QR Codes is an interesting way of storing & exchanging text information inside images.
These black & white images may make no sense to the human eye but the information contained inside the image can be extracted instantly on the desktop or a mobile phone using free decoders.
For instance, the QR coded image above stores the login details of a fictional bank account. That information can be easily extracted by passing this image through a QR code decoder application as shown here.
Unlike the more popular bar codes, a QR Code stores data in both the vertical and horizontal directions and hence have more storage capacity per unit area.
Denso Wave, the company that introduced QR Codes to the world, says that QR codes are readable from any direction and that data stored inside QR codes can be restored even if the corresponding image is partially damaged.
Maybe these are the reasons why QR codes have become so popular in print ads in Japan and is being tested in US as well.
For instance, companies put their web address as a QR code in their print ads - people then just click that page with their cell phone cameras and then can visit the advertisers’ website directly without typing anything because the mobile software will decode the image.
If you like to make your own QR Codes, go to Kawya - a web based QR code image generator. Now to decode these QR images, download a small Java app for desktop or get this reader if you have a Java enabled mobile phone like Nokia, Sony Ericsson, etc.
The Chart API in Google also supports QR Codes so you may convert any piece of text or hyperlink into an QR image just by writing simple URLs. Thanks Sasidhar.
There’s also an iPhone app for decoding QR coded images while this Firefox add-in helps you convert web pages into QR images.
Related: Hide Documents Inside JPG Images
Find this article at: http://www.labnol.org/internet/tools/qr-codes-share-text-inside-images/3867/
web: http://www.labnol.org/ email: amit@labnol.org
Reader Comments
Incidentally, I have seen some pilot projects on using these in India as well. Plus, I have worked on these at work, and was pretty impressed when I saw them first.
Written by Vaibhav on 07.11.08
I remember trying out a backup program (strictly for fun) in the early 90s that would do something funky to the file to be backed up and then print its output to your printer. The output looked very similar to this (but would take up a page or more).
To restore, you simply put the printout on your scanner and the program worked its magic once again to regenerate the data.
It actually worked. Even after folding the paper a few times. Of course, not anything I’d want to rely on. And, I’ve always wanted to use less paper, not more.
Written by Mike on 07.11.08
Amit - Thanks for spreading the word about QR Codes. The single most common question I get from ‘techies’ who visit the LAFD News & Information blog is about the QR Code I quietly added to our sidebar earlier this year.
We posted the code to encourage familiarity, and made it clickable to ease explanation. Meanwhile, rest assured that we’re working off-line to introduce this technology into many of our future Los Angeles Fire Department offerings.
Written by Brian Humphrey on 07.11.08
QR codes are the same as Semacodes..? I have read about Semacodes that does similar things. Find a semacode inside a Nokia Battery if you have one (I have one on my BL-5C Battery)
Written by Arun Basil Lal on 07.12.08
Text inside images? It reminds me of fractal design. Is there sharing voice inside a encrypted song? :)
Written by Yanto on 07.12.08
Awesome tool man. Its amazing and secret way of exchanging information. This technique helps a lot in link building by just including a image in any blogs.
Nice work dude
Written by Website Design on 07.14.08
I have a question. I understand a general knowledge of QR Code. But I don’t know how to decode QR-Code Image to text. If I get this tip or Java source in e-mail, I appreciate Whoever knows it. I have a little english knowledge, so you are forgive me although my sentence is wrong.
Written by Yeram on 09.13.08