QR Code Generator

Create QR codes from URLs or text and download as PNG

Enter text to generate QR code

How to Use

  1. Paste a URL or type any text into the input
  2. The QR image updates automatically
  3. Click Download to save a PNG

Four Mistakes That Kill Scan Rates

  • Too-small modules in print. The ISO/IEC 18004 QR spec and Denso Wave's own guidance say the scan distance should be roughly 10× the QR code's side length. A 2 cm × 2 cm code is reliable at about 20 cm — fine on a business card, but useless on a poster seen from 3 m, which needs at least 30 cm on a side. Fix: size for the farthest realistic scanner.
  • Wrong error-correction level. QR supports L (7%), M (15%), Q (25%), and H (30%) recovery. Level H lets you put a logo in the center without breaking scans, but it bloats the matrix, which means denser modules at the same print size. Level L is fine for clean digital display; anything printed outdoors or handled physically should use at least M, ideally Q. Fix: match EC level to the environment, not to "more is better."
  • URLs with tracking parameters that overflow version capacity. A QR encoding a 300-character campaign URL (utm_source, utm_campaign, session IDs) jumps to Version 15+ with a 77×77 grid. At small print sizes those modules become sub-pixel and scanners fail. Fix: shorten the URL before encoding (bit.ly, your own redirect) — usually cuts module density 40–60%.
  • Low contrast or inverted colors. The spec assumes dark modules on light background. White-on-black "inverted" codes work on some scanners and silently fail on others — iOS camera is stricter than Android. Colored backgrounds that look fine to you can hit a contrast ratio below the ~40% luminance difference most decoders expect. Fix: black on white, always, for anything you can't reprint.

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