Custom QR Codes using XMPie

[Vroni]

Hi all, hi Steve

We're working with uCreate in Indesign (no uPlan). More and more often our customers ask for individual qr codes: the company's logo placed in the center of the code, codes of multiple colours, codes with different shape of the modules (e.g. dots), etc. The thing with the company's logo is easily done with Indesign, but the rest needs a more complicated way to be done – or to convince the customer of working with standard qr codes.

Regarding this unlucky situation, I wonder if there are any intentions on part of XMPie/Xerox to expand uCreate's capabilities? At least by letting the user choose the shape of the modules (seems to me the most easiest thing to implement)?

Just asking … ;-)

[couch]

I believe that XMPie licenses a 3rd party barcode library, and I don't think that library offers the ability to change shape or add logos to the QR code design. 

That said, you have a couple options. If you can find a barcode generation service that creates the QR code in the shape that you want and returns an image, you could:

* If the service has a REST API, you may be able to use XMPie.Fetch() or Web.URLContentAsFile() to get the image of the barcode

* If the above does not work, you could develop a QLingo extension that gets the barcode image on the fly. https://campus.xmpie.com/eLearning/XMPie-uPlan-Training/QLingo-extension

* If the options above are too complex, a simple solution (although more tedius) is to generate the barcodes from with the service, save them as images and use the images as graphic ADOR assets.

[Christoph]

Hi,

Xmpie uses a library of standardized barcodes. You can parameterize or style these to have different color. You can also use InDesign to style the codes. But keep in mind that while a certain style of barcode may look better it still needs to be readable by a scanning device. Even some phones have trouble reading QR codes if they do not have a good contrast. 

All things barcode are very well documented in Xmpie Help. 

If you are looking for something else then what xmpie provides, i.e. proprietary codes, I suggest to investigate the option to use some third party barcode generator with API. There might be a way to use these codes with using the fetch() function. This would require uPlan though I believe.

[Christoph]

Steve was quicker :-)

[Amit Cohen]

As Couch said, there are a variety of supported barcodes and options to customize them. just added the help links:

• supported barcodes: uCreate Print 12.1 (xmpie.com)
• customize them (including color):  uCreate Print 12.1 (xmpie.com)