What you are seeing
This fix moves the logo clear of all three finder patterns and proves the branded code still scans. You will check every corner, reposition the logo, and test the corrected artwork on two phones. Keep the logo small and centred, because a logo that touches a corner costs you every scan.
Likely causes
1.
Logo placed over a corner for balance — Quick test: compare the proof corners with the original code.
2.
Logo too large for the code — Quick test: check the logo size against the code size.
3.
Logo moved during layout — Quick test: compare the layout file with the approved design.
4.
Proof checked by eye only — Quick test: scan the proof.
5.
Error correction too low for the logo — Quick test: compare a plain version with the logo version.
Step-by-step fix
Step 1: Inspect all three corners of the proof and mark any logo overlap.
Step 2: Move the logo to the centre of the code, clear of all three corners.
Step 3: Shrink the logo until it leaves a clear margin around every corner and covers only central modules.
Step 4: Raise the error-correction level so the code can recover the modules the logo covers.
Step 5: Print one corrected proof and scan it on two phones.
Step 6: If the corrected version still fails, shrink the logo further or remove it.
Step 7: Approve the run only when the branded proof scans on two phones and all three corners are clear.
Putting this into practice
In practice, keep the plain version of every branded code as a fallback. If the branded version fails its proof test, the plain version lets you ship on time instead of redesigning under pressure. Record the before-and-after behaviour with the job file, so the fix is provable rather than anecdotal. When the same failure appears again, that record tells you whether the old fix held or a new cause appeared.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Placing a logo for visual balance without checking whether it touches a finder pattern.
- Reprinting the full run before a single proof passes, which turns one failure into many.
- Testing on one phone in ideal conditions instead of two phones in the real conditions where a code that prints with the logo covering a finder pattern will be used.
- Changing the artwork and the placement at the same time, so you cannot tell which change fixed a code that prints with the logo covering a finder pattern.- Skipping the proof test because the change looked small, when small changes cause most repeat failures.
Quick checklist
- All three finder patterns are fully clear of the logo
- The logo is small and centred
- The branded proof scans on two phones
- The corrected proof passes on two phones in the real conditions
- The fix is recorded in the job file so the next reprint starts from a proven setup
- Every printed copy is checked against the approved proof
- The proof is retested after any later change to the link, design, or placement
Related tools and guides
- [QR minimum size checker](/qr-minimum-size-checker)
- [QR contrast checker](/qr-contrast-checker)
- [QR print proof checklist](/qr-print-proof-checklist)
- [QR DPI calculator](/qr-dpi-calculator)
- [QR quiet zone calculator](/qr-quiet-zone-calculator)
- [printed QR tester](/printed-qr-tester)
- [QR size calculator](/qr-size-calculator)
