QR Codes Integrate Print and Online Software (Part 1)
QR codes are the next step in interactive media. Set up as 2-dimensional codes, QR codes are printed codes that serve as doorways to web pages. They essentially bridge the digital and print media gap, creating a media without traditional limits. Why limit communication to only one type of audience?
Until now, you’ve had two different media vehicles- print and the web. One was aimed at those who rarely deal with email or utilize the web, the other for the generation that was obsessed by it. QR codes mix the two, creating a print media that has digital capabilities.
The codes are 2-dimensional and can be printed on a brochure, direct mailing or even a billboard or poster. By taking a picture of the QR code with a cell phone, users can then bring up web pages that actively promote the product. A QR code comes in a 2-dimensional printed form, but is actually a gateway to Internet resources. This technology places no limits on media, whether printed or featured on a computer screen.
QR codes are matrix codes originally developed by the Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. QR stands for Quick Response, as the code can be downloaded at high speed. It was initially used to track parts used in manufacturing, but has grown into a viable form of media that combines print and electronic capabilities.
