Insert QR Code - Electron

Add scannable QR codes to designs programmatically using image fills.

QR code demonstration showing image fill approach

5 mins

estimated time

QR codes encode URLs that mobile devices can scan, making them useful for marketing materials, business cards, event posters, and product packaging. This guide shows how to generate QR codes as images and add them to CE.SDK designs.

import type { EditorPlugin, EditorPluginContext } from '@cesdk/cesdk-js';
import { generateQRCodeDataURL } from './qr-utils';
import packageJson from './package.json';

class Example implements EditorPlugin {
  name = packageJson.name;
  version = packageJson.version;

  async initialize({ cesdk }: EditorPluginContext): Promise<void> {
    if (!cesdk) {
      throw new Error('CE.SDK instance is required for this plugin');
    }

    // Load assets and create scene
    await cesdk.addDefaultAssetSources();
    await cesdk.addDemoAssetSources({
      sceneMode: 'Design',
      withUploadAssetSources: true,
    });
    await cesdk.createDesignScene();

    const engine = cesdk.engine;
    const page = engine.block.findByType('page')[0];

    // Set page dimensions
    engine.block.setWidth(page, 800);
    engine.block.setHeight(page, 600);

    const qrSize = 200;

    // ===== Demonstration: QR Code as Image Fill =====
    // Generate QR code as data URL image with custom colors
    const qrImageUrl = await generateQRCodeDataURL('https://img.ly', {
      width: 256,
      color: { dark: '#1a5fb4', light: '#ffffff' },
    });

    // Create graphic block with rectangle shape and image fill
    const imageQrBlock = engine.block.create('graphic');
    const rectShape = engine.block.createShape('rect');
    engine.block.setShape(imageQrBlock, rectShape);

    // Create image fill with QR code data URL
    const imageFill = engine.block.createFill('image');
    engine.block.setString(imageFill, 'fill/image/imageFileURI', qrImageUrl);
    engine.block.setFill(imageQrBlock, imageFill);

    // Set dimensions and position for image-based QR code
    engine.block.setWidth(imageQrBlock, qrSize);
    engine.block.setHeight(imageQrBlock, qrSize);
    engine.block.setPositionX(imageQrBlock, 300);
    engine.block.setPositionY(imageQrBlock, 200);

    // Add to page
    engine.block.appendChild(page, imageQrBlock);

    // Add label for the QR code
    const textBlock = engine.block.create('text');
    engine.block.replaceText(textBlock, 'Image Fill');
    engine.block.setFloat(textBlock, 'text/fontSize', 69);
    engine.block.setEnum(textBlock, 'text/horizontalAlignment', 'Center');
    engine.block.setWidth(textBlock, 300);
    engine.block.setPositionX(textBlock, 250);
    engine.block.setPositionY(textBlock, 420);
    engine.block.appendChild(page, textBlock);

    // Zoom to fit all content
    await engine.scene.zoomToBlock(page, { padding: 40 });
  }
}

export default Example;

Generating QR Code Images#

Use a QR code library like qrcode to generate QR codes as data URLs with custom colors.

// Generate QR code as data URL image with custom colors
const qrImageUrl = await generateQRCodeDataURL('https://img.ly', {
  width: 256,
  color: { dark: '#1a5fb4', light: '#ffffff' },
});

The toDataURL method creates a base64-encoded image that works directly with CE.SDK’s image fill. You can customize the colors at generation time.

Creating a QR Code Block#

Create a graphic block with a rectangle shape and apply the QR code as an image fill.

// Create graphic block with rectangle shape and image fill
const imageQrBlock = engine.block.create('graphic');
const rectShape = engine.block.createShape('rect');
engine.block.setShape(imageQrBlock, rectShape);

// Create image fill with QR code data URL
const imageFill = engine.block.createFill('image');
engine.block.setString(imageFill, 'fill/image/imageFileURI', qrImageUrl);
engine.block.setFill(imageQrBlock, imageFill);

Image fills use a rectangle shape with the QR code as the fill content. This approach is straightforward and supports color customization at generation time.

Positioning and Sizing#

Set the QR code dimensions and position on the page.

// Set dimensions and position for image-based QR code
engine.block.setWidth(imageQrBlock, qrSize);
engine.block.setHeight(imageQrBlock, qrSize);
engine.block.setPositionX(imageQrBlock, 300);
engine.block.setPositionY(imageQrBlock, 200);

// Add to page
engine.block.appendChild(page, imageQrBlock);

Maintain a square aspect ratio by setting equal width and height. For reliable scanning, keep QR codes at least 100x100 pixels.

API Reference#

Method	Category	Purpose
`engine.block.create('graphic')`	Creation	Create graphic block for QR code
`engine.block.createShape('rect')`	Shapes	Create rectangle shape
`engine.block.setShape(id, shape)`	Shapes	Apply shape to graphic block
`engine.block.createFill('image')`	Fills	Create image fill
`engine.block.setString(id, 'fill/image/imageFileURI', uri)`	Fills	Set image data URL
`engine.block.setFill(id, fill)`	Fills	Apply fill to block
`engine.block.setWidth(id, width)`	Transform	Set QR code width
`engine.block.setHeight(id, height)`	Transform	Set QR code height
`engine.block.setPositionX(id, x)`	Transform	Set horizontal position
`engine.block.setPositionY(id, y)`	Transform	Set vertical position
`engine.block.appendChild(parent, child)`	Hierarchy	Add QR code to page