QR Code
Stores text as Latin-1, the default byte character set of ISO/IEC 18004, so scanners using that default decode ä, é or ß correctly. € signs or Cyrillic letters are rejected.
Create QR Code ›Used by 700,000+ people
Free QR Code generator.
QR Code is the square 2D code that phone cameras and 2D scanners read from any angle. Enter text or a web address and download the code.
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How to create a QR Code
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01
Choose the variant and enter the data
Use QR Code for Latin-1 text read by industrial scanners, QR Code (Mobile) for phones and text in any script, € included, and URL (QR Code) for a web address. Line breaks are kept.
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02
Match the module size to your printer
Under Settings, enter your printer's resolution, switch the module width to Pixel and enter a whole number: 5 px at 300 dpi gives 0.42 mm. DENSO WAVE, the developer of QR Code, recommends at least 4 printer dots per module.
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03
Download, place at 100% and test
Download PNG, which keeps the resolution you set. Place the image unscaled with 4 modules of clear space around it, then scan a printed sample with your users' devices.
What a QR Code is and what it is for
This QR Code generator turns text or a web address into a QR Code, the square 2D code specified in ISO/IEC 18004. Phone users scan it with the camera app and tap the link; in factories and logistics, 2D scanners read it. Your data is stored in the symbol itself, with no redirect service.
Where QR Codes are scanned, and with what
For factories and logistics, DENSO WAVE lists packaging, picking, stocktaking, receiving goods and process management among QR Code uses. Carmakers adopted it for electronic kanban, from production to shipping and transaction slips. Handheld scanners, mobile terminals and fixed readers at production lines or gates do the reading.
Consumers scan with a phone: the iPhone and Pixel camera apps show a link to tap, which suits flyers, business cards, tickets and coupons. For equipment, TEC-IT's asset-label templates place a 6.4–13.8 mm QR Code on labels as small as 38 × 13 mm.
Why a scuffed or rotated QR Code still scans
Reed-Solomon error correction lets a reader restore about 7% (level L) to 30% (level H) of the codewords, so a partly scratched or dirty label can still deliver its data. Finder patterns in three corners let the code be read at any angle, so labels need no fixed orientation.
DENSO WAVE puts its footprint at about one tenth of a linear barcode holding the same data. Reliable reading still depends on print quality: dark modules on a light background, and a quiet zone of 4 modules, which is 2 mm per side in the drawing.
File formats, batches and your own software
The online generator sizes each code to its data: a five-letter word fits version 1 (21 × 21 modules), while the 27-character example above needs version 2 (25 × 25). It exports GIF, PNG or JPG, and SVG vector files with a plan; for print, prefer lossless PNG, as TEC-IT's Barcode Reference recommends over JPG.
At volume, Barcode Studio exports numbered or CSV-imported batches, and TBarCode Office links QR Codes to Excel cells and Word mail merges. TBarCode SDK generates them inside your own .NET, ActiveX or DLL applications. In the SDK, a fixed symbol version keeps every code the same size and shortens encoding, as long as the data fits.
QR Code at a glance
- Type
- Square 2D matrix code (QR Code Model 2)
- Standard
- ISO/IEC 18004 (edition 2024); Japanese Industrial Standard JIS X 0510
- Developer
- DENSO WAVE, 1994; free to use for codes that follow JIS or ISO
- Character set
- Digits, a 45-character alphanumeric set (0–9, A–Z, space, $ % * + - . / :), bytes (Latin-1 by default), Kanji
- Capacity
- Up to 7,089 digits, 4,296 alphanumeric characters or 2,953 bytes (version 40, level L)
- Symbol size
- 21 × 21 to 177 × 177 modules (versions 1–40, +4 modules per side per step)
- Error correction
- Reed-Solomon; levels L, M, Q, H restore about 7%, 15%, 25%, 30% of codewords
- Quiet zone
- 4 modules on all four sides
How a QR Code is built and sized
Three finder patterns, in the 1:1:3:1:1 dark-light ratio DENSO WAVE found least used on printed matter, show the reader the symbol's position and rotation. Model 2, generated here, adds alignment patterns for codes on curved or skewed surfaces.
Digits and capital letters take less room than other text: version 1 at level L holds 41 digits, 25 upper-case characters or 17 bytes. The error correction level decides how large the same data gets:
| Level | Restores about | Version for a 22-character link | Size at 0.5 mm modules (with quiet zone) |
|---|---|---|---|
| L | 7% | 2 (25 × 25 modules) | 12.5 mm (16.5 mm) |
| M | 15% | 2 (25 × 25 modules) | 12.5 mm (16.5 mm) |
| Q | 25% | 3 (29 × 29 modules) | 14.5 mm (18.5 mm) |
| H | 30% | 3 (29 × 29 modules) | 14.5 mm (18.5 mm) |
The online generator uses level L, the most compact. Long links cost space: a 100-character address needs version 5 (37 × 37 modules) even at level L.
