete and versatile software solutions for all possible requirements. The company is located in Austria / Europe and can be reached via www.tec-it.com. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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QRs For the Socially Inept

Shy customers at Harry's Bar in Singapore have a new way to stalk strike up a convo with someone they have their eye on: QR code tags hung on beer bottles, of course!











Buy the target object of your affection a bottle of brew, hang your customized QR tag over the neck of the bottle and send it their way. Bing bang boom, you're headed to the nearest hotel together. It's SCIENCE.

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Barcodes and Beer, Hurray!

Tim Nudd at AdFreak has a great piece about Guinness beer's latest QR code shenanigans: a QR that only appears when your glass is full of the brewed brown goodness.






Fiendishly clever!

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Microsoft Finally Willing to Admit the Existence of QR Codes

More than that, actually. While the proprietary Microsoft Tag will continue to exist, our favorite Redmond behemoth has walked back their belief that the closed-system, not-free, Microsoft-created, MS-server-reliant should by rights will rule the 2D world.Because 2012 Windows phones include NFC capability, their MS Tag now includes support for (free, open-source, non-proprietary) QR codes and the

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Experts Agree: Don't Be Dumb About QR Codes

Mashable's got an urgent warning for scanners of QR codes- that code is infected! With a VIRUS! And Kaspersky Lab would like you to know about the malicious malware being distributed via QRs.My two cents: QRs themselves cannot be "infected"- they're a static pattern of black on white which contains a URL, plain text, a phonebook contact or other data expressed in letters, numbers and punctuation.

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New: Barcode Studio Creates Mobile Tagging QR-Codes with Shortened URLs

Data List with Shortened URLs

Version 12 of TEC-IT's barcode maker software will be released shortly. This post introduces the built-in URL shortener capabilities of the Barcode Studio update.

The new URL shortening feature provides 3 main benefits:

• Dramatically Reduced QR-Code Size
  URL shortening means squeezing a long URL into a shorter one. This is important when creating mobile tagging QR-Codes for vCards, meCards, SPARQcodes, etc. With URL shortening you reduce the amount of data to be encoded. Smaller, better readable, easier-to-share QR-Codes are the result.
• Free QR-Code Traceability
  URL shortening providers like Google (http://goo.gl) and Bitly (http://bit.ly) offer simple and free tracking features. More on this below.



Data Import Assistant

• Batch URL Shortening
  The data import assistant of Barcode Studio is able to shorten thousands of URLs with a single click.

Shortened URLs

You are not familiar with shortened URLs? Let me give you an example: A typical URL looks like this:

http://www.tec-it.com/software/barcode-software/barcode-creator/barcode-studio/Default.aspx

In total this example URL requires 91 characters. By shortening this URL you will get the following results:

• http://goo.gl/fnBby
  (when shortened with Google's URL shortener service http://goo.gl)
• http://bit.ly/c1ZTRO
  (when shortened with http://bit.ly)

The shortened URL requires only 19 (or 20) characters and still points to the same target URL. Just try it out by clicking on them!

QR-Code Tracking

A shortened URLs provide an easy way to analyze the usage of the codes. Whenever a shortened URL is used to visit a web-page the shortening provider tracks this event. It does not matter if the user scanned the code with a smart phone, simply clicked on it in a twitter status message or entered the shortened URL manually into the address bar of the browser. At the time being both providers offer publicly visible tracking statistics for free.

For Google's shortener service you get the tracking statistics by simply adding ".info" to the shortened URL: http://goo.gl/fnBby.info. When using Bitly just add the plus sign: http://bit.ly/c1ZTRO+

Privacy notice: Take care - the tracking statistics are usually publicly visible to everyone!

Free Release Candidate Downloads

A free pre-release is available for Barcode Studio on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Check it out!

Download Barcode Studio for Microsoft Windows

Download Barcode Studio for Mac OS X

About TEC-IT

Secret QR-Code

TEC-IT Datenverarbeitung GmbH provides high quality software in the areas of bar-coding, barcode extensions for ERP systems, label and form printing, reporting and automated data acquisition. TEC-IT products are available for all major platforms, thus customers benefit from complete and versatile software solutions for all possible requirements. The company is located in Austria / Europe and can be reached via www.tec-it.com.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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The Gray Lady Hips to QR Codes

You're the Boss, the small business tips column in the New York Times online today has a fun read about Ayara, a Thai restaurant in LA incorporating QRs into their menu. And they remembered to optimize their QR landing pages for mobile phones- hurray!

