Free QR code generator
Pick what the code should hold, style it, and download it as PNG, SVG or PDF. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded. There is no account, no trial and no watermark.
- Price
- Free
- Sign-up
- None
Colours and style
Colour contrast 21.0:1. Good for scanning.
Higher levels survive more damage but make a denser code.
The file is read on your device and never uploaded. You are responsible for having the rights to any logo you upload.
Print size
Print it at least 10 cm (3.9 in) wide.
Rule of thumb: the code should be about one tenth as wide as the scanning distance, and never smaller than 2 cm.
PNG for screens and documents. SVG and PDF stay sharp at any size, so use them for print.
Static code: no account, no trial, nothing leaves your browser. It keeps working as long as the page it points to exists.
Be careful when you scan codes you did not make yourself. A QR code can lead to any web address.
Need a website to go with it? See Digital Works Forge website packages. A small San Antonio studio that builds sites for local businesses.
How to make a QR code in 4 steps
- Pick the type. Choose what the code should do when someone scans it: open a link, join Wi-Fi, save a contact, start an email and so on.
- Enter the details. Fill in the fields. The code redraws as you type, and the exact text inside it appears under the preview.
- Style it. Change the colours, add a logo, or put a caption such as Scan me under it. Keep strong contrast between code and background.
- Download and test. Download a PNG, SVG or PDF, then scan it with two different phones before you print hundreds of copies.
What you can put in a QR code
Website link
The most common use. A menu, a booking page, a Google review page, your social profile. Example: a salon prints the booking page address on every appointment card.
Text
Plain words with no link: a serial number, a short note, a Bible verse for a bulletin. The phone just shows the text.
Opens a new email to an address, with a subject and message already filled in. Handy for a feedback address on a flyer.
Phone call
The phone offers to dial the number. Useful on a truck, a yard sign or a lost-pet poster.
Text message
Opens a new text to a number with your message ready, for example "Reserve my table".
Wi-Fi
Guests join your network by scanning, with no typing a long password. See the Wi-Fi guide below.
Contact card
A digital business card. Scanning offers to save your name, phone, email, website and address to the phone's contacts.
Static or dynamic QR codes: which do you need?
A static QR code stores the information itself, such as the web address, right inside the pattern. That is all the codes on this page are. They need no server, so there is nothing to subscribe to and nothing to switch off. A static code keeps working as long as the page it points to exists.
A dynamic code stores a short address owned by the company that made it. Scanning goes through that company's server, which sends the visitor on to your real page. That lets you change the destination later and count scans, but it also means the code stops working the moment the company turns the redirect off. That is why some free generators produce codes that die after a trial.
We only make static codes. If you want to change where a printed code goes without reprinting, use a redirect you control: put a simple page on your own website, such as yourbusiness.com/menu, make the QR code point to that address, and change where that page sends people whenever you like. The printed code never depends on a vendor.
Make it scan every time
Most failed codes fail for the same few reasons, and all of them are easy to avoid.
- Contrast: use a dark code on a light background. The tool shows a contrast ratio and warns you when it is too low.
- Size: print it big enough for the distance. The Print size box below the preview gives a minimum width.
- Quiet zone: leave the blank border around the code alone. It is four squares wide and scanners need it.
- Length: less text means a simpler, more forgiving code. Use a short link when you can.
- Logo: keep it small and in the middle, and let the tool raise error correction for you.
- Test: scan the final file with at least two phones, one iPhone and one Android, at the size you will print.
Add a logo and colours without breaking the code
A QR code carries spare data, called error correction, so a scanner can rebuild the pattern even if part of it is covered. A logo uses up some of that spare data. When you add one, this tool switches error correction to H, the highest level, and removes the squares under the logo so nothing fights with it.
Keep the logo to a fifth of the code's width or less. Use a simple logo with a plain background, and choose colours with plenty of contrast. Dark colours on white are the safest; avoid pale colours, and avoid light-on-dark codes because many cameras cannot read them.
PNG, SVG or PDF: which to download
PNG is a picture made of pixels. It is fine for websites, slides and documents, as long as you export it large enough. SVG and PDF are vector formats, which means they redraw perfectly at any size. Use them for signs, banners, packaging and anything a printer will handle. If your printer asks for a vector file, send the SVG or the PDF.
What happens to your data
Nothing you enter leaves this page. The code is drawn on your device, the logo is read from your device, and downloads are made in your browser. Wi-Fi passwords are never put in the address bar or the page title. Load the page, go offline, and the generator still works. The pages around the tool may show clearly labelled ads once we turn them on, but the tool itself sends nothing anywhere.
Guides
Wi-Fi QR code for guests
Escaping, hidden networks and WPA versus WEP.
Business card QR code
Fields, and what phones show when scanned.
Coming soon
QR code with a logo
A design guide with scan-safety rules.
Coming soon
Frequently asked questions
Do QR codes made here expire?
There is no expiry built into the code. It keeps working as long as the page it points to exists. If you point it at a page that is later deleted, the code will lead nowhere.
Is it really free? Is there a watermark or a limit?
Yes, it is free. There is no watermark, no daily limit and no account.
Do you store my link, Wi-Fi password or logo?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you enter or choose is uploaded or saved.
What is the difference between static and dynamic QR codes?
A static code holds your information directly. A dynamic code holds a short address owned by a vendor, which redirects to your page and can be switched off. We only make static codes.
Why do some free generators stop working after a week?
Many of them make dynamic codes during a free trial. When the trial ends, the redirect is turned off and the printed code stops working. A static code has no redirect to turn off.
What size should I print it?
As a rule of thumb, one tenth of the scanning distance, and never under 2 cm. A sign read from 2 metres away should have a code about 20 cm wide. The Print size box works it out.
Can I put a logo in the middle without breaking the scan?
Yes, if it is small. Keep it to about a fifth of the width, leave error correction on H, and test with two phones.
Which download format should I use for printing?
SVG or PDF. They stay sharp at any size. Use PNG for screens, and export it at 1000 pixels or more.
How do I make a Wi-Fi QR code for guests?
Choose Wi-Fi, enter the network name and password, pick the security type, and download. Guests scan it with their camera and join.
Why won't my QR code scan?
Check contrast, size, the blank border, the amount of text, and the logo. Make the code bigger, use dark on light, remove the logo and try again.
Can I use these codes commercially?
Yes. QR codes are free to use, including for business. The words QR Code are a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.
Can I change the link later?
Not in the code itself, because it is static. Point the code at a page on your own website and change where that page sends visitors.