QR Codes de texto simples: números de série, mensagens e dados brutos

Plain Text QR Codes: Serial Numbers, Messages, and Raw Data

Plain text QR codes encode raw strings without any URI scheme or structured format. The scanner displays the text directly — no browser, app, or action is triggered automatically.

When to Use Plain Text

Unlike URL, WiFi, or vCard QR codes that trigger specific device actions, plain text QR codes simply display their content. This is appropriate for:

• Serial numbers and identifiers: Product tracking, asset management
• Short messages: Greeting cards, scavenger hunts, art installations
• Verification codes: Two-factor backup codes, licence keys
• Internal data: Warehouse locations, batch numbers, equipment IDs
• Encoded payloads: JSON, XML, or custom data for specific applications

Encoding Considerations

Plain text uses Byte mode encoding (8 bits per character). For text containing only digits, Numeric mode is much more efficient (3.3 bits per digit). Most QR code libraries automatically select the optimal encoding mode.

Size and Capacity

For long text, consider linking to a web page via URL QR code instead of encoding the full text.

Character Encoding

By default, QR codes use modo byte (Latin-1, 256 caracteres)." data-category="Standards & Specifications">ISO 8859-1 for Byte mode. For characters outside this set (CJK, emoji, accented characters), use ECI mode to specify UTF-8 encoding. Not all scanners handle ECI correctly, so test with special characters.

Industrial Applications

Plain text QR codes are widely used in manufacturing and logistics:

• Part identification: Encode part numbers, lot codes, and revision numbers
• Work-in-progress tracking: Scan at each station to update status
• Inventory management: Location codes (e.g., "A3-R2-S5" for aisle-rack-shelf)
• Quality control: Inspection codes and pass/fail identifiers

Best Practices

• Keep text concise — long strings create large, hard-to-scan codes
• Use Numeric mode when possible (digits only)
• For structured data, consider JSON-in-QR with a compact schema
• Test character encoding on multiple scanner applications
• Provide context near the QR code explaining what the text represents

Key Takeaways

• Plain text QR codes display raw content without triggering device actions
• Ideal for serial numbers, identifiers, messages, and internal data
• Byte mode handles any character; Numeric mode is more efficient for digits
• Character encoding (ISO 8859-1 vs UTF-8) affects scanner compatibility
• Keep text short or use a URL QR code linking to longer content