Note: The free QR Codes created above are static… which means you cannot track or edit them. Switch to dynamic QR Codes to track scans, locations, and devices and update the linked file anytime.
Converting files into QR Codes is simple with the correct QR Code generator, but not all QR Code makers offer the same security. Security is crucial when sharing sensitive files. Use a dynamic QR Code generator to secure and efficiently share files via QR Codes. Here’s how:
How to convert a file into a QR Code
🔔Before you proceed…
Sign up for a 14-day trial with Uniqode to convert multiple types of files into secure and dynamic QR Codes—for 14 days. No credit cards are needed.
Step 1: Log in to the dashboard and click “+CREATE”
Once you have signed up, log in and click “CREATE” in the top right corner of the dashboard.
Step 2: From the list of dynamic QR Codes, choose the file type of your choice
In this instance, we’re using the image file type as an example. Based on your use case, you can choose any other file type.
Note: Ensure your file size(s) is within the limits: 50 MB max for MP3 and PDF 5 MB max for images.
💡Pro tip: If you want to add a file type not in the list above, upload it on Google Drive and paste the URL in the website QR Code type.
Step 3: Upload your PDF file on the dashboard
Click the “browse” text in the middle of the upload box to find your Image file locally stored in your system. You can add the link to your Image if the file is online.
Step 4: Customize QR Code design
You can choose from various templates and designs or customize the QR Code according to your brand’s colors. You can even add your logo to the QR Code.
Adding a clear CTA related to the file type (e.g., “Scan to View”) in your QR Code frame adds credibility and prompts more scans.
Step 5: Download your QR Code
That’s it! You can save and name the file and download the QR Code in your chosen format.
What are the advantages of converting files to QR Codes?
QR Codes are one of the fastest and most interactive ways of collaboration. And the fact that you can virtually convert any file into a QR Code is a bonus. Here are the key advantages of converting files to QR Codes.
1. Easily distribute files
QR Codes can be a marketer’s best friend. They help you to distribute and promote your work. Whether it is your latest podcast episode, a PDF, or your resume that you want to share with potential employers, you can convert them all to QR Codes and share them with ease. If you want to make any changes to the PDF content before creating the QR Code, you can convert PDF to Word, and after editing the Word document, you can convert it back to a QR Code.
2. Secure and private file-sharing
Security is critical when creating and sharing files via QR Codes. And security begins to matter right from your choice of QR Code generator until you share it with the world.
Your QR Code generator must have data and privacy protection systems in place to protect the data of users who scan your QR Codes. The generator must also have security arrangements in place for your organizational security.
3. Offer interactive user experience
QR Codes are a great way to create an impression. For example, as a B2B product marketer, you could share a QR Code of your product playbook at your company booth.
Your QR Codes can have links to video demos and calendars to enable users to schedule a call.
💡Fun Fact:
Over 90% of business leaders anticipate increased QR adoption across sectors.
Explore more fascinating insights in our State of QR Code Report!
4. Track the effectiveness of your file-sharing campaigns
Sharing files via emails, drives, and messaging platforms does not produce engagement data. Data analytics is crucial if you’re sharing files as part of your marketing campaign or need to ascertain engagement with the files.
Add an element of trackability to file sharing with QR Codes and track qr code scans, usage statistics, and even the geographic location where the file has been accessed.
5. Password protect your files
You may share sensitive data at meetings, within your organization, or at your workplace. In such cases, QR Codes also allow you to password-protect your content.
This enables safer, restricted sharing to selected audiences. With password-protected QR Codes, you can set a password and edit it anytime.
The audience that scans the QR Code can only access the content after entering the password.
🔥If you’re using Uniqode You can get all the information related to QR Code scan events—from the number of scans and unique users to the scan location, time of day, and more on a single dashboard.
Uniqode allows you to integrate your QR Code analytics with Google Analytics for deeper and more varied insights.
What are the different types of files you can convert to QR Codes?
