Free QR code generator with your logo.

What this generator makes

Every code here is a static QR code, which means the information is written directly into the pattern of squares rather than into a short link pointing somewhere else. Two things follow from that. The code cannot expire, because no service has to stay online for it to keep working. And nothing you type is sent anywhere, because the encoding happens in your browser — which is what makes it safe to put real contact details or a Wi-Fi password into it.

The trade-off is worth stating: a static code cannot be edited once printed. If the destination changes, you generate a new code. For a business card, a menu, or a Wi-Fi code by the door, that is a fair exchange for a code that never stops working and costs nothing.

Choosing a size

The size slider sets the pixel dimensions of the downloaded file, and it matters more than people expect. A 200 px code looks fine on screen and turns to mush on a poster. A useful rule for print: the printed code should be about a tenth as wide as the distance it will be scanned from, so a code read from two metres wants roughly 20 cm of width.

• Screen, email signature, slide — 400 to 600 px is plenty.
• Business card or flyer — 800 to 1200 px keeps the edges crisp at 300 dpi.
• Poster, packaging, signage — 1500 px and up.

If you are handing artwork to a printer, take the SVG instead. It is a vector file, so it scales to any size at all with no loss, and most print shops prefer it.

Putting a logo in the middle

QR codes carry built-in error correction, which lets a scanner rebuild the data even when part of the pattern is missing — the reason a slightly scuffed code still works. Adding a logo deliberately covers part of the pattern and leans on that same mechanism.

When you add a logo or centre text here, the error correction level is raised to its highest setting automatically, so up to about a third of the code can be obscured and still read. A few things keep it reliable:

• Keep the logo small. It is placed at roughly a third of the code's width, which is about the practical limit.
• Use a simple, high-contrast mark. A flat logo on a solid background reads far better than a detailed photograph.
• Do not cover the corner squares. Those three large squares are how a scanner finds and orients the code. The centre is the only safe place for a logo.
• Test it. Scan the downloaded file with more than one phone before committing to print.

The seven code types

Website

Encodes a URL. Scanning opens the page in the phone's browser. Leave off the https:// and it is added for you.

Plain text

Encodes text that simply appears on screen after scanning. Because it needs no internet connection to be read, it suits a locker combination, a serial number, assembly steps, or a short note on a package.

Contact (vCard)

Encodes your details in the vCard 3.0 format, which Apple Contacts, Google Contacts and Outlook all understand. Scanning prompts the phone to save you as a new contact in one tap — useful on business cards, CVs, conference badges and email signatures.

Wi-Fi

Encodes the network name, security type and password so a guest joins without typing anything. Handy in cafes, guest rooms and offices where a long password gets read aloud too often.

SMS

Opens the messaging app with the number filled in and, if you provide one, a pre-written message ready to send. Used for opt-ins, feedback requests and support shortcuts.

Email

Opens the mail app with the address, subject line and body already filled. Common on packaging, invoices and support notices where you want enquiries to arrive pre-labelled.

Phone

Loads a number into the dialler so it can be called with one tap. Suits storefront signage, service vehicles, flyers and directories.

Getting a code that scans first time

• Keep the contrast strong. Dark code on a light background is the most reliable combination. Pale codes, or codes laid over a busy photograph, fail often. If you change the colours here, keep the code clearly darker than its background.
• Leave the quiet zone alone. The clear margin around all four sides is part of the code. Text or a border crowding the edge stops scanners locking on.
• Keep the content short. More content means a denser pattern, and dense patterns need to be printed larger. Long URLs and fully filled vCards are the usual reason a code will not scan at small sizes.
• Test a printed proof, not just the file on screen, before ordering in quantity.

Frequently asked questions

The other tools