QR Code Size and Print Guide

A QR code that scans on your screen can still fail on a flyer. Most print failures come from the same handful of mistakes, and all of them are easy to avoid.

How big should it be?

A rule of thumb: the code should be at least 10 times smaller than the distance it will be scanned from. A phone held 10 cm away reads a 1 cm code; a code on a poster seen from 2 metres needs to be about 20 cm.

Where it is printed	Scanning distance	Minimum width
Business card, packaging	10 to 20 cm	2 cm
Flyer, table tent, menu	20 to 40 cm	3 cm
Poster	1 to 2 m	10 to 20 cm
Shop window, hoarding	3 m and more	30 cm and more

The more information in the code, the denser the pattern and the larger it should be. Short links make simpler codes, which is one reason dynamic codes scan so reliably.

Contrast and colour

• Keep the dots darker than the background. Dark on light scans best.
• Avoid pale colours such as yellow or light grey for the dots.
• Do not invert the colours (light dots on a dark background) unless you test it, because some scanners struggle.
• Our design tools show a contrast warning when your colours are too close.

The quiet zone

Leave an empty border around the code, at least the width of four small squares. Text, borders or pictures touching the code can stop it from scanning.

Logos and frames

A small logo in the centre works because QR codes can survive some damage, but keep it to a fifth of the code's width at most. A frame with a call to action, such as "Scan me", increases scans. Choose one in the free QR code generator.

File formats

• SVG for print: it stays sharp at any size, so use it for posters and signs.
• PNG for screens and small prints. Export it large, at least 1000 pixels wide.

Before you print

1. Scan the code from your screen, then from a test print at the real size.
2. Test with an iPhone and an Android phone, and with a cheaper phone too.
3. Check that it works in the lighting where it will hang.
4. Check the destination opens quickly on mobile data.
5. Print a small batch first, then the full run.

Printing on a curved bottle or textured paper? Make the code larger and test on the real material.