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Create Popular QR Codes for Mobile Tagging and vCard Business Cards

Latest TEC-IT Press Release

Austria, TEC-IT Datenverarbeitung GmbH (tec-it.com), leading vendor of AUTO-ID and bar code software presents a brand new feature for the popular barcode maker software Barcode Studio.

“Even in Europe 2D bar codes – mostly QR codes- are becoming more and more popular. Especially the increasing need in marketing and mobile tagging is causing a rise in demand for 2D barcodes. In light of this development TEC-IT is responding with its new version of Barcode Studio.”
(Guenter Kriegl, CEO of TEC-IT )

Mobile Tagging, vCard Business Cards and More

QR code business card including
encoded contact details (vCard)

Creating 2D bar-codes for electronic business cards with vCard and meCard formats is simplified dramatically: The brand new assistant leads you through the data input with a multifunctional dialog box, the user just enters the contact details and the assistant takes care of generating the 2D barcode with the correct data formatting. No special knowledge is needed. What’s more, mobile tagging barcodes for events, Android Market search, WiFi networks, Twitter tweets, LinkedIn profiles and Facebook likes are supported for the user’s convenience as well.

Even industrial applications benefit from the intuitive assistant: Create GS1 barcodes by using predefined application identifiers (so called AIs) quickly and without any special skills. Barcode Studio inserts the FNC1 delimiter characters automatically.

Try and Test

Barcode Studio V11 can be downloaded from TEC-IT’s website www.tec-it.com. A completely free and unlimited 10-day test drive is available. The bar code maker software is available for Mac OS X, Windows, Linux and UNIX. Enjoy the product videos on YouTube.com to learn more about Barcode Studio

Please Contact

Susan Enzenhofer
TEC-IT Datenverarbeitung GmbH
Hans-Wagnerstrasse 6
A-4400 Steyr - Austria, EUROPE

Email
office@tec-it.com

Telephone/Fax
T ++43 (0)7252 72720
F ++43 (0)7252 7272077

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Create vCard Business Cards with QR-Codes

How to Create vCard Business Cards with Barcode Studio

Some users of Barcode Studio are unsure regarding the correct data format for creating barcodes for so-called 2D code business cards.
Such an "electronic” business card encodes the contact data in a QR-Code or a Data Matrix symbol. These codes can be scanned with your smartphone. The business card data is recognized automatically, you will never need to key in contact data manually! Most camera-equipped mobile phones are able to decode QR-Codes on such business cards (Data Matrix is not in common use until now).

The example outlined in this post contains vCard sample data (.xls and .csv files) and a setting file for Barcode Studio. This settings file (*.BCS) can be used immediately to create premium quality QR-Codes with Barcode Studio.

Creating a vCard Data Format

A vCard barcode must follow certain rules, the different elements of a business cards (e.g. the phone number) are tagged with prefixes. Some sample prefixes:

• Begin of vCard data: begin: vcard
• Name on card: n:
• Telephone number: Tel:
• Email address: Email:
• End of vCard data: end: vcard

Please ensure the accurate order of the single data elements! Refer to Wikipedia to get a list of available property prefixes and more information about the vCard format.

Step by Step: Create your own QR-Code Business Cards

Follow the steps to create your QR-Codes. Use the included sample files to see how the data is encoded:

1. Download and unzip the example specified below.
2. Use Microsoft Excel to enter your vCard data in the sample Excel file. Separate the data elements with a new-line. Enter a new-line by pressing "Alt" + "Enter" simultaneously in a cell.
3. Export your data as CSV file.
4. Start Barcode Studio and open the settings file (*.BCS).
5. Importing your CSV file: Choose the "Datalist" tab and click the "Import" button. Ensure the correct import settings as shown in the screenshot. In most cases you should use the Field Separator comma (,) and the Text Qualifier ("). If this doesn't work, please check the generated CSV file.
6. Now export your QR-Codes.



Import Settings

Free Sample File Download
In order to use the sample files make sure you are using the current version of Barcode Studio.

• Download Sample and Setting Files
• Download Barcode Studio
  

If you have any questions just contact TEC-IT via email or give us a call (++43 (0)7252 72720).

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Nintendo's Japanese 3DS Will Include QR Codes

Mii Studio characters can be converted into a QR code that users can print or post on a website to share their Mii's. Friends then scan the QR with their 3DS camera to retrieve the Mii.via IGNimage via Duck Fluff

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Online Retailer Gets QR Codes Really Right

Fashion retailer Bluefly and Bravo have teamed up to create a commercial QR experience that's both useful and savvy.45-second commercials running on the cable network feature QR codes along the bottom of the screen that when scanned with a cellphone bring up online extras, full-length video and special Bluefly discounts.This is how QR should be done!via the New York Times

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Hurricane Exhibit Utilizes QR Codes

The Louisiana State Museum's new exhibit Living With Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond incorporates QR barcodes to link visitors to in-depth information via their smartphones. Audrey, Betsy, Camille, Rita, KATRINA - names that evoke memories of fear, loss, destruction. Unheeded warnings that Louisiana is washing away. A city under water. The desperation of people on rooftops unable to escape rapidly

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QR Codes On Tombstones

It takes some real creativity to surprise us with a new use for QR but this is simply brilliant.

