What size should a QR code be when printed?
The 10-to-1 distance rule, the practical minimum size, how the amount of data and error correction change it, and how colour, quiet zone and paper affect scanning.
Published
Tools for this job: QR Code Generator · Wi-Fi and vCard QR Code Generator
A QR code that scans perfectly on your screen can fail on a poster across the room or on a tiny label. Size, distance, the amount of data and print quality all matter. Get them right before printing a thousand flyers.
The distance rule
A widely used rule of thumb is that a QR code should be at least one tenth as wide as the distance it will be scanned from.
| Scanning distance | Minimum width |
|---|---|
| 20 cm (business card, label) | 2 cm |
| 50 cm (table card, flyer) | 5 cm |
| 1 m (counter sign) | 10 cm |
| 3 m (wall poster) | 30 cm |
| 10 m (banner, window) | 1 m |
Around 2 cm (0.8 inch) is a practical minimum for anything scanned up close. Smaller codes can work with short links and good printing, but test them carefully.
More data needs a bigger code
A QR code is a grid of squares called modules. A short link needs few modules; a long web address, a full contact card or a Wi-Fi password needs many more, so each module is smaller at the same printed size. If a code looks dense, either shorten the content, for example by using a shorter page address, or print it larger.
Error correction
QR codes carry spare data so they still scan when partly damaged. The QR Code Generator offers four levels: L recovers about 7%, M about 15%, Q about 25% and H about 30%. Higher levels survive scratches and dirt but add modules, making the code denser. M is a good default; use Q or H for codes that will be handled or exposed to weather.
The quiet zone
Scanners need a clear margin around the code, ideally four modules wide. Text, borders or images touching the edge of the code are a common cause of failed scans. The generator lets you set the quiet zone; keep it when placing the code in a design.
Colour and contrast
- Dark code on a light background. Inverted codes (light on dark) fail on some scanner apps.
- Strong contrast: navy on white works, pale grey on white does not.
- Avoid gradients and patterned backgrounds behind the code.
- Glossy and curved surfaces reflect light; test on the real material.
Export for print
Download the code at a large pixel size so it prints crisply; enlarging a small image blurs the module edges. A code that is 1000 pixels wide prints sharply up to about 8 cm at 300 DPI. For posters, export at the largest size the generator offers.
Test before you print the run
- Print one copy at the final size on the final paper.
- Scan it from the real distance, with at least two phones, including an older one.
- Check it opens the right page, not just that it scans.
For cards with a caption ready to print, see the Wi-Fi and vCard QR Code Generator. For whether a code will keep working, see do QR codes expire?