What you are seeing
This fix makes the code scan both up close and from a distance. You will find the closest distance that fails, then adjust the size, the placement, and the instructions so visitors naturally scan from a range that works. Test at arm's length and at the full distance, because a fix that only helps one end leaves the other broken.
Likely causes
1.
Phone cannot focus that close — Quick test: pull the phone back slowly and note where the code first locks on.
2.
Code overflows the camera frame — Quick test: check whether all three corner squares fit in the camera frame.
3.
Lens distortion at close range — Quick test: move back slightly or use the standard lens and retest.
4.
Glare at close range — Quick test: tilt the phone and switch the flash off, then retest.
5.
Visitors stand too close because of the placement — Quick test: watch where people naturally stand and compare it with the working range.
Step-by-step fix
Step 1: Test the code at several distances and write down the range where it scans, from closest to furthest.
Step 2: If the code overflows the frame up close, reduce the printed size until the whole symbol fits at arm's length.
Step 3: Move the code to a spot where visitors can stand at a comfortable distance, away from walls and doorways that force them too close.
Step 4: Add a short step-back instruction beside the code so visitors hold the phone at the right range.
Step 5: Control glare with matte stock or a new angle, and retest with the flash off.
Step 6: Retest at arm's length and at the full distance on two phones.
Step 7: Keep the version that passes at both ends, and record the working range in the job file.
Putting this into practice
In practice, write the working range on the job file: the closest and furthest distances that passed. That range tells the next person whether the code fits the space it will live in. 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
- Enlarging the code to fix distance scanning until it no longer fits a phone frame up close.
- 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 scans from a distance but not up close will be used.
- Changing the artwork and the placement at the same time, so you cannot tell which change fixed a code that scans from a distance but not up close.- Skipping the proof test because the change looked small, when small changes cause most repeat failures.
Quick checklist
- The whole symbol fits the camera frame at arm's length
- The code passes at both arm's length and the full distance
- A short instruction tells visitors where to stand
- 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)
