The Framers Forum

We have recently started offering the inclusion of a QR Code in some framing jobs.........(those funny looking barcodes that you scan with your Smartphone etc)....see http://www.fineframers.com/qr%20code.html
Mostly, we have included with sports jerseys, linking to an appropriate YouTube video etc.

RTE, our National TV station presented Celebrity Bainisteor, a countrywide Gaelic football inter club contest ( each team managed by a "celebrity" ) a few months ago. Anyway, our local team won the final last month, after which the actual football used in the final was signed by the players and the celebrity manager (Tont Cascarino).

We were tasked with the job of "framing" the ball, to be displayed at the club house. As the signatures were almost all over the ball , and due to the position of the "celebrity's" signature, we came up with the idea of framing the ball within a bespoke perspex display case and allowing the ball to be rotated on a horizontal axis, so all signatures could be seen. The ball can be rotated by turning the black knobs on either side. ( the inflated ball is a compressed fit between machined aluminum widgets / knobs on either side.)
. We also included some brass plaques - one title one at the front as well as two with all the players names etc on either side. We also included a QR code...which, when scanned links to the club's website

Clever idea. Thanks for sharing with us.

How do you generate the QR code?

QR codes were created in Japan 1994 by a subsidary of Toyota and were initially used in the motor industry. They are now widely used in Asia and more recently in the USA, just appearing here now.
The patent on them has never been exercised, so they are open to use freely. There are a host of FREE websites on which you can create a QR code and download or print it out. The site I use is http://www.qrstuff.com - You can create a free code for many different applications...to give a different result when scanned..... eg ... text / phone number , link to website, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter etc etc. However , if you need to print a high resolution image of a QR code , you would have to use the paid section on that website ( only necessary if printing out very large image of code)
We have also used some within our store to give customers (who are smart phone trigger happy) more detailed info etc etc. This is a sign we have placed alongside our framing accesory stand - when scanned it leads them to that webpage, itemising the full list of items / description / price etc. I think its something that opens up a whole lot of marketing opportunities for us and something that we will be progressing in the new year.
Thanks
Tom

Tom, thanks for your prompt reply.

I'm new to this QR code stuff and don't have any kind of reader, but being a very suspicious sort of person I'm wondering if these free code generator sites don't insert a little something of their own (spam) into the code that they generate.

I tried two sites using identical input, but on visual inspection, the codes produced by each did not match exactly.

Are these sites are benefiting in some way every time the code is scanned, or am I being overly paranoid?

I've never seen anything like that before!

Did you make the box yourself or get it made and can the ball be easily removed to be pumped up again should it deflate enough to drop? Or has it been filled with injection foam or something to make it solid?

I could do the base, it's an inside-out cove mount

Every code created is unique - so if I create 5 codes at different times, pointing to the same element ( same link to same website for example) the codes will indeed appear different, as effectively they are randomly created. There are so many combination possibilites in the QR code's matrix , there are in practice infinite possibilities.
This is good for us users, because if we create a code for someone today, linking to their YouTube clip for example and they come back next week for another one to be linked to the same clip ... we can just create another one....they will look different to us, but both will link to the same video clip....so we dont have to keep a copy etc. etc.
Maybee this will help put your mind at ease !!

We made the box up ourselves - 6mm perspex . Yes the base is a cove box sitting on MDF base.
As we did'nt want to interfere with the ball, it is just held tight between rotating discs. Over time the ball will deflate...it's just a matter of removing 4 screws from the base to disassemble... to allow ball to be pumped up again... the club were happy with this. Perhaps the ball will be removed for a future match.... then re-installed in the display case !!!

an impressive job

Intrigued by the potential of QR, I've poked around a little on line and it does look like a great way to engage with the smart-phone generation.

However, be wary of the free on-line code generators. Many of them direct the reader through their own site on the way to your own URL where they can either invisibly monitor traffic to your site, or they can openly display an ad before redirecting to you site.

The site that Tom uses, qrstuff.com, appears to be one of the better ones, but clearly this is an area where it pays to keep your wits about you.

For the most part, we have used this site http://www.qrstuff.com simply to generate the code, not using their site any further. However, we did experiment with one code where we used the generator site further...linking with their site. This allowed us to view some information in relation to when and where the code was scanned...this aspect could have good marketing potential....we could view on a GPS type map...where the code was scanned....so lets say you put a QR code on your newspaper or flyer advert... you can then analyse when/ where/how frequently the code is scanned.....all potential good feedback !! - and perhaps a bit scary !!

When the time comes for a re-order im planning on including QR codes on the sticker I put on the back of frames, linking to my website.