What an event QR code does
An Event code opens the phone's add-to-calendar screen with the event's title, date and time already filled in. The guest taps save, and the phone reminds them on the day. That's the main job of a QR code on an invitation: turning a printed card into an entry the guest can't forget.
Most invitations need one or two other codes as well. Here's how the QR types fit together:
| QR type | What the guest gets | Best placed on |
|---|---|---|
| Event (calendar) | The event saved in their calendar | The invitation card itself |
| Location | The venue's exact pin in their maps app | The back of the card or a directions insert |
| A ready message to the host, such as "Confirming attendance for 2 people" | An RSVP line on the card | |
| Website link | Your agenda, registration form or event site | Conference badges, save-the-date cards |
| Images gallery or video | Photos or a highlights film after the event | Thank-you cards, screens at the venue |
Wedding invitation QR codes
Wedding cards are usually printed weeks ahead and kept by guests until the night, which makes them ideal for a QR code. A setup that works well:
- An Event code on the card, so guests save the date and time in one scan.
- A Location code on the back, especially for hotel ballrooms, farms and venues outside the city that are hard to find at night.
- Where the celebration has separate halls, as many weddings in the Gulf do, print one version of the card per hall, each with its own Location code.
- A WhatsApp code with a pre-filled message, so confirming attendance takes two taps instead of a phone call.
Write a short line next to each code so guests know what it does: "Scan to add to your calendar" or "Scan for directions". A frame with that text built into the code works even better.
Event QR codes for conferences and business events
For conferences, exhibitions and training days, the QR code moves from the invitation to badges, signage and slides. Use an Event code in the invitation email and on printed tickets, and a dynamic Website code on badges that opens the live agenda.
On Pro, smart routing lets one printed code do more. Route by time of day so morning scans open the agenda and evening scans open the dinner location, or route by phone language so Arabic phones get the Arabic agenda and English phones the English one.
Because every dynamic code has analytics, you can see when people scanned, from which cities and on which devices. Put a different code on each sign or registration desk and you'll know which spots guests actually use.
Openings and launch events
A shop, clinic or café opening is an event too. Print flyers for the neighbourhood with an Event code for the opening day and a short line like "Opening Thursday 6 pm – scan to save the date".
Use a separate dynamic code for each area or distribution channel, for example one for flyers at a nearby mall and one for the building lobby. After the opening, edit the destination to your menu, booking page or Instagram, so the flyers keep working long after the event.
Changing the time or venue after printing
Plans change: the hall is double-booked, the speaker's flight is late, the opening moves a week. With a static code, every card already printed now carries the wrong details. With a dynamic event QR code, you edit the details in your dashboard and every future scan gets the new time or venue.
Guests who already saved the event keep the old entry in their calendar. When details change, also send a short message to the guest list, and ask them to scan the card again to save the updated event.
After the event: thank-you pages and photos
An invitation code doesn't have to die when the event ends. The morning after, change the destination to a thank-you page or a gallery of the night's photos, and the cards guests kept become a souvenir that still works.
On Pro you can schedule this with time-of-day and day routing instead of doing it by hand. For photos, QRaft's images gallery and video types host the files for you. A full event gallery needs space: the free plan has 25 MB of storage, Pro has 2 GB with files up to 25 MB each, and Business has 20 GB with files up to 95 MB.
Printing QR codes on invitation cards
- Size: at least 2 × 2 cm, and 2.5 to 3 cm is safer on a standard invitation card.
- Contrast: a dark code on a light card. Cream, ivory and white all work; deep colors and photos behind the code don't.
- Avoid gold foil, glitter and embossing on the code itself. Shiny foil reflects light and confuses phone cameras. If you want gold, print the code in a dark gold ink on a matte area and test the proof.
- Leave a quiet zone: keep a clear margin around the code free of borders, patterns and text.
- Send the printer an SVG or a print-ready PDF, not a screenshot, so the edges stay sharp at any size.
- Don't put the code across a fold or near the edge where it may be trimmed.
- Scan the printed proof with an iPhone and an Android phone, in normal room light, before approving the full run.
QRaft's editor shows a live scannability score while you design, and warns you if the contrast is low or a logo is too large.
Questions
Does an event QR code work on both iPhone and Android?+
Yes. Both platforms can read event codes and offer to add them to the calendar, though the wording of the prompt differs. Test on one phone of each before printing.
What if the venue or time changes after the invitations are printed?+
If the code is dynamic, edit the details and every new scan shows the update. Static codes can't be changed, so you'd need new cards.
Do I need a separate QR code for the location?+
It helps. A calendar entry usually holds the venue as text, while a Location code opens the exact pin in the guest's maps app, which matters for venues that are hard to find.
What size should a QR code be on a wedding invitation?+
Aim for 2.5 to 3 cm wide, never under 2 cm, with a clear margin around it. Test the printed proof before the full run.