Convert your vCard into a QR image ready to use on your printed business card [BLO006]

The QR code scanner app is perhaps the most overhyped app on our smartphones. But when it comes down to QR scanning,  business cards QR image scanning remains particularly popular. Why? QR codes on printed business cards are huge time savers for entrepreneurs but also represent zero error information since a simple scan provisions your address book or personal information manager with valuable data about the person. Learn in this post how you can return the favor by making your own.

Prerequisite for this post is that you have already your vCard (.vcf) file on hand. If you don't have your (.vcf) file? No harm, checkout my earlier post on how you can create vcards to append to your mail and let's meet back later on this post afterwards when all things set.

Google Drive as container for your vCard

So let's start. First, if not already, store your (.vcf) file in Google Drive in a separate folder called 'vCards'. If not already create the folder and upload or drag your vCard files therein. Change the sharing settings of the folder to 'anyone on the Internet can find and view' ! 

Public Host Url

Let's construct now the public host url pointing to your vCard file. 

• First : google drive will be the host of your files so we start : https://googledrive.com/host/
• Second : append the unique identifier of your folder where the vCard is actually stored. You can distill this from the URL in the omnibox (location field) of your chrome browser when 'vCard folder' is opened. You'll need the something like (0B7AiIEUxxOycTnlwMDBqRmxJck0) representing the last part from the long URL.
  
  If this is the Url you need this part
  https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B7AiIEUxxOycTnlwMDBqRmxJck0&usp=sharing
  
• Third : Get your vCard filename : johanclaeys_vcard_apple.vcf     

Now you're all set to compose the 'URL'.  Append the three parts together and you get the 'public host URL' pointing to the vCard file ready for download on your webpage.  

https://googledrive.com/host/0B7AiIEUxxOycTnlwMDBqRmxJck0/johanclaeys_vcard_apple.vcf

Time to QR

Copy the URL and head on to the shortener service from Google. Type in Goo.gl in your chrome browser to access the service. Sign in with your Google Account helps you to track the visit history of your shortened Url afterwards. 

Paste now the long 'public host URL' and click on the 'shorten URL' button. You'll get something like http://goo.gl/A9YHD2 

Once shortened you consult the details of the shortened URL and see a visual representation of the shortened and the QR code image. Right click to save the image as .png file to Google drive. 

Great work done ! 
We are all set.  You can now use this QR image uploaded in Google drive folder for your printed visit Business Cards. 

Success !

How to convert vCard file to a QR print for visit business cards. #apow

Referring tips

• Tomorrow I'll tell you all about how to....
• In my next post additional functionality regarding QR that will remain popular 
• In yesterdays post I mentioned...
• In my last post I....

Takeway Tip

With this 'Public Host URL' feature, in Drive, you can make all kind of web resources — like HTML, CSS, and Javascript files — viewable as a website. In e.g. all icons and images you find in my Johan Claeys Media Blog are stored in Google Drive.

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