QR codes for manufacturers
Labels that open the latest manual, invoices that pay themselves and a gate that signs visitors in.
Manufacturers use QR codes on product labels to open the current manual or spare parts page, on invoices to fill in the bank transfer, at the gate for visitor sign-in, and on service cards for installer feedback. Label codes should be editable, because products outlive documents. Invoice payment codes are always fixed and free.
The manual, years later
A label on the pump. The installer scans and the current manual opens.
Where codes work in manufacturing
On the product
A label code opens the current manual, safety sheet or spare parts page, years after the product left the line.
On invoices
A payment code beside the total fills in the customer's transfer, with the invoice number as the reference.
At the gate
Visitors and drivers sign in on their own phone, and reception has one list of who is on site.
Fixed or editable for manufacturers
-
Fixed QR code (static)
Payment codes on invoices must be fixed: banking apps read the transfer from the code itself. They are free, one per invoice.
-
Editable QR code (dynamic) Our pick for this job
Make label codes editable on your own domain. Manuals and parts pages move, and a label printed today must still work in ten years. Starter is $9 a month.
Worked example: a pump maker
- Labels
- Each pump model has an editable label code that opens its manual, updated when a new revision is released.
- Invoices
- Every invoice carries a payment code, and payments arrive with the exact invoice number.
- Gate
- A sign at the gate opens the visitor form, replacing a paper book nobody could read.
Getting started
Connect your domain
Use a subdomain such as go.yourcompany.com, so label codes stay under your name for the product's life.
One code per model
Give each product model its own editable code, named after the model, and point it at the current document.
Test on the line
Print a sample label in the real size and material and scan it under workshop light before the run.
Questions and answers
Before you print
- Is it free?
- Fixed codes are free: make as many as you like, download a PNG with no sign-up, and get every other format and print files with a free account. Editable codes come with a plan, a pass, Keep-alive or the 14-day trial.
- Can I change the link after printing?
- Yes, with an editable code. It holds a short link you control, so you can point the printed code somewhere new any time, and the next scan opens the new page. A fixed code keeps the link it was made with.
- Can I use my own domain?
- Yes. A custom domain is included on passes, from Starter, and during the trial. Starter covers one subdomain, for example go.yourbrand.com, and apex domains start on Pro.
- What happens if I stop paying?
- Editable codes work to the end of your paid period, and after a failed payment every code keeps working for 14 days. Turn codes back on within 12 months. Fixed codes keep working as long as their links do.
What should a QR code on a product label open?
The page a user needs most: the manual, the safety data sheet or the spare parts list. One clear page per model works better than the home page.
How small can a label code be?
About 1.5 to 2 cm for a short editable link read at hand distance. Test it on the real material, as textured labels need more room.
What happens to label codes if we change our website?
With editable codes on your own domain, point each code at the new page. The labels already in the field keep working.
Can we make codes for hundreds of products at once?
Yes. Upload a file with one row per product to the bulk QR code generator and download a code for each.
Do payment codes work for customers outside Europe?
The EPC payment code is for euro transfers in the SEPA area. Print the IBAN in text as well for everyone else.
Labels that stay current for years
Paste a manual's link above, choose editable and print a test label.