Add a QR code to an order of service without print surprises

Decide what happens after the scan

The code should open one clearly identified memorial page, not a folder of files or a temporary service notice. Before artwork begins, add the correct name and dates, portrait and opening remembrance, then choose public or link-only visibility.

Link-only can suit a booklet shared with invited guests, but it is not the same as access control. Anyone can photograph or forward the printed code. Private visibility is unsuitable for guests because only the account holder can open the memorial.

Use a short instruction beside the code

Many people recognise a QR code, but they still need to know why it is there. Use one sentence and print the short memorial address beneath it when the layout has room.

• Scan to visit the memorial
• View more photographs and read the life story
• Visit the memorial and share a memory
• Remember with us online

Give the code enough space

Keep the QR code square and leave a clean, light margin around all four sides. Do not crop that margin, place a photograph behind it, add a logo over the pattern or stretch it to fit a rectangular frame. Dark ink on a light background is the safest approach.

For a booklet held in the hand, allow roughly 25 to 30 millimetres for the code itself. Use a larger size when print quality is modest or the code will be viewed from farther away. Fold lines, binding, trim edges and page curvature can interfere with scanning, so keep it away from the spine and final cut line.

Download the artwork correctly

A Premium Held in Memory memorial lets the account holder choose a preset QR-card style, show or hide the person’s full name and years, and download a PNG. Download that file from the memorial manager; do not take a screenshot of the on-screen preview or copy a thumbnail from a message.

The download is a complete portrait-format card containing the memorial details, QR code, instruction and printed web address. A printer can place the full card in the layout. If they crop or rebuild it, ask them to preserve the complete code and its surrounding clear area, then request a proof.

What to send the designer or printer

Send the original downloaded PNG and a short written brief. Do not rely on an image pasted into a compressed chat thread as the production file.

• The final page size, fold and binding method for the booklet
• The preferred page and approximate placement
• The exact instruction text and plain memorial address
• A request to keep the image proportional and avoid cropping the code margin
• A request for one physical or full-size printed proof before the complete run
• The artwork deadline, service date and one person authorised to approve the proof

Proof and test before approval

Print the proof at 100 per cent of its final physical size. A PDF viewed enlarged on screen is not a substitute. Scan the proof with at least two phones, check the correct memorial opens, and read the first screen using mobile data rather than the account-holder login.

Test a finished booklet again after folding and trimming. If it is slow or unreliable, enlarge the code, restore more clear space, increase contrast or move it away from a fold. Do not approve a large print run on the assumption that the original file worked.

Common questions

Which page of the order of service should hold the QR code?

The back page is often practical because guests can find it without interrupting the ceremony. Any uncluttered page can work if the code stays away from folds, binding and trim.

Can the printer recolour the code?

It is safer to use the downloaded preset with its tested contrast. If any production change is made, scan the final physical proof before approving the run.

Should I include the web address too?

Yes, when space allows. It gives guests a fallback if their camera does not recognise the code or the venue has poor reception.

Does Held in Memory print orders of service?

No. Held in Memory supplies the Premium downloadable PNG card. Your funeral director, designer or printer handles the booklet and should confirm their own artwork requirements.

Helpful next reads

• Plan where guests will scan
• Compare digital cards and physical plaques
• Choose public or link-only sharing
• Information for funeral professionals