QR Code Editor - Vanilla JS/TS

Easily generate and customize QR codes within CE.SDK.

QR Code Editor starter kit showing QR code generation interface

10 mins

estimated time

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Prerequisites#

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

Node.js v20+ and npm installed locally – Download Node.js
A supported browser – Chrome 114+, Edge 114+, Firefox 115+, Safari 15.6+
See Browser Support for the full list.

New Project

Existing Project

Get Started#

Run the QR Code Editor starter kit directly with Vite.

Step 1: Clone the Starter Kit#

Terminal

git clone https://github.com/imgly/starterkit-qr-code-editor-ts-web.git
cd starterkit-qr-code-editor-ts-web

git clone https://github.com/imgly/starterkit-qr-code-editor-ts-web.git
cd starterkit-qr-code-editor-ts-web

npx degit imgly/starterkit-qr-code-editor-ts-web my-project
cd my-project

npx degit imgly/starterkit-qr-code-editor-ts-web my-project
cd my-project

Step 2: Install Dependencies#

Terminal

npm install

npm install

pnpm install

pnpm install

yarn install

yarn install

Step 3: Download Assets#

CE.SDK requires engine assets (fonts, icons, UI elements) to function. These must be served as static files from your project’s public/ directory.

Terminal

curl -O https://cdn.img.ly/packages/imgly/cesdk-js/1.73.0/imgly-assets.zip
unzip imgly-assets.zip -d public/
rm imgly-assets.zip

curl -O https://cdn.img.ly/packages/imgly/cesdk-js/1.73.0/imgly-assets.zip
unzip imgly-assets.zip -d public/
rm imgly-assets.zip

Step 4: Run the Development Server#

Terminal

npm run dev

npm run dev

pnpm dev

pnpm dev

yarn dev

yarn dev

Open http://localhost:5173 in your browser. Click the “QR Code” button in the dock to generate QR codes.

Get Started#

Integrate the QR Code Editor into an existing vanilla JavaScript/TypeScript project. This adds the editor configuration to your current project structure.

Step 1: Clone#

Terminal

cd your-project

cd your-project

Clone the starter kit and copy the editor configuration to your project:

Terminal

git clone https://github.com/imgly/starterkit-qr-code-editor-ts-web.git
cp -r starterkit-qr-code-editor-ts-web/src/imgly ./src/imgly
rm -rf starterkit-qr-code-editor-ts-web

git clone https://github.com/imgly/starterkit-qr-code-editor-ts-web.git
cp -r starterkit-qr-code-editor-ts-web/src/imgly ./src/imgly
rm -rf starterkit-qr-code-editor-ts-web

npx degit imgly/starterkit-qr-code-editor-ts-web/src/imgly ./src/imgly

npx degit imgly/starterkit-qr-code-editor-ts-web/src/imgly ./src/imgly

The imgly/ folder contains the editor configuration:

imgly/
├── config/
│   ├── actions.ts                # Export/import actions
│   ├── features.ts               # Feature toggles
│   ├── i18n.ts                   # Translations
│   ├── plugin.ts                 # Main configuration plugin
│   ├── settings.ts               # Engine settings
│   └── ui/
│       ├── canvas.ts                 # Canvas configuration
│       ├── components.ts             # Custom component registration
│       ├── dock.ts                   # Dock layout configuration
│       ├── index.ts                  # Combines UI customization exports
│       ├── inspectorBar.ts           # Inspector bar layout
│       ├── navigationBar.ts          # Navigation bar layout
│       └── panel.ts                  # Panel configuration
├── index.ts                  # Editor initialization function
└── plugins/
    └── qr-code.ts

Step 2: Install Dependencies#

Install the required packages for the editor:

Core Editor#

Install the Creative Editor SDK:

Terminal

npm install @cesdk/cesdk-js

npm install @cesdk/cesdk-js

pnpm add @cesdk/cesdk-js

pnpm add @cesdk/cesdk-js

yarn add @cesdk/cesdk-js

yarn add @cesdk/cesdk-js

QR Code Plugin#

Add QR code generation:

Terminal

npm install @imgly/plugin-qr-code-web

npm install @imgly/plugin-qr-code-web

pnpm add @imgly/plugin-qr-code-web

pnpm add @imgly/plugin-qr-code-web

yarn add @imgly/plugin-qr-code-web

yarn add @imgly/plugin-qr-code-web

@imgly/plugin-qr-code-web – CE.SDK plugin that integrates QR code generation into the editor UI (canvas menu and dock panel)

Step 3: Download Assets#

CE.SDK requires engine assets (fonts, icons, UI elements) to function. These must be served as static files from your project’s public/ directory.

