QR Code Print Size Guide
A QR code needs to be about one tenth as wide as the distance it will be scanned from, so a code read at 30 cm should be printed at least 3 cm across.
There is one rule worth memorising: a QR code should be about one tenth as wide as the distance it is scanned from. Thirty centimetres away, three centimetres wide. A metre and a half away, fifteen centimetres. The rule is conservative on purpose — it holds for an average phone camera, in average light, held by someone who is not being careful.
Two things change the answer. The first is how much text the code carries: a contact card or a calendar event packs many more squares into the same square of paper than a short link does, so it needs more width to keep each square readable. If a code looks visually busy, it needs to be printed bigger — that busyness is exactly the problem. The second is what you are printing on. Ink spreads on uncoated paper, receipts and fabric, thickening every square and softening the edges the scanner is looking for.
The last thing people get wrong is the margin. A QR code needs a blank quiet zone around it, four squares wide, and designers crop it away or run a background image into it because it looks like wasted space. It is not: it is how a scanner works out where the code begins. Every code downloaded from this site already carries a quiet zone of fifteen percent of its own width, so the safest thing you can do is place the downloaded file without trimming it.
Minimum code width by where it is printed
| Where it goes | Typical scan distance | Minimum width | Comfortable width |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table tent or menu corner | 30 cm | 3 cm | 4 cm |
| Counter card or receipt | 30 cm | 3 cm | 4 cm |
| Window sticker, read from the pavement | 1 m | 10 cm | 12 cm |
| A4 poster on a wall | 1.5 m | 15 cm | 20 cm |
| Roadside banner | 5 m | 50 cm | 60 cm |
Frequently asked questions
How big does a QR code need to be?
About one tenth of the distance it will be scanned from. A code read at 30 cm — a table tent, a receipt — needs to be at least 3 cm across. A poster read from 1.5 m needs 15 cm. Below roughly 2 cm, most codes stop being reliable regardless of distance, because the printed squares get smaller than a camera can resolve.
Why does my code need to be bigger than someone else's?
Because it holds more text. A code's pattern is a grid, and more data means more squares in the same space. A short link might be a 25-by-25 grid; a contact card or a calendar event can be 57-by-57 or larger. At the same printed width, each square in the denser code is less than half as wide, so it needs a bigger print to stay readable.
What is the quiet zone and do I need it?
It is the blank margin around the code, and yes. The specification asks for four squares' worth of empty space on every side; scanners use it to find where the code starts. Codes downloaded here include a margin of 15 percent of the code's width, which is more than the minimum at every size. Do not crop it off or print artwork into it.
Can I print a QR code in colour?
Yes, if the contrast holds. Scanners need roughly a 3:1 contrast ratio between the pattern and its background, and the generators here warn you when a colour drops below that. Keep the pattern darker than the background — inverted codes, light on dark, fail on a good number of scanner apps.
Does the printing method change the size I need?
Yes. Ink spread on uncoated paper, fabric, or a cheap thermal receipt printer thickens each square and blurs the edges, so add roughly 20 percent to the minimum width for anything that is not a laser print on coated stock. Etched, embroidered or engraved codes need more again.
Should I download the PNG or the SVG for print?
SVG for anything printed. It is a vector, so it stays sharp at any size and a printer can scale it without asking you for a resolution. Use the PNG for screens and for tools that will not accept a vector — and if you do print a PNG, generate it at the size you need rather than enlarging it afterwards.
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