QR Codes on Windows

Inside or outside the glass

The decision that gets made wrong most often:

• Applied inside, facing out, needs mirrored artwork or it decodes backwards. Most phones will not read a mirrored code. This is protected from weather and vandalism, which is why it is the standard choice.
• Applied outside, printed normally, is exposed to rain, cleaning and peeling, but is simpler and slightly sharper.
• One-way vision film carries a printed image on a perforated surface. Codes need to be at least 50 percent larger because the perforations remove contrast.

Whichever mount, confirm with a physical test print taped up before ordering three hundred.

Reflection is the enemy

Glass reflects the street: the sky, cars, the building opposite, and the person scanning.

• Print the code on an opaque white vinyl panel, not as clear-backed vinyl. A transparent code takes the shop interior as its background and fails after dark.
• Frosted or etched vinyl scatters light instead of mirroring it, which works very well.
• Position the code where it is shaded, usually under an awning or on the door itself rather than mid-window under the afternoon sun.
• Avoid the section of glass that reflects a bright light source at scanning height. Walk the pavement at different times of day before choosing the spot.

Size and height

• Scanned from the pavement at one to two metres, so 10 to 20 cm
• At 1.4 to 1.6 m off the ground, and on the door if the window is set back behind a step or planters
• Keep it clear of the door handle and the hours notice, which is where the eye already goes but also where hands and stickers pile up

What a closed shop should offer

The person outside at eleven at night has a specific need, and a homepage does not meet it:

• Order for tomorrow, which turns a closed door into revenue
• Opening hours and holiday hours, the most-scanned window content there is
• The menu or the current stock list, for restaurants and agencies
• Book an appointment for salons, clinics and services, since an evening booking made outside a locked door is pure gain
• Property listings in an agency window, which is the classic case and still the best-performing one
• A multi-link page when the answer depends on who is asking

Use a dynamic code so the same window sticker carries the summer hours, the holiday notice and the new menu without anyone ordering vinyl again.

The one-line instruction

"Closed? Order here" and "Scan for tonight's menu" convert several times better than a logo above a square. The person outside is already slightly frustrated, and a sentence that acknowledges it is what earns the scan. The glass and window guide has the full material and mounting detail.