QR code menu from a PDF or photo: update prices without reprinting

Upload your menu (a PDF, or a JPG, PNG or WEBP image up to 10 MB) on the restaurant menu QR code page, name the code after your restaurant, tap "Create QR code" and print it for your tables. When prices change, open the manage link and replace the file. The printed code opens the new menu with no reprinting, and the same manage link shows how many times the menu was scanned.

Make the menu easy to read on a phone

Guests read your menu on a phone screen, so a file that looks great on paper can force them to zoom. Before you upload, check four things:

• Portrait pages, large type. Split a long menu into pages by section, such as mains, drinks and desserts, instead of squeezing everything onto one page.
• Prices close to each dish. Open the file on your own phone and try to read it without zooming. If you have to zoom, the text is too small.
• One file. Each code holds a single file, so combine a multi-page menu into one PDF. Images suit one-page menus and promotions.
• Keep it light. The page guests see before opening the menu shows the file size, and large files load slowly on mobile data. If you design the menu in a layout app, export a PDF meant for screens rather than the high-resolution print version.

Only have a paper menu? Scan it into a PDF with your phone. On iPhone, open the Files app, tap the More button, then tap Scan Documents (Apple's steps). On Android, open Google Drive, tap Camera at the bottom right, tap Add for each extra page, tap Done and choose .pdf (Google's steps). Scan in good light so no shadow falls across the prices.

Steps

1. Open the menu QR code page and choose your menu file.
2. In "QR name", enter your restaurant's name, for example "Sunset Cafe menu". Guests see it as the heading before they open the menu.
3. Under Design, add your logo or change colors if you like, and type a "Caption under the code" such as "Scan for menu" so people know what they get.
4. Tap "Create QR code". The file is virus-scanned before anyone can open it, and you get a manage link. Anyone with it can edit the code, so keep it private, and if you weren't logged in when you created the code, it is the only way to change it.
5. Download the code as PNG, SVG, JPG or WEBP, or print it from the A4 print sheet described below.
6. Test a scan with both an iPhone and an Android phone before printing in bulk.

Guests don't need an app. Their camera opens a qrfast file page showing the code's name, the file type and size, and "Open file" and "Download" buttons. That page carries an ad, which is how the service stays free.

What size to print

Once the code is created, the "A4 print sheet" option under the preview offers three layouts. Pick one and tap "Print" to open your browser's print dialog, where you can print straight away or choose Save as PDF for a print shop. Every layout has dashed cutting lines and shows your caption under each code.

• 4 table cards (7.5 cm code) for regular tables. Each card is slightly smaller than A6, so it fits an A6 sign holder.
• 12 stickers (4.5 cm code) for table corners or the counter. Print them on A4 sticker paper.
• 1 sign (14 cm code) for the entrance or a wall, so people waiting in line can look at the menu first.

Designing your own sign? A common rule of thumb is that a code should be at least one tenth as wide as the scanning distance. Seated guests hold their phone about 30 cm (1 ft) from a table card, so 3 cm (1.2 in) is the minimum, and a wall sign scanned from 1 m needs at least 10 cm. Give a print shop the SVG file, which stays sharp at any size.

• Leave a blank margin at least four modules wide around the code, as DENSO WAVE, the inventor of QR Code, specifies. Keep borders and text away from it.
• Use dark modules on a light background and avoid glossy lamination that reflects your lights. Glare on the code makes it hard for cameras to read.
• Adding a logo automatically raises the code's error correction, which makes the pattern denser. If you print small, test a real printout first.

When prices change, replace the file

1. Open the code's manage link (it starts with qrfast.asia/m/), or the code's page in your dashboard if you are a member.
2. In the "File" section, choose the new menu under "Replace file".
3. Tap "Upload new file".

The new file is virus-scanned before it goes live. During the check, anyone who scans sees a note that the file is being scanned, so swap files before you open or during a quiet hour. The old file is deleted at once, so keep your own copy of every version. Guests who downloaded the old menu still see old prices on their phone until they scan again.

Reading your scan numbers

The manage link's "Quick stats" show "Total scans", "30 days", "Continue rate" and a "Last 7 days" chart.

• Scans count every time someone opens the file page. One guest scanning twice counts twice, so this is not a headcount, but it shows trends. Bots are not counted.
• Continue rate is the share of scans where someone went on to tap "Open file" or "Download".
• Detailed stats: sign up free, then tap "Add to my account" on the manage link. Your dashboard then shows 30 and 90 days of scans broken down by time of day (Bangkok time), device, operating system and country, with CSV export.

To compare spots, such as the entrance sign and the tables, you need one code per spot, and each of them needs its file replaced when the menu changes.

FAQ

Can I upload a Word or Excel file?

Not yet. Save it as a PDF first, then upload.

My menu file is larger than 10 MB

Members (sign-up is free) can upload up to 50 MB, but for a menu opened on mobile data a smaller file is still better: export a screen-quality PDF or shrink the photos.

Can I switch the menu off for a while?

Yes. Tap "Pause" on the manage link, and anyone who scans sees a page saying the code is paused. Tap "Resume" when you are ready and the same code opens the menu again.