QR by Zaweba on Mac and Linux

QR codes don't care which computer made them, and neither does QR by Zaweba. As well as the Windows program, there is a version for macOS and Linux with the same creator, so the same codes can be made on any of the three systems. Version 1.0.4 of the Mac and Linux build is made with Avalonia on the same shared code library as the Windows one.

That makes it a practical choice for mixed offices, schools and households.

What runs where

The Windows version runs on Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit). The Mac version runs on macOS 12 or later, on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs. The Linux version runs on 64-bit Linux on both x86 and ARM.

The Mac and Linux program is a separate build from the Windows one, but it is built with the same shared code library, which is why the codes and files come out the same.

The same creator

The creator is the one Windows users know. You choose the kind of code: web address, Wi-Fi network, contact card, email, phone call, text message, map location or plain text. You fill in the boxes and the app writes the exact text phones expect, including the WIFI: form for networks, a vCard for contacts, and mailto:, tel:, SMSTO: and geo: links for the others.

You set the size in millimetres, the margin in modules, the error correction level, the colours or a transparent background, and a logo for the middle if you want one. The live preview reads back each code as you change it and tells you whether it reads exactly.

The same files

The Mac and Linux version produces the same kinds of code and the same PNG, SVG and PDF files. That matters more than it sounds. A designer on a Mac can make the SVG for a poster while the office on Windows makes PNGs for letters, and the codes will match. A teacher can make codes at home on Linux and use them at school on Windows. Nothing needs converting.

PNG files are saved at 150, 300, 600 or 1200 dpi with crisp whole-pixel squares and the dpi stored in the file. SVG files are measured in millimetres and stay sharp at any size. PDF files are a single page the exact size of the code, drawn as vector shapes.

Getting started on a Mac or Linux PC

Install the version for your system, open it, and pick a kind of code. For a first try, choose Web address and paste in a link starting with https://. Watch the preview say that it reads back, set a size, and save as PNG. Then scan it with your phone to see it work.

From there, explore the other kinds. The Wi-Fi network kind is a favourite at home: type the network name, password and security type, print the code, and guests join by pointing their camera at it.

One habit for every system

Whichever computer you use, test a printed code with a phone before printing many. The read-back check confirms the code the app drew is sound; your own scan confirms the link, the number or the network is right and that the code works at the size and distance it will really be used.

QR by Zaweba is free software under the EULA, with no account, on all three systems.