Before you print: module size, margin and colour
Each module should span a whole number of printer dots, at least 4 as DENSO WAVE recommends. Larger modules read more reliably, while the scanner's resolution sets the lower limit.
| Printer | Resolution | 4 dots | 5 dots | 6 dots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laser | 600 dpi (24 dots/mm) | 0.17 mm | 0.21 mm | 0.25 mm |
| Laser | 360 dpi (14 dots/mm) | 0.28 mm | 0.35 mm | 0.42 mm |
| Thermal | 300 dpi (12 dots/mm) | 0.33 mm | 0.42 mm | 0.50 mm |
| Thermal | 200 dpi (8 dots/mm) | 0.50 mm | 0.63 mm | 0.75 mm |
- Quiet zone: QR Code requires 4 clear modules on every side. By default, the downloaded image ends at the symbol's edge, so the margin comes from your layout.
- Colour: dark modules on a light background. Scanners that work with red light cannot read a red code on white or a blue code on green.
- Light on dark or mirrored: allowed by ISO/IEC 18004 but not by the older Japanese (JIS) form, so test your scanners before printing inverted codes.
Common QR Code mistakes
- Resizing the image in layout software. Modules turn uneven, and DENSO WAVE warns that such codes may not scan. Generate the code at its final size and resolution, or use SVG with a plan.
- A logo over the modules. Covered modules use up the error correction, so reading can fail or slow down. Keep the symbol free of overlays.
- € or Cyrillic in the Latin-1 variant. The generator returns the error “Invalid code page or invalid characters” instead of a code. Switch to QR Code (Mobile), which stores UTF-8.
When another code fits better
Micro QR Code ›
Micro QR Code has one finder pattern and a 2-module margin, so it is smaller, but holds at most 35 digits.
Data Matrix ›
Data Matrix needs a quiet zone of 1 module instead of 4 and comes in rectangular formats for small surfaces.
Aztec Code ›
Aztec Code needs no quiet zone, so it can sit directly against other print.
GS1 QR Code ›
GS1 QR Code starts with a Function 1 character (FNC1) and carries GS1 element strings, such as a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) with batch. GS1, a not-for-profit standards organisation, specifies where it is used.
GS1 Digital Link ›
A QR Code with a GS1 Digital Link URI turns the GTIN into a web address. It is the only way the GS1 system uses plain QR Code.
Which QR Code variant to choose
Choose by character set: QR Code stores Latin-1, the other two UTF-8. For plain ASCII text, such as order numbers, QR Code and QR Code (Mobile) store identical data.
QR Code (Mobile)
Stores text as UTF-8 without an Extended Channel Interpretation (ECI) marker, so any script fits, from € to Chinese. Smartphone reader apps recognise UTF-8; scanners that assume Latin-1 garble non-ASCII characters.
Create QR Code (Mobile) ›URL (QR Code)
One field for a web address, encoded exactly as typed. Phone camera apps offer the link to open; a changed address needs a new code.
Create URL (QR Code) ›Frequently asked questions
Learn more about QR Code.
Is this QR Code generator free?
Yes: all three QR Code variants are free in the browser, without installation or sign-up. You download GIF, PNG or JPG; SVG vector files come with a plan. For lists and automation, Barcode Studio, TBarCode SDK and TBarCode Office create QR Codes on your own systems.
Do QR Codes from this generator expire?
No. The code contains your text or web address directly, without a redirect service, so it works as long as that content is valid. A printed code cannot be edited, though: if the web address changes, print a new code.
How small can a QR Code be printed?
About 3.6 mm wide, plus its margin, on a common laser printer. DENSO WAVE names about 0.17 mm as the smallest module such a printer prints; the smallest version, 21 × 21 modules, holds at most 17 bytes. Your scanner can set a higher limit, and DENSO WAVE advises printing as large as the space allows.
Which error correction level should I choose?
Choose by environment: Q or H where codes get dirty, as in factories, and L in clean settings with large data. DENSO WAVE names M, about 15% recovery, as the most frequently selected level. A higher level enlarges the symbol; the online generator creates level L.
Why does a scanner show wrong characters, such as ä instead of ä?
The code holds UTF-8 bytes without a marker, and the scanner decodes them as Latin-1, the default of ISO/IEC 18004. Many scanners ignore ECI markers anyway. For industrial scanners use the QR Code variant; phone reader apps recognise UTF-8, so QR Code (Mobile) suits them.
Do I need a licence to use QR Code commercially?
No. DENSO WAVE, which developed QR Code, states that no application, fee or licence contract is needed as long as you follow the JIS or ISO standard. For codes that deviate from the standards, it asks you to contact the patent holders first.
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