Here are the types of files you can convert to QR Codes:
1. PDFs to QR Codes
You can securely share PDFs (such as presentations, eBooks, menus, brochures, and so on) with many people without requiring messaging platforms or email IDs.
Executives often need to share a PDF with various stakeholders – either internal or external. A PDF QR Code is a great way to ensure your file reaches its intended audience conveniently.
Consider this: Pete has just finished a smashing presentation to 500+ attendees on the “Basics of Content Strategy.” He is bombarded with requests for his presentation, especially the PDF templates he shared during the session. His final slide contains a QR Code, which allows anyone to download the PDF presentation. Neat, right?
You can easily convert image files—be it JPEGs or PNGs—to QR Codes with Uniqode.
Typically, images and videos can be difficult to share if they require a lot of storage. Compressing them can be a hassle and result in reduced quality.
Imagine sharing your company logo, a high-resolution profile image, or an ad image with other stakeholders with the ease of QR Codes—without altering image quality.
“QR Codes really bridge the gap between offline and online promotion … You can take advantage of that curiosity and that drive to know what’s going on to make people want to scan your QR Code to check out your podcast.”
You can avoid having to copy the URL each time you want to share a folder or file and instead make it accessible with just a scan.
Who can benefit from converting files to QR Codes?
You can use QR Codes across diverse industries. Here are some interesting uses of files converted to QR Codes:
1. Schools and educational institutions
Teachers can use QR Codes in classrooms to share study material, assignments, and even educational videos with students.
Instead of conventional student ID cards, which can be easily duplicated and misused, a QR Code based identity card is more secure and easily verifiable by school authorities.
2. Hospitals and clinics
QR Codes in healthcare can help hospitals and clinics store patient information easily by converting physical documents, PDFs, and text files to QR Codes.
They can even attach a QR Code to physical files to share information with patients or create a health ID for easier patient identification.
3. Corporate offices
Consider this: Samantha has to share her revenue numbers weekly with her CEO. Instead of sharing the URL with her Excel spreadsheet each time, she creates a simple and straightforward Excel QR Code.
Similarly, at quarterly review meetings, professionals can convert their
Google Slides presentations to QR Codes for internal use. The sales team doesn’t need to share a boring Calendly link after each demo; a QR Code can easily do the job, just better.
Start converting files to QR Codes with Uniqode
If you’re looking for a safe, efficient, and easy solution to convert your files into QR Codes, Uniqode is the answer.
From PDFs to heavy multimedia files, Uniqode’s QR Code solution is safe, secure, and trusted by over 50,000 businesses worldwide, including Pepsi, Nestle, Amazon, and Deloitte, to name a few. Uniqode is also rated the #1 QR Code generator on G2. It’s time to up your file-sharing game with Uniqode.
Frequently asked questions
1. How do you convert a file to QR Code?
You can convert several file types, such as PDFs, JPEGs, PNGs, MP3s, and MP4 files, into QR Codes. Uniqode makes this process straightforward; here’s how to do it.
Log in to the Uniqode dashboard, click “+Create,” and select “QR Codes.”
Select the QR Code type, upload your file, or paste the file URL.
Customize QR Code per your branding guidelines. Click “Next”‘.
Your QR Code for a file is ready. Download in the format of your choice.
2. Can an image be converted to QR Code?
Yes, you can convert images in different formats, such as JPEGs and PNGs, into QR Codes using a QR Code generator like Uniqode by simply pasting the Image’s URL in the Uniqode dashboard after logging in and clicking “+Create.”
Nidhi is a content marketer at Uniqode, where she explores the phygital world one scan at a time. When she’s not praying to the SERP gods to get her content noticed, you’ll find her teaming up with product folks to decode the tech behind QR Codes and exploring fresh use cases for these tiny squares and circles. She also lives for customer conversations and goes full detective mode on Reddit, uncovering insights like she’s working on a true crime case. She scans every QR Code she finds, analyzing the tech behind them and critiquing campaigns (yep, Taylor Swift’s included). If you’re curious about what QR Codes can do (spoiler: they can do SO much), she’s your go-to guide for understanding their full potential.
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