QR codes for museums and galleries

Gallery lighting is the problem

Galleries are lit low to protect works, often with directional spots. That gives you two failures at once: too little light for a phone camera, and raking light that throws shadows across a textured label.

Mitigations:

• Matt, smooth label stock — texture plus raking light is the worst combination.
• High contrast: pure black on pure white, no house colours on object labels.
• Larger than you think: 3–5 cm at a 40–60 cm reading distance, because low light forces the camera into longer exposures and motion blur.
• Position out of the direct spot so the label is not a bright specular patch.

What to link

Extended interpretation is the obvious use, but the highest-value one is accessibility:

• Audio description for visitors with low vision.
• BSL or sign-language video.
• Easy-read versions of the label text.
• Transcripts for anything with audio.

A code that gives a visitor the label read aloud is worth more than one linking to a curator essay.

Do not replace the label

The QR code supplements the physical label. Object identification, date, medium and attribution stay printed. A visitor without a phone must still get the basics.

Offline

Gallery basements have no signal. Either provide WiFi with a WiFi code at the entrance, or ensure linked pages are light and cacheable.

Permanence

Exhibitions change; permanent collections do not. Point object codes at a stable object record in your collection database, not at an exhibition microsite that will be taken down.