Augmented reality QR codes: how to create them, print them and track their views
An augmented reality QR code opens a product's 3D viewer in a single scan: the customer sees the object in 3D, then places it in their home at real scale, with no app. With Visuality, every object and every object group has a QR code you can download from its share page and print on packaging, a catalog, a shop window or a booth.
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Why combine QR code and augmented reality?
The QR code has become a daily reflex for millions of consumers. Scanning a code with a smartphone is a natural, fast and universal gesture. By combining this gesture with augmented reality, you create an instant bridge between the physical world and an immersive digital experience.
The decisive advantage of this combination is the lack of friction. Customers have no app to download and no account to create. They point their smartphone camera at the QR code, the page opens and the 3D viewer appears. One more tap and they place the product in augmented reality in their real surroundings. The whole journey takes just a few seconds.
This immediacy matters in a sales context: every step added between discovering a product and exploring it (installing an app, creating an account, looking for a page) makes part of the audience drop off. An augmented reality QR code reduces the journey to a scan and a tap.
AR QR codes can also be measured. Every opening of the viewer and every launch of augmented reality is counted in the object's statistics, so you can compare the interest generated by your products and campaigns.
How do you create an augmented reality QR code with Visuality?
Creating an augmented reality QR code with Visuality is a simple and quick process that requires no technical skills. Here are the steps:
- Upload your 3D model in GLB or USDZ format to the 3D object library, or generate it with AI from a photo of the product.
- Set up the object: floor or wall placement, size, locked resizing, variant names. Check how it looks in augmented reality on your own phone.
- Open the share page: in the library, open the object's menu and choose "View / Share".
- Download the QR code: in the "Web viewer" block, click "Download the QR code". You get a PNG image of the QR code, which points to the object's link. The same block gives you the link to copy, the HTML code of the QR code for your website and the iframe embed code.
- For several products, create a group in the "Group of objects" section, then click "Share": the group has its own link and its own QR code.
The QR code opens the web viewer: the customer sees the product in 3D, then taps the augmented reality button. On the same share page, the "Applicative Viewer (Android)" section offers a second QR code that opens the object in the Visuality Android app. Keep it for your own demo tablets, since it requires the app to be installed.
In addition to the QR code, Visuality provides a shareable direct link and an iframe code to integrate the 3D viewer into any web page. You have all the tools to share your products in 3D and augmented reality.
Related guides: object groups · direct iframe integration · generating a 3D model with AI
Where should you use an augmented reality QR code?
Augmented reality QR codes fit into a wide range of business settings. Here are the most common uses:
- On product packaging: a QR code printed on the box or the instructions extends the experience after purchase. A customer who has just received a coffee table can discover the matching armchairs in augmented reality, or review how to assemble a product in 3D. It is a low-cost cross-selling opportunity, since the medium already exists.
- In catalogs and brochures: The paper catalog gets a second life thanks to AR QR codes. Each product page can include a QR code that gives access to the product's 3D viewer. The customer browses the catalog and, with one scan, visualizes any product in augmented reality in their environment.
- On business cards: Your salespeople distribute business cards at client meetings. An AR QR code on the card turns each distributed card into a mini-demo of your flagship product.
- In shop windows and in store: a QR code next to a displayed product gives access to colors not in stock, matching accessories or a preview of the furniture in the customer's home. In a shop window, it extends the store beyond opening hours.
- On trade show booths: Booth space is limited. It's impossible to display your entire range. AR QR codes solve this problem: each non-displayed product is accessible via a simple QR code on a panel.
- On product pages viewed on a computer: augmented reality is launched from a smartphone. A QR code shown next to the 3D viewer lets desktop visitors switch to their phone with a single scan; Visuality's PrestaShop module even offers a QR code display mode.
- On invoices and commercial documents: Every contact point with your customer is a sales opportunity. An AR QR code on an invoice or delivery note invites the customer to discover other products from your catalog.
How do you print an augmented reality QR code properly?
The most useful rule: the scanning distance is about ten times the side of the QR code, and a code shouldn't measure less than 2 × 2 cm. Here are guidelines by medium:
| Print medium | Scanning distance | Recommended minimum size |
|---|---|---|
| Label, packaging, business card | 15 to 25 cm | 2 to 2.5 cm |
| Catalog, brochure, product sheet | 30 to 40 cm | 3 to 4 cm |
| In-store display | 50 cm to 1 m | 5 to 10 cm |
| Shop window poster | 1 to 2 m | 10 to 20 cm |
| Roll-up banner or booth back wall | 2 to 4 m | 20 to 40 cm |
- Contrast: print dark modules on a plain light background. Avoid gradients, background photos and colors that are too similar.
