QR Code Generator
Generate a QR code for a link, Wi-Fi network, phone number, email or plain text — then download it as a PNG or SVG.
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type here is uploaded, stored or logged.
What kind of QR code do you need?
Link. The most common by far. Scanning opens a URL. Include the
https:// — without a scheme, some scanners treat it as plain text and show
the address instead of opening it.
Wi-Fi. Encodes network name, password and security type so a guest joins by pointing a camera at it. Works natively on iOS and Android. Print one for the guest room and stop reciting a 20-character password over dinner.
Email and phone. Opens a pre-filled message or dials a number. Useful on business cards, service vehicles and shop windows, where typing an address is the main reason people give up.
Text. Anything else — a serial number, a Wi-Fi guest note, a short instruction, a location code on equipment.
Static versus dynamic codes
These are static codes: the data lives in the pattern itself. That means no expiry, no subscription, no third party that can go out of business and take your printed posters with it. It also means the destination is fixed forever and you get no scan analytics.
Dynamic codes point at a redirect service you control, so you can change the destination and count scans — at the cost of depending on that service permanently. For a menu, a flyer or a Wi-Fi password, static is the right call.
Making a code that actually scans
- Leave the quiet zone. The blank margin is part of the code. Cropping it tight is the single most common reason a printed code fails.
- Keep it dark on light. Inverted codes fail on many readers.
- Size for the distance. Roughly one tenth of the expected scanning distance, and never under 2 cm.
- Shorten long URLs. More data means a denser grid, which needs a larger print or a closer scan.
- Use High error correction if you overlay a logo, and keep the logo under about 20% of the area and away from the three corner squares.
- Avoid glossy and curved surfaces where possible — glare and distortion both defeat scanners.
- Test before printing a thousand. Two phones, two apps, in the light you'll actually use.
Tell people what they'll get
A bare code is a request for blind trust, and QR-based scams are common enough that many people won't scan one. A short label — “Scan for the menu”, “Join our Wi-Fi” — measurably increases scan rates and is simply better manners.
Frequently asked questions
Do these QR codes expire?
No. The code is a direct encoding of your text or link — there is no redirect service in between, so nothing can be switched off or start charging later. The trade-off is that you cannot change where it points once printed, and you get no scan statistics.
What is error correction and which level should I pick?
QR codes store redundant data so they still scan when partly damaged. Low recovers about 7%, Medium 15%, Quartile 25% and High 30%. Use Medium for screens, High for anything printed, put outdoors, or with a logo placed over the middle. Higher levels make the pattern denser.
How small can I print a QR code?
As a rule of thumb, the code should be at least one tenth of the scanning distance — 2 cm for a code read at 20 cm, 10 cm for a poster read from a metre. Never go below about 2 cm square regardless, and always leave the quiet zone (blank margin) around it.
Can I change the colours?
Yes, but keep strong contrast and keep the dark part dark. Scanners look for a light background with a dark pattern; inverting that breaks many readers. A contrast ratio of at least 4:1 between the two colours is a safe minimum.
Is the Wi-Fi QR code safe to share?
It contains your network password in plain text, so treat the image exactly like the password itself. It is ideal for a guest network printed and left in a spare room; it is a bad idea to post on social media. The code is generated in your browser and the password is never sent anywhere.