Terminal

curl -O https://cdn.img.ly/packages/imgly/cesdk-js/1.73.0/imgly-assets.zip
unzip imgly-assets.zip -d public/
rm imgly-assets.zip

curl -O https://cdn.img.ly/packages/imgly/cesdk-js/1.73.0/imgly-assets.zip
unzip imgly-assets.zip -d public/
rm imgly-assets.zip

Step 4: Add a Container Element#

Add a container element to your HTML where the editor will be mounted:

<div id="cesdk_container" style="width: 100%; height: 100vh;"></div>

Step 5: Initialize the Editor#

Import and call the initialization function from your entry point:

import CreativeEditorSDK from '@cesdk/cesdk-js';
import { initQRCodeEditor } from './imgly';

const config = {
  baseURL: '/assets'
};

CreativeEditorSDK.create('#cesdk_container', config)
  .then(async (cesdk) => {
    await initQRCodeEditor(cesdk);
  })
  .catch((error) => {
    console.error('Failed to initialize CE.SDK:', error);
  });

Using QR Code Generation#

The editor provides two ways to generate QR codes:

Via Dock Panel#

Click the “QR Code” button in the dock (left sidebar)
The QR Code panel opens with generation options
Enter your URL or text content
Customize colors and size
Click “Generate” to add the QR code to your design

Right-click on the canvas
Select “Generate QR Code” from the context menu
The QR Code panel opens for customization

Set Up a Scene#

CE.SDK offers multiple ways to load content into the editor. Choose the method that matches your use case:

// Create a blank design canvas - starts with an empty design scene
await cesdk.actions.run('scene.create');

// Load from a template archive - restores a previously saved project
await cesdk.loadFromArchiveURL('https://example.com/template.zip');

// Load from an image URL - creates a new scene with the image
await cesdk.createFromImage('https://example.com/image.jpg');

// Load from a scene file - restores a scene from JSON
await cesdk.loadFromURL('https://example.com/scene.json');

The createDesignScene() method is ideal for design workflows, as it creates a blank canvas ready for content.

Customize Assets#

The QR Code Editor uses asset source plugins to provide built-in libraries for templates, stickers, shapes, and fonts. The starter kit includes a curated selection—customize what’s included based on your needs.

Asset sources are added via plugins in src/imgly/index.ts. Enable or disable individual sources:

import {
  FiltersAssetSource,
  StickerAssetSource,
  TextAssetSource,
  VectorShapeAssetSource,
  EffectsAssetSource,
  // ...
} from '@cesdk/cesdk-js/plugins';

// Add only the sources you need
await cesdk.addPlugin(new FiltersAssetSource());
await cesdk.addPlugin(new StickerAssetSource());
await cesdk.addPlugin(new TextAssetSource());
await cesdk.addPlugin(new VectorShapeAssetSource());
await cesdk.addPlugin(new EffectsAssetSource());
// ...

For production deployments, self-hosting assets is required—the IMG.LY CDN is intended for development only. See Serve Assets for downloading assets, configuring baseURL, and excluding unused sources to optimize load times.

Configure Actions#

Actions are functions that handle user interactions like exporting designs, saving scenes, and importing files. CE.SDK provides built-in actions that you can run directly or override with custom implementations.

Key built-in actions:

exportDesign – Export the current design to PNG, JPEG, PDF, or other formats
saveScene – Save the scene as a JSON string for later editing
importScene – Import a previously saved scene (supports .scene and .cesdk formats)
exportScene – Export the scene as a JSON file or .cesdk archive with all assets
uploadFile – Handle file uploads with progress tracking

Use cesdk.actions.run() to execute any action:

// Run a built-in action
await cesdk.actions.run('exportDesign', { mimeType: 'image/png' });

Export and Save#

// Register export action that downloads the edited design
cesdk.actions.register('exportDesign', async (exportOptions) => {
  const { blobs, options } = await cesdk.utils.export(exportOptions);
  await cesdk.utils.downloadFile(blobs[0], options.mimeType);
});

Customize (Optional)#

Theming#

CE.SDK supports light and dark themes out of the box, plus automatic system preference detection. Switch between themes programmatically:

// 'light' | 'dark' | 'system' | (() => 'light' | 'dark')
cesdk.ui.setTheme('dark');

See Theming for custom color schemes, CSS variables, and advanced styling options.

