Comparisons
Static vs Dynamic QR Codes
What the redirect actually buys you, measured on real encoded codes, and which payloads are worse off for it.
16 min readPinterest QR code generator
Pinterest used to have its own scannable Pincode. It retired them, which makes a QR code the only option left for getting somebody from a printed page to a board. Profile and board links are short, so these codes print small.
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✓ Scan-tested: this code reads back correctly.
Contrast 21:1, Strong
Version 3 · 37 modules · print at least 14.8 mm wide
Pinterest already has a code. Here is what it cannot do.
Pinterest had its own scannable graphic, the Pincode, built into the app for profiles and boards. It was retired, and there is no in-app QR code to replace it. You will find it under Retired, no current equivalent. For meeting somebody in person it is the faster option, and this page is not trying to replace it. It runs out in four places.
- Pincodes no longer work, and any printed on old packaging or in a magazine are now dead. If you find a guide telling you to make one, it is out of date.
- Pinterest has no built-in QR generator to replace them, so the only route from a printed page to a board is a code you make yourself.
- That also means there is no app-only shortcut here: this is the normal way rather than the workaround.
Which Pinterest link to encode, measured
Characters become modules, and modules decide how small the code can be printed and still read. These are the same link, in the forms Pinterest actually hands out, each one encoded and decoded when this page was built.
| Link form | Characters | Version | Modules | Print at least |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profilehttps://pinterest.com/examplehandleShort, stable, and the one to print for a brand presence. | 35 | 3 | 37 | 14.8 mm |
| A boardhttps://pinterest.com/examplehandle/kitchen-ideasWhere a code earns its place: a catalogue pointing at the board for that room or product line. | 49 | 4 | 41 | 16.4 mm |
| A single pinhttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/1122334455667788/Pin ids are long numbers. This is the densest form on the table. | 47 | 3 | 37 | 14.8 mm |
| Profile with the www prefixhttps://www.pinterest.com/examplehandle/Four characters and a trailing slash, for nothing. | 40 | 3 | 37 | 14.8 mm |
Board links are the sweet spot. They are barely longer than a profile and they take somebody straight to the thing you wanted them to see, which is the whole point of printing a code in a catalogue.
Pin ids are sixteen digits and there is no short form, so a single-pin code is always denser. Print it larger or point at the board instead.
Where a Pinterest code actually goes
- Print catalogues and lookbooks
- A board code beside each room or collection, so a reader can see the rest of the range without typing anything. This is the case Pincodes existed for, and it is now a QR code's job.
- Packaging for homeware and craft
- Pointing at a board of ideas that use the product. Board links are short enough to fit on a small label.
- Trade stands and showrooms
- Read at a distance in bright hall lighting, so print above the measured minimum and keep the contrast high.
Three ways these go wrong
- Looking for the Pincode feature
- It is gone, and a good deal of advice online still tells you to use it. Any Pincode printed before it was retired no longer does anything.
- Encoding a pin instead of a board
- A single pin is a dead end for the reader and a denser code for you. A board keeps them browsing and prints smaller.
- Leaving the www and the trailing slash in
- Free characters to remove. It changes nothing about where the link goes and it makes the symbol slightly sparser.
The download here stays locked until a decoder has read the finished code back, so the first of those cannot happen to a file you get from this page. For a code whose destination might need to change after printing, the dynamic generator keeps the printed symbol and moves the target.
Codes for the other platforms
Same engine, different link anatomy on each one. The social media hub covers what applies to all of them: the screenshot problem, the codes that only scan inside their own app, and why one code beats six.
Messaging and communities
Where a code opens a chat or gets somebody into a server. Watch the invite expiry on Discord.
- WhatsApp33 modules, from 13.2 mmOpen a chat with your number, with the plus and the dialling zero fixed for you.Make a WhatsApp code
- Telegram33 modules, from 13.2 mmEncode a t.me username, group or channel, with the invite-link revocation trap explained.Make a Telegram code
- Discord37 modules, from 14.8 mmEncode a server invite, with the default expiry setting that kills printed codes explained first.Make a Discord code
- Reddit37 modules, from 14.8 mmSubreddit, profile and post links measured, including the title slug you can safely delete.Make a Reddit code
Video
Long identifiers on both, so the short link form is the difference between a code you can print and one you cannot.
Photo and visual
Two of these ship a code a phone camera cannot read, and one retired theirs entirely.
Profiles and feeds
Where claiming a username or picking the right domain shrinks the printed code the most.
- LinkedIn37 modules, from 14.8 mmTurn a LinkedIn profile into a code any camera reads, with the print size measured for badges and CVs.Make a LinkedIn code
- Facebook37 modules, from 14.8 mmEncode a page, profile or group, and see how much smaller a claimed username prints.Make a Facebook code
- X37 modules, from 14.8 mmx.com against twitter.com, measured, including the redirect a printed old link now costs.Make a X code
Music
Spotify Codes only scan inside Spotify, which is the whole reason this page exists.
Pinterest QR code questions
Does Pinterest still have Pincodes?
No. Pinterest retired them, and any Pincode already printed no longer scans to anything. A QR code made from the profile or board link is the replacement, and unlike a Pincode it reads with any camera rather than only inside the Pinterest app.
How do I make a QR code for a Pinterest board?
Open the board, copy the address from the browser, and paste it into the generator on this page. Board links are barely longer than a profile link, so the code stays sparse enough to print small in a catalogue.
Should the code point at my profile or a board?
A board, almost always. It takes the reader to the specific collection you are showing them, and it is short enough to print small. Use the profile only when the whole account is the point.
Why is my Pinterest pin QR code so dense?
Pin identifiers are sixteen digit numbers with no short form, so the symbol needs a higher version and more modules. Point at the board that holds the pin instead, or print the pin code noticeably larger.
QRMakery builds this code on your own device. The link you paste and the file you download never reach a server.
More for social profiles
Twelve platforms, each with the link form that prints smallest and the mistake that kills its codes.
- Social media QR codesPick a platform: twelve pages, each with the link form that prints smallest and the mistake that breaks it.
- LinkedIn QR codeTurn a LinkedIn profile into a code any camera reads, with the print size measured for badges and CVs.
- Instagram QR codeA profile, reel or post as a printable vector code, rather than the screenshot the app gives you.
Guides worth reading
All guides- Printing
QR Code Sticker Size: The Circle Costs You 30%
The usable square inside a round sticker is 70% of its diameter. Measured minimum sizes for real links, against every common sticker size.
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Offline QR Code Generators for Every Device
What each platform already ships, the measured cost of each payload type, and how to check an offline claim yourself.
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