Create a free QR code that never expires
Make a QR code for a website link, a WiFi network, a contact card, an email, a phone number, a text message or plain text. Add your logo, pick your colours, and download a PNG up to 2048 pixels or an SVG that stays sharp at any size. The code is generated in your browser, there is no sign-up, and nothing you encode is sent to a server.
Static codes, and why that matters
Many QR sites create dynamic codes: the code points to their server, which forwards people to your link. That lets them count scans, but it also means the code stops working if the service closes or your trial ends, and printed menus and flyers suddenly lead nowhere. The codes made here are static. Your link or details are stored in the pattern itself, so they work for as long as the destination exists, with no account and no scan limit. The trade-off is that you cannot change where a printed code points, so double-check the link before printing.
What each type does
- Link opens a web page. Short links make simpler, easier-to-scan codes.
- WiFi joins a network without typing the password. Phone cameras on current iOS and Android versions offer to connect as soon as they see it.
- Contact creates a vCard that saves your name, phone, email, company and website to the phone's contacts.
- Email, Phone and SMS open a pre-filled message, a call or a text.
Adding a logo safely
QR codes contain error correction, extra data that lets a phone read a code even when part of it is damaged. There are four levels: Low recovers about 7% of the code, Medium 15%, High 25% and Highest 30%. A logo covers part of the pattern, so as soon as you add one the generator switches to Highest. Keep logos simple and test the finished code with more than one phone.
Printing tips
- Size. A common rule of thumb is that a code can be scanned from about ten times its own width. Around 2 cm works on a business card; a poster across a room needs a much bigger code.
- Quiet zone. The blank border around the code is part of the standard and should be at least four modules wide. The downloads include it; do not crop it off or place the code against a busy background.
- Colours. Use a dark code on a light background with strong contrast. Many scanners cannot read light codes on dark backgrounds, and the generator warns you when a combination may fail.
- Format. Send printers the SVG. It scales to any size without blurring. Use the 2048 px PNG if your printer or design app needs an image.
How much fits in a QR code
The largest QR code holds up to 4,296 letters and numbers or 2,953 bytes of text. In practice, the more you encode, the denser and harder to scan the code becomes, so keep links short and avoid putting long paragraphs into a single code.