Localization#

Customize UI labels and add support for multiple languages. The i18n system supports translation keys for all UI elements:

// Override specific labels
cesdk.i18n.setTranslations({
  en: {
    'actions.export.image': 'Download Design',
    'common.cancel': 'Cancel',
    'common.apply': 'Apply'
  }
});

// Add a new language
cesdk.i18n.setTranslations({
  de: {
    'actions.export.image': 'Design herunterladen'
  }
});

// Set the active locale
cesdk.i18n.setLocale('de');

See Localization for supported languages, translation key reference, and right-to-left language support.

UI Layout#

CE.SDK Editor UI Areas

Customize the editor interface by modifying the dock, inspector bar, navigation bar, and canvas menu. CE.SDK provides Order APIs to control which components appear and in what sequence.

// Get current navigation bar components
const navOrder = cesdk.ui.getNavigationBarOrder();

// Add a custom button to the navigation bar
cesdk.ui.insertNavigationBarOrderComponent(
  'ly.img.spacer',
  { id: 'my-custom-action' },
  'after'
);

// Rearrange dock items
cesdk.ui.setDockOrder([
  'ly.img.assetLibrary.dock',
  'ly.img.separator',
  'my-custom-dock-item'
]);

See Dock, Inspector Bar, Navigation Bar, Canvas Menu, and Canvas for detailed layout customization options.

Key Capabilities#

The QR Code Editor includes QR code generation plus full design editing capabilities.

QR Code Generation

Generate customizable QR codes with custom colors, sizes, and content. Add them to any design with a single click.

Professional Filters

Apply color grading with LUT filters, duotone effects, and customizable image adjustments.

Text & Typography

Add styled text with comprehensive typography controls, fonts, and visual effects.

Asset Libraries

Access built-in collections of templates, stickers, shapes, and graphics, plus import custom assets.

Privacy-First

All processing happens locally in the browser. No data is sent to external servers.

Export Options

Export to multiple formats including PNG, JPEG, and PDF with quality and size controls.

Troubleshooting#

Editor doesn’t load#

Check the container element exists: Ensure your container element is in the DOM before calling create()
Verify the baseURL: Assets must be accessible from the CDN or your self-hosted location
Check console errors: Look for CORS or network errors in browser developer tools

Assets don’t appear#

Check network requests: Open DevTools Network tab and look for failed requests to cdn.img.ly
Self-host assets for production: See Serve Assets to host assets on your infrastructure

QR code panel doesn’t open#

Check plugin installation: Ensure @imgly/plugin-qr-code-web is installed
Verify plugin setup: Check that setupQRCodePlugin(cesdk) is called during initialization

Watermark appears in production#

Add your license key: Set the license property in your configuration
Sign up for a trial: Get a free trial license at img.ly/forms/free-trial

Next Steps#

Configuration – Complete list of initialization options
Serve Assets – Self-host engine assets for production
Actions – Build custom export and save workflows
Theming – Customize colors and appearance
Localization – Add translations and language support

QR Code Editor for Browser

Prerequisites#

Get Started#

Step 1: Clone the Starter Kit#

Step 2: Install Dependencies#

Step 3: Download Assets#

Step 4: Run the Development Server#

Get Started#

Step 1: Clone#

Step 2: Install Dependencies#

Core Editor#

QR Code Plugin#

Step 3: Download Assets#

Step 4: Add a Container Element#

Step 5: Initialize the Editor#

Using QR Code Generation#

Via Dock Panel#

Via Canvas Menu#

Set Up a Scene#

Customize Assets#

Configure Actions#

Export and Save#

Customize (Optional)#

Theming#

Localization#

UI Layout#

Key Capabilities#

QR Code Generation

Professional Filters

Text & Typography

Asset Libraries

Privacy-First

Export Options

Troubleshooting#

Editor doesn’t load#

Assets don’t appear#

QR code panel doesn’t open#

Watermark appears in production#

Next Steps#