How to Create a QR Code: A Complete Beginner's Guide

QR codes (Quick Response codes) are 2D barcodes that encode text — usually a URL — and can be scanned by any smartphone camera. Creating one takes about 30 seconds. This guide covers everything from basic generation to sizing for print.

What you need to create a QR code

You need:

1. The content to encode (URL, text, WiFi credentials, contact info)
2. A QR code generator (online tool or library)

No account is required for a basic static QR code.

Step 1: Choose what to encode

URL (most common):

https://example.com/landing-page?utm_source=print&utm_medium=flyer

Plain text:

Welcome to our store! Ask staff for your 10% discount code.

WiFi network:

WIFI:T:WPA;S:MyNetwork;P:MyPassword;;

Email:

mailto:hello@example.com?subject=Hello&body=I%20found%20your%20QR%20code

Phone number:

tel:+15555551234

SMS:

sms:+15555551234?body=Hello%20from%20your%20QR%20code

vCard contact:

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
FN:Jane Smith
TEL:+15555551234
EMAIL:jane@example.com
END:VCARD

Step 2: Generate the QR code

Go to qrcodegen.io, enter your content, and download the result. Choose SVG for print (scalable to any size) or PNG for digital use.

Key settings:

• Error correction level: L (7%), M (15%), Q (25%), H (30%) — higher means the code is scannable even when partially damaged
• Size: Download at the largest available size; you can always scale down
• Quiet zone: Keep at least 4 module widths of white space around the code

Step 3: Size for your use case

Use case	Minimum size	Scan distance
Business card	1 × 1 cm (0.4 in)	< 10 cm
Flyer / A4 paper	2.5 × 2.5 cm (1 in)	< 25 cm
Poster	5 × 5 cm (2 in)	< 50 cm
Storefront sign	10 × 10 cm (4 in)	1 m
Billboard	30 × 30 cm (12 in)	3 m

The rule of thumb: the scan distance is roughly 10× the code’s physical size.

For print: Use SVG or PDF. Never use JPEG (compression artifacts break the code).

For digital screens: PNG at 300–500px is sufficient. Use SVG if you need to resize.

Step 4: Test before printing

Always scan the code with:

• iPhone camera app
• Android camera app
• Google Lens

Test with multiple devices in real-world lighting. If you’re printing in bulk, test a physical print before the full run.

Common mistakes

Dark background with light modules: Most scanners expect dark modules on a light background. If you invert this, add a white border around the code. Some scanners handle inverted codes; many don’t.

Insufficient quiet zone: The code must have white space on all sides. Don’t bleed design elements into the code’s border.

Too much data: More data = more modules = smaller modules = harder to scan. Keep URLs short (use a link shortener if needed). WiFi QR codes can fail on older scanners if the SSID or password is very long.

Low contrast: Black on white works best. If you use colors, ensure the dark/light contrast ratio is at least 4:1.

Wrong file format for print: JPEG compression adds artifacts that can make the code unreadable. Always use SVG or PNG for print.

Generate QR codes at qrcodegen.io.