- White margin: the QR code standard requires a blank zone four modules wide all around the code. Don't place text or a page edge right against the QR code.
- Density and short URL: a Visuality object link contains a 40-character unique identifier, and the QR code uses high error correction to make room for the central logo, so the code is fairly dense. For a very small format (jewelry tag, bottle), you can create a short address on your own domain that redirects to the Visuality link, then generate the QR code for that address. Make sure the redirect stays in place over time.
- Resolution: the downloaded QR code is a PNG image. For a large format, enlarge it without smoothing ("nearest neighbor" interpolation) or generate a vector version from the same link.
- Material: choose matte paper or vinyl. A glossy laminate, a curved surface or a fold make scanning harder.
- Testing: before any print run, scan the proof with an iPhone and an Android phone, at the real distance and under the real lighting of the location.
Strategies to maximize scans
A QR code alone is not enough. To maximize the number of scans and thus the impact of your augmented reality investment, a few best practices are essential:
- Add a clear call to action: a QR code should always come with text saying what people will discover. "Scan to see this product in your home in augmented reality" gives a reason to take out a phone; a QR code with no context gives none.
- Explain what the user will see: Many consumers are not yet familiar with augmented reality. A short text or pictogram explaining the experience ("See this product in 3D and augmented reality") significantly increases the scan rate.
- Choose the right location: The QR code must be visible and easily accessible. On packaging, place it on the main face, at eye level.
- Polish the design without hurting readability: the QR code downloaded from Visuality already carries the Visuality logo in the center. If your brand guidelines call for other colors or your own logo, generate a custom version from the same link, keeping strong contrast, then test it on several phones.
How do you measure the views of an augmented reality QR code?
When the Statistics module is enabled on your account, a "Statistics" page is available for each object and each group. It shows, over the period of your choice, the number of simple views (openings of the 3D viewer) and the number of augmented reality views. It is a good indicator of real interest: switching to augmented reality means the customer wanted to see the product in their own space.
These views don't distinguish a QR code scan from a click on the link or a display in an iframe. To measure a specific medium (a catalog, a shop window, a trade show), dedicate an object group to it: it has its own link, its own QR code and its own statistics. If you use a short address on your own domain, your web analytics tool can also count the scans from that medium.
To connect these views to your sales, compare the conversion rate of products shown in 3D with that of other products over the same period. As a benchmark, Shopify states that merchants using 3D have reported an average 94% increase in conversions compared with photos alone. This figure is self-reported and published without a methodology: only your own measurements will show what 3D brings to your catalog.
Also consider testing different approaches: vary locations, calls to action and featured products. Performance analysis will allow you to continuously optimize your AR QR code strategy.
AR QR code examples by sector
The power of AR QR codes is evident in all industries. Here are concrete examples of use by sector:
- Retail and distribution: Retail chains place AR QR codes on shelf labels, next to the price. The customer scans the code and sees the product in 3D and augmented reality directly in-store.
- Furniture and home decor: furniture showrooms put a QR code on every displayed product. Customers scan the code, see the piece in 3D and place it in their living room in augmented reality, which clears their doubts about dimensions and how it fits their interior before they order.
- Real estate and interior fit-out: developers, kitchen designers and interior fitters add a QR code to their listings and brochures to show a scale model, a kitchen or a proposed layout in 3D, which prospects can place on a table or in the room in augmented reality.
- Trade shows and business events: on a booth, AR QR codes present the entire catalog without space constraints. Visitors leave with direct access to the products and can view them again in augmented reality from their office in the following days.
Learn more: augmented reality at trade shows, the guide to augmented reality for furniture, all features, pricing and the definition of the AR QR code in the glossary.
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Sources
- What’s the Minimum Size for a QR Code? — Bitly, 2024 · Verified on October 15, 2026
- Point for determining the code area — DENSO WAVE, Verified on October 15, 2026
- 3D Models in E-Commerce: 10 Practical Tips — Shopify, Verified on October 15, 2026
- AR Quick Look — Apple, Verified on October 15, 2026
- Scene Viewer — Google, Verified on October 15, 2026