What you are seeing
The printed code carries a logo that overlaps one of the three corner finder patterns. The design may have looked balanced on screen, but the scanner cannot find a symbol whose corner is hidden. This is a common failure with branded codes, because the logo is placed for looks rather than for scanning, and the screen preview does not punish it. The fix is to move the logo to the centre, shrink it, or remove it, and to prove the result with a scan test.
Likely causes
1.
Logo placed over a corner for balance — A logo positioned near a corner for visual balance can drift over the finder pattern. Test: compare the proof corners with the original code.
2.
Logo too large for the code — A logo that is too large for the symbol can reach a corner even when it starts in the centre. Test: check the logo size against the code size.
3.
Logo moved during layout — A logo that was centred in the design can shift during layout or scaling. Test: compare the layout file with the approved design.
4.
Proof checked by eye only — A logo overlapping a corner can look intentional to the eye, so a visual check misses it. Test: scan the proof.
5.
Error correction too low for the logo — A logo that covers data modules needs enough error correction to recover them, and a low setting leaves no margin. Test: compare a plain version with the logo version.
Step-by-step fix
1. Inspect all three corners of the proof and mark any logo overlap.
2. Move the logo to the centre of the code, clear of all three corners.
3. Shrink the logo until it leaves a clear margin around every corner.
4. Raise the error-correction level if the logo covers data modules.
5. Print one corrected proof and scan it on two phones.
6. Remove the logo entirely if the corrected version still fails.
Putting this into practice
In practice, the centre is the only safe place for a logo, and small is the only safe size. Keep the logo centred, keep it modest, and keep every corner fully clear. Test the branded artwork on two phones before printing, because a branded code that fails is worse than a plain code that works. Keep a short note of what you tested, what failed, and what you changed, so the next person starts from evidence rather than guesswork. A fix that is written down survives staff changes and reprints; a fix that lives only in memory gets repeated.
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)
