Marketing
QR codes on print: a checklist before you send to the printer
Size, contrast, quiet zone, file format and testing — the practical checks that decide whether a printed QR code actually scans.
By Lumara Links Team
5 min read
A QR code on a screen can be fixed in a minute. A QR code on five thousand printed flyers cannot. Most printed codes that fail do so for one of a handful of avoidable reasons, so it is worth ten minutes to run through them before the files go out.
Make it big enough
A common rule of thumb is that a code should be at least one tenth as wide as the distance it will be scanned from. A code on a table card, scanned from 30 centimetres, can be about 3 centimetres wide. A code on a poster across a room needs to be far larger.
The amount of content matters too. More characters mean more, smaller squares, and small squares are the first thing to blur. A short link produces a much simpler code than a long address, which is the main reason to shorten a link before turning it into a code for print.
Keep the contrast strong
- Use a dark code on a light background. Inverted codes fail on many phones.
- Brand colours are fine if they are dark. Pastels and mid-tones are risky.
- Avoid placing the code over a photo or a busy pattern.
- On glossy stock, think about reflections. A matte finish scans more reliably under bright lights.
Leave the quiet zone alone
The empty margin around a QR code is part of the code. Scanners use it to find the edges. Designers often crop it to make a layout tighter, and the result is a code that looks fine and scans badly. Keep a clear margin of about four squares on every side, and keep text and borders out of it.
Use the right file format
For print, export an SVG. It is a vector format, so the squares stay perfectly sharp at any size, from a business card to a billboard. A PNG works when it is large enough, but if it is stretched beyond its original size the edges soften.
Whichever format you use, do not resize a code by dragging one side. It must stay square.
Test like a stranger would
- Print a proof at the real size on similar paper.
- Scan it with at least two different phones, including an older one.
- Scan from the distance and in the lighting people will actually have.
- Follow the link all the way through and check the page works on mobile.
Finally, tell people what the code does. A line such as “Scan to see the menu” next to the code gives them a reason to take out their phone.
Try it yourself
Generate a QR code