How Big Should a Printed QR Code Be? Size, Colours and File Type

4 November 2026 · 6 min read

A QR code that scans from your screen can still fail on paper. It may be printed too small, in colours the camera cannot tell apart, or so close to other artwork that phones cannot find its edges. This guide gives you the sizes, the file type and the checks to get right before you order 500 visiting cards or a shop banner.

The quick way: a code that is ready for print

Open the QR Code Generator and choose Website, Text, Email, Phone or SMS. For most printed codes it is Website.
Paste the address and look at the Encoded content box. It shows exactly what the code will contain.
Under Appearance, keep the Quiet zone at 4 modules (standard). Choose Error correction M for paper used indoors, and Q or H for packaging and outdoor signs.
Download the SVG for the printer. Use the PNG for small prints and documents, and set its size first (see below).
Print one test copy at the real size and scan it with two or three different phones.

The code is made in your browser, so the address or number you type is not uploaded.

How big to print it

The size a code needs depends on two things: how far away people stand, and how much the code holds.

Scanning distance

A common rule of thumb is at least 2 cm (about 0.8 inch) wide for codes scanned from close up, and about one tenth of the scanning distance for signs. In practice that gives these starting points:

Where it is printed	Typical scanning distance	Width to aim for
Visiting card, sticker, product label	In the hand, 15–25 cm	2–2.5 cm
Table tent or counter standee	About 50 cm	About 5 cm
A4 notice on a wall	About 1 m	About 10 cm
Poster or banner	2–3 m	20–30 cm

Lighting, the phone and the paper all play a part, which is why the test print is not optional.

How much the code holds

Every QR code is a grid of small squares called modules. Short content gives a small grid: version 1 is 21 × 21 modules, and each version adds 4 per side, up to 177 × 177 for version 40. The tool shows the QR version it chose under the preview.

See what that means on a 2.5 cm visiting-card code with the standard 4-module border on each side:

A version 3 code (29 × 29) is 37 modules across, so each module is about 0.7 mm.
A version 10 code (57 × 57) is 65 modules across, so each module is under 0.4 mm.

Smaller modules need a sharper camera and a steadier hand. The tool tells you when a code is dense and suggests printing it larger. Often the easier fix is shorter content.

Keep the content short

Long links are the most common reason a small printed code is hard to scan. A form link with tracking tags, or an address copied with a long tail of ? parameters, can easily pass 100 characters.

Remove anything after the ? that the page does not need, and test the shorter address in a browser first.
Many services, form builders among them, offer a shorter share link. Use it when you can.
To count visits, the tool page suggests adding campaign tags (UTM parameters) to the link. They make it longer, so keep them brief and print the code a little larger.

The Capacity used bar shows how full the code is. If the tool warns that the content is close to the limit, shorten the content rather than shrinking the border.

Colours that scan

Phones look for dark modules on a light background. Brand colours are fine as long as the code stays clearly darker than the paper.

The tool rates the contrast as you pick colours. Good contrast is what you want, Fair means test carefully, and Low means change the colours.
Do not print a light code on a dark background. Many scanner apps cannot read inverted codes, and the tool warns you. Swap colours puts them the right way round.
Gold or silver ink, and glossy lamination under bright shop lights, can reflect light into the camera. Where the design allows, put the code on a plain, matte area.

The tool has no logo overlay, custom module shapes or transparent background. The plain code it makes is also the kind that scans most reliably.

PNG or SVG for the printer

Print shops often ask for artwork at 300 DPI (dots per inch). You can work out how many pixels a PNG needs:

pixels = width in cm ÷ 2.54 × 300

A 2.5 cm card code needs about 295 px. The default 512 px PNG is more than enough.
A 10 cm notice code needs about 1,181 px. Set PNG size to 1,184 px or more.
A 20 cm poster code needs about 2,362 px. That is beyond the tool's 2,048 px maximum, so send the SVG.

The SVG is a vector image. It stays sharp at any size, and a designer can place it straight into the print file. When in doubt, send the SVG.

Static codes: check before you print 500 copies

These are static codes. The content sits inside the code itself, so it never expires and does not depend on this website. It also means nobody can change where a printed code points.

So point it at something that will stay put:

A page you control, such as the menu or contact page of your website, rather than a file whose address changes each time you upload a new version.
A link you have opened on mobile data, not only on the office Wi-Fi.

For a wedding card that links to the venue on a map, open the link on your own phone and check that it lands on the right place before the cards go to print.

One job this tool does not do is payments. For UPI payments, use the QR code your bank or payment app gives you for your account.

A checklist before you print

The Encoded content box shows exactly the address or text you meant.
The Quiet zone is 4 modules, and the design puts no text or graphics inside it.
The contrast check says Good contrast, with a dark code on a light background.
The code is big enough for the scanning distance and for its version.
You sent the SVG, or a PNG large enough for 300 DPI.
A test print scanned on at least two phones, including an older one.

Wrapping up

A short link, the standard 4-module border, dark-on-light colours and an SVG file prevent most printed QR codes from failing. Make your code in the QR Code Generator, print one copy at the real size and scan it before you approve the print run. If you also need a product or stock label, the Barcode Generator makes 1D barcodes, and more free tools are in the generators section.