What actually goes inside the code
A QR code is a grid of squares that stores a short piece of plain text. The format is defined by ISO/IEC 18004. What the phone does after scanning depends only on how that text begins, so each tab on this page simply writes the right kind of text for you.
| Tab | Text stored | What the phone does |
|---|---|---|
| Link | https://example.com/menu | Opens the page |
| Text | Table 4, ask for today's special | Shows the words |
mailto:hello@example.com?subject=Order | Opens a draft, address and subject filled in | |
| Phone | tel:+919876543210 | Offers to call |
| SMS | SMSTO:+919876543210:Please call me back | Opens a message with your words in it |
Under the preview you will see the exact text that is stored. Read it before you print anything. A missing https:// or a typo in an email address shows up there immediately, and no amount of good design fixes it later.
Making one, start to finish
- Choose a tab and fill in the fields. Include the country code on phone numbers, for example +91 for India.
- Open the Design panel if you want colours, dot and corner styles, a logo, an error correction level, a margin or a size up to 2000 px.
- Check the preview with your own phone's camera. Do this on screen, before downloading.
- Download PNG for documents and chats, SVG for anything going to a press, or JPG where a form only takes JPG. You can also copy the image, or download the printable card, a PNG with a heading and a short caption.
Everything is built in your browser, and what you type is not sent to this site. For WiFi, payments, contacts or chats there are dedicated pages with the right fields: WiFi, UPI, WhatsApp, visiting card.
Putting a logo in the middle
A logo covers squares that would otherwise carry data, so it leans on its built-in repair data to fill the gap. When you upload a logo, the page raises the error correction to High on its own. Keep the logo to roughly a fifth of the code's width and give it a plain background. Then scan the result on two different phones.
Error correction is a trade: more repair data means a denser pattern.
- L repairs about 7% damage and gives the simplest pattern.
- M about 15%, fine for screens and clean prints.
- Q about 25%, for stickers and packaging that get scuffed.
- H about 30%, needed for a logo.
Colour has one rule: dark on light. Navy, maroon, dark green or black on white all work. Pale colours and inverted designs fail on a lot of older phones, however nice they look.
Before you print 500 copies
Print it no smaller than 2 cm on each side. As a rough guide, a phone reads comfortably from about ten times the width, so a poster viewed from 2 metres needs a code near 20 cm.
Leave a blank border around it, ideally four squares wide, and keep text and frames out of that space. Short content gives bigger, easier squares, so trim tracking parameters off long links. Send SVG to the printer because it stays sharp on a flex banner as well as on a visiting card.
Matte paper scans more reliably than glossy, which throws back glare under shop lights. Avoid wrapping the pattern around a curved bottle or a fold.
Last, print one on the actual paper and scan it with an Android phone and an iPhone. Ten minutes here saves a reprint.
When it will not scan
Most failures come from the same few causes. The colours are too close in tone, or inverted. The logo is too large. The margin is missing or a border touches the pattern. The print is small and blurry, so reprint from the SVG. Or the link itself needs a login, which is common with Google Drive files left private.
If you are unsure what a printed code holds, upload a photo of it to the scanner, which shows the full address before you open it.
Sharing a PDF, a video or a profile
A code cannot contain a PDF, only a link to it, and this site does not host files. Upload the file to Google Drive, set sharing to "Anyone with the link", copy that link and paste it into the Link tab. Test it from a phone not signed in to your account. Replacing the file in Drive with a new version keeps the link, so the printed one stays valid.
YouTube and Instagram need nothing special: copy the profile, video or playlist link from the Share menu and paste it in.
These are static codes. The link is written into the pattern, so there is no expiry date and no account to keep paying for. The trade-off is that you cannot edit the destination after printing, and scans are not counted. If the destination might change, point it at a page you control and edit that page instead.
Frequently asked questions
Do these codes expire?
No. The link or text is stored in the pattern itself, so it works for as long as whatever it points to stays online.
Is there a watermark or a sign-up?
No. You download a clean image without creating an account.
Which format should I download, PNG or SVG?
SVG for printing, because it stays sharp at any size. PNG is fine for slides, documents and messaging apps.
Why does the page switch error correction to High after I add a logo?
The logo hides part of the pattern, and the High level can repair about 30% of it. Without that, many phones would fail to read it.
How do I put a code in an email signature?
Download a small PNG, around 150 px wide, and insert it as an image in your Gmail or Outlook signature settings. Link it to the page you want people to reach.
Can I see how many people scanned it?
Not with these static codes. If you need counts, send the code to a page of your own that has analytics.
Updated 2026-10-14