Create your own QR codes

If you’ve ever wondered what those strange boxes containing a mix of black and white blocks are (usually seen on emails, product packaging, billboards and websites), they’re called QR codes and are essentially a type of barcode. The idea is that you scan the QR code with your phone, which then displays information or sends you to a website.

Libreoffice 6.4 (released in January) includes a built-in QR code generator, letting you add them to your documents. You could, for example, add a QR code to a printed newsletter, directing readers to a specific website. Instead of having to type the full web address, recipients would just need to scan the QR code with their phone. All modern phones have a Qr-code reader built in, so all they’d need to do is open their Camera app, then tap the link to view the website.

To create a QR code, open Writer, click Insert, Object, then ‘QR Code..’. In the ‘URL/TEXT’ box, type a message that you want to appear when someone scans the QR code or, as we’ve done, a web address (see screenshot). Next, choose an Error Correction level. Setting this to High creates a more complex QR code that’s more resilient to smudges and tears (bear in mind the more complex a QR code, the larger it will need to be printed). Finally, choose the thickness for the border that surrounds your QR code, then click OK to insert it into your document. To make changes to a QR code you’ve already created, right-click it and select ‘Edit QR Code...’.