Short Links for Print: Flyers, Business Cards, Packaging and Posters

Printed materials are still powerful: a flyer on a noticeboard, a card handed over at a meeting, a menu on a table, a leaflet in a delivery box. But print has one big weakness. It can't be clicked.

Short links and QR codes bridge that gap, and they also let you measure something print has never been good at: how many people actually took action.

The problem with long URLs on paper

A long URL on a flyer asks people to type something like www.example.com/events/2026/autumn-workshop-registration on their phone, letter by letter, without making a mistake. Most won't bother, and those who do might mistype it.

A short link like trimx.me/workshop takes seconds to type and is hard to get wrong. A QR code next to it means most people won't have to type at all.

Always use both: a QR code and a readable short link

• The QR code is fastest for people with a camera ready.
• The short link works for people who can't or won't scan, and for anyone looking at a photo of your poster later.

Print them together with a short call to action:

Scan to register, or visit trimx.me/workshop

Create both in seconds on Trimx: shorten the link, click QR, and download the image. See how to create a QR code for any link for size and contrast rules.

Ideas by format

Business cards

• Link to your link-in-bio page, portfolio or booking page rather than just your homepage.
• Keep the QR code at least 2 × 2 cm.
• Use a custom alias with your name, like trimx.me/ananya.

Flyers and posters

• Make the call to action specific: "Scan for tickets" or "Scan for the full timetable".
• Size the QR code for the viewing distance; a poster read from 2 metres needs a code roughly 20 cm wide.
• Place it at eye level and away from folds or edges.

Restaurant menus and table cards

• Link to your online menu, ordering page, Wi-Fi details or a review page.
• Use separate links for each table card position if you want to see which area of the restaurant gets the most scans.

Product packaging and inserts

• Link to setup guides, recipes, care instructions, warranty registration or a reorder page.
• Print a short link people can type into a laptop, since many people set up products at a desk.
• Keep these links active for the life of the product. Deleting a link printed on packaging breaks it permanently.

Delivery inserts

• Link to a review page, a referral offer or your social profiles.
• A thank-you message plus a short link to a discount works well for repeat orders.

Event badges and signage

• Link to the schedule, venue map, Wi-Fi details or a feedback form.
• For staff-only resources, consider an IP-restricted link that only opens on the venue network.

Measure what your print actually does

Print has traditionally been hard to measure. Short links change that:

1. Create a unique short link for each printed item or location, for example trimx.me/fest-cafe and trimx.me/fest-library for posters in two places.
2. Use the same destination for all of them, so the experience is identical.
3. Compare clicks in your link analytics to see which location or format works best.
4. Add UTM parameters like utm_medium=print or utm_medium=qr before shortening, so your website analytics can follow visitors further. See UTM parameters with short links.

Design tips

• Keep the short link in a clear, readable font and size, at least as large as your body text.
• Avoid fonts where l, I and 1 look the same.
• Use lower-case aliases; they're easier to read and type.
• Leave white space around the QR code.
• Proofread the short link on the final artwork and test it before printing.

Frequently asked questions

Should I print a QR code or a short link?

Both. The QR code is fastest for people who scan, and the short link helps people who prefer to type or are looking at a photo of your material later.

What happens if I delete a short link that's already printed?

The printed link and QR code will stop working. Keep links that appear on printed materials for as long as those materials are in circulation.

How can I track how many people used my flyer?

Use a unique short link for the flyer and check its click count. QR code scans and typed visits both go through the same short link.

Can I change the destination of a printed short link later?

Trimx doesn't currently support changing a link's destination after it's created, so double-check the destination before you print.