Is there anything similar to a QR code that works offline?

Say I have a flyer that I want to discreetly distribute and there is no internet.

Is there something like a QR code that contains the data itself and not just a URL?

This way someone with no data plan could scan the icon/code with an app and the unrecognizable bits and bytes from the icon/code would show up on their screen as a .JPEG of a flyer or something.

  • Amicese@lemmy.ml
    2·
    3 years ago

    I learned alot today! Unfortunately I also learned that there are no ‘QR codes’ that can achieve the scope of what i wanted. 😭

    What did you want to do?

    • Gmork@lemmy.mlOP
      2·
      3 years ago

      Think of a one-page flyer/poster JPEG that has textual information but also some bar graphs or pie charts to convey statistical information but discreetly disguised as a QR code.

      All of the data would be contained in the QR code. This way it could work indefinitely… Rather than the QR code containing a URL and loading up a website so you don’t have to worry about the website going offline or being censored. Not to mention websites can be tracked back to the owner. There are digital footprints.

      It appears that QR codes can do very limited textual information, but nothing to the scope of what I need.

      • Jonah@lemmy.ml
        2·
        3 years ago

        From personal experience, the Cowboy Bebop opening text (around 700 characters) is the most I could fit on a QR code while still being able to print it and scan it with my phone, in case that helps.

        • Gmork@lemmy.mlOP
          2·
          3 years ago

          What do you mean the opening text? Like the credits? All the animator names and stuff?

          That is a decent amount of info. My issues so far has been the formatting of the text.

          I downloaded a new camera app that is geared towards QR scanning. Someone suggested it in this thread. Perhaps it would have better results and fewer issues with formatting.

          Thanks for the info!