How big should a QR code be for print?
Print a QR code at least 2 cm (0.8 in) square for anything scanned at arm's length, and make it one tenth of the scanning distance for anything further away. A poster read from two metres needs a 20 cm code.
The distance rule
Phone cameras need the code to fill a reasonable part of the frame. The rule that holds up in practice is minimum size = scanning distance divided by 10. Someone reading a menu holds the phone about 25 cm away, so 2.5 cm is enough. Someone reading a poster from 2 m needs a code around 20 cm wide.
| Where the code goes | Typical scan distance | Minimum size |
|---|---|---|
| Business card, label, receipt | 15 to 25 cm | 2 cm (0.8 in) |
| Menu, flyer, packaging | 25 to 40 cm | 3 cm (1.2 in) |
| Table tent, shelf talker | 50 cm to 1 m | 5 to 10 cm |
| Poster, window | 1 to 3 m | 10 to 30 cm |
| Banner, vehicle, billboard | 5 m and up | 50 cm and up |
These are minimums. Going 20 to 30 percent bigger costs nothing and covers older phones, poor lighting and people scanning at an angle.
Dense codes need more room
A QR code grows in steps called versions. A short URL fits in a 25 by 25 module grid. A 400-character vCard needs something like 65 by 65. At the same printed size, the dense code's individual squares are a third as wide, and that is what the camera actually has to resolve. Two rules follow from this:
- Each module (one small square) should print at 0.5 mm or larger. Divide your code width by its module count to check.
- If the code is dense, shorten the content before you enlarge the print. A short link on your own domain beats a 200-character tracking URL every time.
Keep the quiet zone
The blank border around a code is not decoration. Scanners use it to find the edges. Leave at least four modules of clear space on every side, and do not let a frame, a photo edge or a fold line cut into it. In QReative the quiet zone slider under Size and quality sets this margin for you.
Resolution and file format
Export as SVG for anything a printer will handle. Vector files scale to any size without blur. If the print shop needs a raster file, export PNG at a pixel size that gives you at least 300 dots per inch at the final print size: a 3 cm code needs roughly 360 pixels, a 20 cm poster code needs about 2,400. Set the size slider accordingly before you download.
Contrast still matters at any size
Dark modules on a light background scan fastest. Light-on-dark codes work on most modern phones but fail on some older scanners and dedicated hardware, so avoid them for anything critical. Keep the contrast ratio high: black or a dark brand colour on white or cream. A mid-tone orange on a grey background looks smart and scans badly.
Test the real thing
Print one copy at final size on the actual stock, stick it where it will live, and scan it with an iPhone camera, an Android camera and one third-party scanner app from the distance a real person would use. Thirty seconds of testing saves a reprint of five hundred menus.