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QR Code Protects the Eyes of Innocents

Calvin Klein Jeans has found an ingenious way to deliver sexxay™ video in the very public square, without offending anyone's sensibilities. (Right then and there, I mean. The video encoded in the QR is of negative artistic value and makes me barfy, feminism-wise, but what advertising doesn't do that?)

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Online Barcode Generator 2.0

A few days ago TEC-IT published the updated version of the free online bar code generator. The user interface was revised completely and support for complex MECARD/VCARD business card barcodes as well as calendar barcodes was added.

This online barcode generator provides a very fast and responsive user interface utilizing some AJAX features. TBarCode SDK (a barcode generator software component developed and distributed by TEC-IT) is used on server-side for all barcode creation tasks.

Users are able to browse a list of supported barcode categories. Currently the categories linear barcodes, 2D bar codes, EAN / UPC, GS1 DataBar, ISBN bar codes, Postal codes, 2D codes for mobile tagging, MECARD and VCARD barcodes and calendar barcodes are available.

After selecting the required barcode symbology the barcode image is displayed immediately. Barcode parameters like module width and output resolution are adjustable. The created bar code images can be downloaded in various image formats.

The above mentioned MECARD and VCARD barcodes provide some very interesting possibilties: These 2D barcode formats are able to encode all contact details of a business card (e.g. name, address,  phone number, url, ...). When scanned with a smart-phone camera scanner (e.g. iPhone or Android devices) the contact details are detected and added to the  address book.

Finally so-called calendar barcodes (event barcodes) can be created online. Just enter the details of some event (description, start and end time), create the barcode, scan it with your smartphone - and voilá - a new calender entry is available (works fine with ZXing camera scanner on Android).

Just try it yourself: 2D Bar Code Generator

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Microsoft Really Really Really Wants You to Use Their Tags. Really.

And they're partnering up all over the place to help you do just that.What you really need is a (proprietary Microsoft) tag that's reliant on (proprietary Microsoft) servers to deliver you content (that's been logged by Microsoft but they probably most likely won't use for anything like intrusive marketing right because why?). And hey, pretty colors!Never mind QR codes- you know, the free

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QRdvark 1.0 now available in Android Market

Download and install QRdvark from the Android Market.QRdvark is a free QR scanning app. It scans QR symbols and reacts appropriately. QRdvark recognizes all common QR formats including URLs, contacts, SMS, email, and location, as well as standard barcode formats and GS1 identification keys."See it. Scan it. See what happens."

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Free QR-Code Badge for Web-Masters

Interested in adding a "Create QR-Code Badge" to your web-site? If yes - please read on!

TEC-IT has enhanced it's bookmarking and sharing add-on for web-sites. Besides the "traditional" sharing services for Facebook, Twitter, Digg, StumpleUpon, SlashDot etc. this web-control now generates and displays a QR-Code encoding the URL of interest.

Such an URL QR-Code can be read with camera-equipped smartphones. The bar code decoder application on the phone forwards the user to this URL immediately - without keying in the URL manually. The bar code looks cool and can be shared via email, via MMS, by embedding it into arbitrary artwork - or simply by printing it.

Get in touch with us if you are interested in this QR-Code Badge. It will be available for free if you provide a backlink to www.tec-it.com.

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QR-Code Generator on Facebook

The time has come - QR-Codes will be really in the wild in a few days.

As of today Facebook offered a QR-Code generator feature for each page. Below the page logo a link enabled the user to create a QR-Code image encoding the URI of the facebook page. It was also possible to download the QR code as PDF, but I was not able to try it.
The mentioned features were online for a few hours until they disappeared. But I assume QR-codes will be an integrated part of facebook in the very near future.

For Japanese people, insiders and interested people around the world QR-codes and their amazing capabilities (mobile tagging, mobile marketing, geotagging, ticketing, advertising, and so on) are well known. But for the broad public QR codes and their features are still miracles. This will change very very fast, facebook has a huge amount of users and the visibility of the QRCode generator feature is unbeatable.

Quite interesting how this story will develop. Feedback is welcome!

If you need QR-Codes with your personal data create them on www.tec-it.com: Free QR-Code Generator

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