How to print and place table QR codes so they actually get scanned

Why do some table QR codes get ignored?

A table QR code gets ignored when customers cannot see it, do not know what it does, or try to scan it and it fails. The code itself is rarely the problem. The usual causes are a card tucked behind the condiment pot, a code printed too small, a glossy surface catching the light, or a card that has been wet and wiped so often that it has faded.

The fixes are simple and cheap. Print at a sensible size, keep a clear border, use dark on light, choose a matt finish, put the card where people actually look, and test it before service. The rest of this guide goes through each one.

What size should a table QR code be?

As practical guidance rather than a formal standard, keep the code itself at least a few centimetres across, and go larger if people will scan it from further away. A code on a table card that someone holds or leans over can be fairly small. A code on a wall, a pillar or a board at the end of a long beer-garden bench needs to be noticeably bigger.

A useful rule of thumb is to ask how far away the phone will be. If customers have to stand up, lean across or zoom in, the code is too small for where it sits. DrinksQR prints A4 sheets with four A6 table cards, which gives each code a comfortable scanning size for a table. If you want larger signs, the SVG download scales to any size without going blurry, so a print shop can produce posters or boards from the same file.

What is the quiet zone and why does it matter?

The quiet zone is the plain margin around the outside of a QR code. Phone cameras use it to work out where the code starts and ends. If you crop it off, or run a border, a logo or a pattern right up to the edges, some phones will struggle to read the code.

• Leave a clear, plain border on all four sides of the code.
• Do not trim the card so close that the margin disappears.
• Keep stickers, table numbers and logos away from the code.
• If a print shop is redesigning the card, ask them not to change the margin in the SVG.

What colours and finish scan best?

Dark on light scans best: a black or very dark code on a white or pale background. Phones look for contrast between the modules (the small squares) and the background. Light codes on dark backgrounds, low-contrast brand colours and codes printed over photos all make scanning less reliable.

Finish matters as much as colour. Glossy card and gloss lamination reflect overhead lights, candles and sunshine, and a bright reflection across the code can stop a phone reading it. Choose:

• Matt or silk lamination rather than gloss
• Matt acrylic or frosted stands rather than clear, shiny ones where possible
• Uncoated or matt card if you are not laminating

If you use the branding add-on to bring your colours into the menu, keep the code itself dark on light. The table card around it can carry your colours and logo.

Should table QR cards be laminated or put in stands?

Yes, in almost every venue. Paper cards on a bar table pick up spills, rings and sticky fingers within a shift. Lamination or a stand protects the card and makes it easier to wipe down between customers.

Where should the QR code go on each type of table?

Put the code where customers look when they sit down, which is usually the centre of the table or the edge nearest the seats. Placement differs by venue:

• Pubs and bars: a table tent in the centre, readable from both sides. On high tables and poseurs, a small stand works better than a flat card. See our page for pubs.
• Restaurants and cafés: an upright stand next to the condiments, or a card with the menu. Keep it out of the way of plates.
• Beer gardens: weatherproof plaques fixed to each bench or table, so they cannot blow away or be carried off. Fixed cards also stay with the right table. Our beer gardens page has more.
• Hotel lounges and terraces: a small stand on each table, matched to the room's style.

Add one short line next to the code, such as "Scan to order. Pay at the table." Customers then know what scanning does before they try it.

How should tables be named?

Use names that staff can find instantly, because the table name is what appears in big type on the bar screen. Short and consistent works best: "Table 12", "Garden 4", "Snug", "Window 2". Avoid two tables with similar names, such as "Garden 1" and "Garden 1A", unless the difference is obvious on the floor.

Print the table name on the card as well as in the system, and make sure the number on the card matches the number on the table. When you add, remove or move tables, reprint those cards straight away.

How do you test table QR codes before service?

Test every card on the table where it will live, with more than one phone. A code that scans first time on your own phone in the office may behave differently under the evening lights.

1. Use at least two or three different phones, ideally a mix of iPhone and Android, old and new.
2. Scan with the normal camera app, from a seated position, at the table.
3. Check that the menu opens and shows the right table name.
4. Place a test order and confirm it appears on the bar screen with the right table.
5. Repeat in the conditions you trade in: evening lighting, bright sun in the garden.

For the full go-live routine, see setting up in 30 minutes.

When should damaged QR cards be replaced?

Replace a card as soon as it is torn, faded, scratched across the code or peeling. Make checking the cards part of the opening or closing routine, and keep a spare set printed so a damaged card can be swapped mid-shift. Because each code belongs to one table, reprint the card for that specific table rather than using a spare from another.

Why does every table need its own unique code?

Each DrinksQR table has its own unguessable code, so an order can only arrive for a table where someone has actually scanned that table's code. Nobody can work out the address for another table by changing a number, which means orders cannot land on a table nobody scanned. Together with order rate limiting, this keeps the bar screen clear of mischief orders. It is also why cards must stay on their own tables: move a card and orders will show the wrong table.