How big should a printed QR code be?
Print a QR code at least 2 cm (0.8 in) wide for scanning up close, such as on a business card. For anything farther away, make it about one tenth of the scanning distance: a code scanned from 1 meter should be about 10 cm wide.
Size by scanning distance
| Where it's scanned from | Example | Minimum width |
|---|---|---|
| Hand's length (25 cm / 10 in) | Business card, product label | 2.5 cm / 1 in |
| Table (50 cm / 20 in) | Menu card, table tent | 5 cm / 2 in |
| Across a counter (1 m / 3 ft) | Counter sign, flyer on a wall | 10 cm / 4 in |
| Across a room (2 m / 6.5 ft) | Poster, window sign | 20 cm / 8 in |
| Far away (5 m / 16 ft) | Banner, billboard | 50 cm / 20 in |
Go bigger when the light is dim, the surface is shiny, or people will scan at an angle.
Things that make a code harder to scan
- Long content. More characters mean more, smaller squares. Keep links short, or print the code larger.
- A logo in the middle. It covers part of the code, so the remaining squares must be readable. Add a little size.
- No margin. Scanners need a clear border around the code. Leave white space equal to at least four of its small squares. Downloads from Lukla Tools include it.
- Low contrast. Use a dark code on a light background. Light codes on dark backgrounds fail on some phones.
Print it sharp
Use the SVG or PDF download for print. They're vector files, so the code stays crisp at any size. A PNG can look blurry when a print shop scales it up.
Test before you print the whole run
Print one copy at the final size and scan it from the real distance with two or three different phones, including an older one. It takes a minute and saves reprinting.