Free QR code generator
No sign-up, no watermark, no limits. Everything happens in your browser, so nothing you type is sent to us.
Showing an example. Start typing to make it yours.
This QR code is static.
Once it is printed you cannot change where it points, and you cannot see how many times it was scanned. For most uses that is perfectly fine.
If you want a code you can repoint later and measure, dynamic QR is free in the MEO app.
Printing a QR code that actually scans
A QR code that looks fine on screen can still fail on paper. Size is the first reason: as a rule of thumb the printed code should be about a tenth of the distance people scan it from. Contrast is the second: dark pattern on a light ground, never the other way round. The third is the quiet zone, the empty margin around the code, which scanners use to find where the pattern begins.
| Where it goes | Scanned from | Minimum size |
|---|---|---|
| Table menu, business card | 30 cm | 3 cm |
| Shop window, counter sign | 1 m | 10 cm |
| Poster, vehicle window | 1.5 m | 15 cm |
| Billboard | 10 m | 100 cm |
Which file format should you download?
- SVG — vector, scales to any size without blurring. Send this one to a printer.
- PNG — for screens, slides and social posts. Supports a transparent background.
- JPG — when a system refuses anything else. No transparency, so the background comes out white.
- PDF — a print-ready page at a real physical size.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this QR code generator really free?
- Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many codes you make or download.
- Do the codes expire?
- No. These are static QR codes: the content is encoded into the pattern itself, so nothing on our side can stop them working. They also cannot be changed after printing.
- What is the difference between a static and a dynamic QR code?
- A static code carries the content itself, so it works forever but can never be repointed or measured. A dynamic code points at a short link you control, so you can change the destination and count scans. This tool makes static codes; dynamic codes are free in the MEO app.
- Where does my data go?
- Nowhere. The code is generated in your browser. Wi-Fi passwords and contact details are never sent to a server and never written into the page address.
- How big should I print a QR code?
- A rough rule: the code should be about one tenth of the distance it will be scanned from. Roughly 3 cm for a table menu, 10 cm for a poster, 12 cm or more for a vehicle window.
- Why does my QR code not scan?
- Almost always one of four things: too little contrast between the code and its background, a light code on a dark background, a centre logo that covers too much of the pattern, or a print that is simply too small. The tool warns you about the first three while you are designing.