Create vCard Business Cards with QR-Codes

How to Create vCard Business Cards with Barcode Studio

Some users of Barcode Studio are unsure regarding the correct data format for creating barcodes for so-called 2D code business cards.
Such an "electronic” business card encodes the contact data in a QR-Code or a Data Matrix symbol. These codes can be scanned with your smartphone. The business card data is recognized automatically, you will never need to key in contact data manually! Most camera-equipped mobile phones are able to decode QR-Codes on such business cards (Data Matrix is not in common use until now).

The example outlined in this post contains vCard sample data (.xls and .csv files) and a setting file for Barcode Studio. This settings file (*.BCS) can be used immediately to create premium quality QR-Codes with Barcode Studio.

Creating a vCard Data Format

A vCard barcode must follow certain rules, the different elements of a business cards (e.g. the phone number) are tagged with prefixes. Some sample prefixes:

• Begin of vCard data: begin: vcard
• Name on card: n:
• Telephone number: Tel:
• Email address: Email:
• End of vCard data: end: vcard

Please ensure the accurate order of the single data elements! Refer to Wikipedia to get a list of available property prefixes and more information about the vCard format.

Step by Step: Create your own QR-Code Business Cards

Follow the steps to create your QR-Codes. Use the included sample files to see how the data is encoded:

1. Download and unzip the example specified below.
2. Use Microsoft Excel to enter your vCard data in the sample Excel file. Separate the data elements with a new-line. Enter a new-line by pressing "Alt" + "Enter" simultaneously in a cell.
3. Export your data as CSV file.
4. Start Barcode Studio and open the settings file (*.BCS).
5. Importing your CSV file: Choose the "Datalist" tab and click the "Import" button. Ensure the correct import settings as shown in the screenshot. In most cases you should use the Field Separator comma (,) and the Text Qualifier ("). If this doesn't work, please check the generated CSV file.
6. Now export your QR-Codes.



Import Settings

Free Sample File Download
In order to use the sample files make sure you are using the current version of Barcode Studio.

• Download Sample and Setting Files
• Download Barcode Studio
  

If you have any questions just contact TEC-IT via email or give us a call (++43 (0)7252 72720).