QR Code Generator
Create a QR code in seconds — for your website, restaurant menu, Wi-Fi network or contact details. No watermark, no expiry, free for commercial use.
Where small businesses use QR codes
- Menus & catalogs: a code on the table replaces reprinting menus with every price change.
- Wi-Fi access: guests scan to join — no more spelling out passwords. Use the Wi-Fi type above.
- Reviews: link directly to your Google review page on receipts and packaging.
- Payments & invoices: put a payment link on printed invoices from our invoice generator.
- Business cards & signage: a code that opens your booking or contact page beats a typed URL.
QR best practices
Keep contrast high (dark on white), give it quiet space around the edges, print at least 2×2 cm for close scanning (bigger for posters — rule of thumb: scan distance ÷ 10). Always test with both an iPhone and an Android camera before printing 500 flyers. And use a short URL when possible — less data means a simpler, more forgiving code.
Sizing a code so it actually scans
The working rule is scan distance ÷ 10. Someone scanning from 30 cm needs a code around 3 cm; a poster read from 3 metres needs about 30 cm.
| Placement | Read from | Minimum size |
|---|---|---|
| Business card | 20–30 cm | 2 × 2 cm |
| Restaurant table card | 30–50 cm | 3 × 3 cm |
| Flyer or packaging | 30 cm | 2.5 × 2.5 cm |
| Shop window | 1–2 m | 10 × 10 cm |
| Poster or banner | 3–5 m | 30–50 cm |
| Vehicle signage | 5 m+ | 50 cm+ |
Two other rules matter as much as size. Leave a quiet zone — clear space at least four modules wide around the code — because printing right up to the edge is a common cause of scan failure. And keep contrast high: dark code on a light background. Inverted codes (light on dark) fail on many scanners.
Shorter data makes a more reliable code
The more characters you encode, the denser the grid becomes, and dense codes need to be printed larger and cleaner to scan. A short URL produces a visibly simpler pattern than a long one with tracking parameters. If your link is long, use a shortener — the code becomes more forgiving of small print sizes, poor lighting and cheap paper.
Testing before you commit to print
- Scan with both an iPhone and an Android camera — decoders differ.
- Test the actual printed piece, not the screen. Paper, ink bleed and matte laminate all affect readability.
- Test in the real lighting: dim restaurants and bright sunlight are both harder than an office.
- Check the destination page works on a phone. A code that opens a desktop-only site wastes the scan.
- Add a short call to action — "Scan for our menu" outperforms a bare code, because people need a reason.