Alternate QR Code Generator lets you design QR codes on your desktop

While they were originally designed for extremely dull automotive applications, QR codes have gone very mainstream in the past few years, and now appear just about everywhere. It’s easy to see why, as they’re just so convenient: scan one with your smartphone and you can immediately head off to whatever link they contain.

Creating QR codes for your own purposes is also very straightforward. Websites such as goQR.me will do it for free, or you could use Alternate QR Code Generator to create codes on your PC.

If you’re happy with the default settings (and mostly they’ll work just fine) then the program will be very easy to use. Enter the text you’d like in your code, click "Generate", and, well, that’s it.

There are also a range of options which could help to improve the code’s reliability. Increasing pixel width or error correction level, for example, will make the code larger, but also ensure that it can sustain more damage while still being readable. You can change the background and foreground colors, too, which may also improve readability in some situations.

One point to bear in mind is that the code doesn’t update dynamically. If you change the pixel width or background color, say, you won’t see this immediately reflected in the “Image output” box; nothing happens until you click "Generate".

Once you have produced the finished code, though, Alternate QR Code Generator makes it easy to export elsewhere. Click Image > Copy to send it to the clipboard, or save the code directly as a BMP, GIF or JPG file.