Generate and Read Royal Mail QR Code in Python

Generating QR codes is a common requirement in postal, shipping, and logistics applications. If your Python application needs to create a QR code that contains Royal Mail-related data, such as a tracking value, routing value, postcode, or a custom postal payload, you can use Aspose.BarCode for Python via .NET to generate the QR image and read it back for verification.

In this article, we will create a Royal Mail QR code in Python and then decode the generated QR code image. The code examples are split into two clear sections: one for QR code generation and one for QR code reading.

Note: In this article, “Royal Mail QR code” means a standard QR Code that stores Royal Mail-related payload data. If you need Royal Mail Mailmark, that is a different postal barcode type and requires a specific Mailmark data structure.

Install Aspose.BarCode for Python via .NET

Install the Aspose.BarCode package from PyPI using the following command:

pip install aspose-barcode-for-python-via-net

After installation, you can use the generation API to create barcode images and the recognition API to read barcode images.

Steps to Generate a Royal Mail QR Code in Python

Follow these steps to generate a Royal Mail QR code:

1. Import the generation namespace from aspose.barcode.
2. Prepare the Royal Mail payload text that you want to encode.
3. Create a BarcodeGenerator object.
4. Set the barcode type to generation.EncodeTypes.QR.
5. Save the generated QR code image using generation.BarCodeImageFormat.PNG.

Generate Royal Mail QR Code in Python

The following code example shows how to generate a Royal Mail QR code and save it as a PNG image.

from aspose.barcode import generation

# Data to encode in the QR code
# Replace this with your actual Royal Mail payload / tracking / label data
royal_mail_data = "ROYALMAIL|TRACKING=AA123456789GB|POSTCODE=SW1A1AA"

# Generate Royal Mail QR Code
file_name = "royal_mail_qr.png"

generator = generation.BarcodeGenerator(
    generation.EncodeTypes.QR,
    royal_mail_data
)

generator.save(file_name, generation.BarCodeImageFormat.PNG)

print("QR Code generated:", file_name)

In this example, the BarcodeGenerator class creates a QR code from the supplied text. The generation.EncodeTypes.QR value specifies that the output barcode must be a QR Code. Finally, the save() method exports the generated barcode image as a PNG file.

You can replace the sample value of royal_mail_data with your real Royal Mail payload. For example, you may encode a tracking number, label identifier, postcode, or another postal value required by your application.

Steps to Read a Royal Mail QR Code in Python

After generating the QR code, you can read it back to verify that the encoded data is correct. Follow these steps:

1. Import the barcoderecognition namespace from aspose.barcode.
2. Create a BarCodeReader instance and pass the QR code image path.
3. Set the barcode type to br.DecodeType.QR.
4. Call read_bar_codes() to extract barcode results.
5. Read the decoded text from the code_text property.

Read Royal Mail QR Code in Python

The following code example shows how to read the generated Royal Mail QR code image.

from aspose.barcode import barcoderecognition as br

# Read Royal Mail QR Code
file_name = "royal_mail_qr.png"

reader = br.BarCodeReader(file_name, br.DecodeType.QR)

for result in reader.read_bar_codes():
    print("Barcode Type:", result.code_type_name)
    print("Barcode Data:", result.code_text)

The BarCodeReader class reads the barcode image from the specified file path. The br.DecodeType.QR value tells the reader to look for QR codes. The read_bar_codes() method returns the detected barcode results, and each result exposes the barcode type and decoded text through code_type_name and code_text.

Complete Generate and Read Example

You can also combine generation and recognition in a single script. This is useful when you want to validate the generated QR code immediately after creating it.

from aspose.barcode import generation
from aspose.barcode import barcoderecognition as br

# Data to encode in the QR code
# Replace this with your actual Royal Mail payload / tracking / label data
royal_mail_data = "ROYALMAIL|TRACKING=AA123456789GB|POSTCODE=SW1A1AA"

# 1) Generate Royal Mail QR Code
file_name = "royal_mail_qr.png"

generator = generation.BarcodeGenerator(
    generation.EncodeTypes.QR,
    royal_mail_data
)

generator.save(file_name, generation.BarCodeImageFormat.PNG)

print("QR Code generated:", file_name)

# 2) Read Royal Mail QR Code
reader = br.BarCodeReader(file_name, br.DecodeType.QR)

for result in reader.read_bar_codes():
    print("Barcode Type:", result.code_type_name)
    print("Barcode Data:", result.code_text)

This complete script first creates a QR code image named royal_mail_qr.png. It then loads the same image with BarCodeReader, decodes the QR code, and prints the barcode type and encoded data.

Validate the Decoded QR Code Data

For postal and shipping workflows, it is a good practice to validate every generated QR code before printing or sending it to another system. You can compare the decoded result with the original payload:

for result in reader.read_bar_codes():
    if result.code_text == royal_mail_data:
        print("QR code validation passed.")
    else:
        print("QR code validation failed.")

This simple validation step helps confirm that the generated QR image contains the same data that your application intended to encode.

Handling Different QR Code Image Formats

The examples above save the QR code as PNG because PNG is a lossless image format and is usually a good choice for printing and scanning workflows. Aspose.BarCode can also save barcode images in other supported formats when required.

To change the image format, update the second argument of the save() method. For example, use the corresponding value from generation.BarCodeImageFormat.

Best Practices for Royal Mail QR Code Workflows

• Use the exact payload format required by your Royal Mail, shipping, or label-generation workflow.
• Keep the QR code image clear, high contrast, and free from distortion.
• Prefer lossless formats such as PNG for printed labels.
• Decode the generated image after creation to verify the encoded payload.
• Store both the original payload and decoded result in logs when troubleshooting label issues.

Common API Classes Used

The following Aspose.BarCode for Python via .NET classes and values are used in this article:

Conclusion

You can generate and read Royal Mail QR codes in Python with only a few lines of code using Aspose.BarCode for Python via .NET. Use generation.BarcodeGenerator with generation.EncodeTypes.QR to create the QR code, save it with generation.BarCodeImageFormat.PNG, and then use br.BarCodeReader with br.DecodeType.QR to decode the generated image.

This generation-and-recognition workflow is useful for validating QR codes before they are printed on postal labels, stored in shipping systems, or sent to downstream logistics applications.

FAQs

• What is the easiest way to generate a Royal Mail QR code in Python?
  Use generation.BarcodeGenerator with generation.EncodeTypes.QR, pass your Royal Mail-related payload text, and save the output using generator.save().

• How do I read a Royal Mail QR code image in Python?
  Use br.BarCodeReader(file_name, br.DecodeType.QR) and loop through the results returned by read_bar_codes().

• Which property returns the decoded QR code text?
  Use result.code_text to get the decoded value from each barcode recognition result.

• Can I use this code for Royal Mail Mailmark?
  Not directly. This article uses standard QR Code generation and recognition. Royal Mail Mailmark is a separate postal barcode type with its own required data structure.

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