QR Code Size for Print

The minimum QR code size for print is 2 x 2 cm (0.8 x 0.8 in), for codes scanned up close, such as on a business card. For anything scanned from further away, use this rule: QR code size = scanning distance ÷ 10. A poster read from 1 metre needs a code about 10 cm wide.

Two more things decide whether a small code scans: how much data the code holds, and the white border around it. Both are covered below, with a size table you can use before you send anything to print.

Minimum QR code size by scanning distance

The 10:1 ratio between scanning distance and code size is the guideline published by QR vendors including Bitly and Deloitte's QR service. Sizes below are the width of the code itself, not counting the white border.

Treat these as minimums. Low light, glossy surfaces, curved packaging and steep viewing angles all make scanning harder, so go bigger when you can.

How small can a QR code be printed? About 2 x 2 cm is the smallest size the guidelines above recommend for reliable scanning. Smaller codes can work, but only if they hold very little data and are printed sharply. Test before you commit to a print run.

Why the amount of data changes the minimum size

A QR code is a grid of small squares called modules. The more data you put in, the more modules the grid needs. Version 1 is 21 x 21 modules; each version adds 4 modules per side, up to version 40 at 177 x 177 (Denso Wave, the inventor of the QR code).

At the same printed size, more modules means smaller modules, and smaller modules are harder for a phone camera to read. That's why a code holding a long web address needs more space than one holding a short link.

Here's the difference, calculated for the default error correction level (M):

The long address needs a grid more than twice the area, and every square is about a third smaller. To scan as easily as the short link, it would have to be printed about 55% wider.

How much data can a QR code hold? The largest QR code can hold up to 7,089 digits, 4,296 letters and numbers, or 2,953 bytes of other data (Keyence). That's the maximum, not a target: for print, the less data, the better.

Leave the quiet zone

Every QR code needs a clear border around it, called the quiet zone. The standard asks for a margin four modules wide on all sides (Denso Wave). Without it, the phone can't tell where the code ends and the background begins.

• Don't crop the white border when you place the code in a layout.
• Don't run text, photos or patterns into it.
• On a coloured or busy background, keep a plain light panel behind the code.

QR code size in pixels for print

For print, size depends on the file you send:

• SVG is a vector file. It stays sharp at any size, from a business card to a billboard. Use it whenever your designer or printer accepts it.
• PNG is made of pixels. At 300 dpi (standard print quality), every centimetre needs about 118 pixels: a 2 cm code needs about 240 px, a 10 cm code about 1,180 px.
• Don't scale up a small PNG. Stretching a 300 px image to poster size blurs the module edges, and blurred edges are a common reason a QR code won't scan.

How QRZY keeps printed codes small

Short link in, small code out. QRZY codes are built to print small and stay readable:

• Always a short link. Every QRZY dashboard code encodes https://go.qrzy.co/ plus an 8-character code, 27 characters in all, whatever your destination is. At the default error correction that's a 29 x 29 grid at most, the smallest in the comparison above.
• The size never grows when the link changes. Print once at the size you need. Change the destination to a long URL with tracking tags later, and the printed code stays exactly the same. The long address lives on our server, not in the pattern. See how dynamic QR codes work.
• Print-ready files. Getting one is crazy simple: download SVG for any size, PNG up to 2,048 px (about 17 cm at 300 dpi), or an A4 PDF with the code image 100 mm wide, border included. Every export includes a 4-module white border.

Test before you print

1. Print one copy at the final size, on the final material if you can.
2. Scan it with at least two phones, one iPhone and one Android.
3. Scan from the real distance and angle people will use, in the real light.
4. Check the page it opens is the right one.

On business cards, the code is usually the smallest it will ever be. See how to fit a code on QR code business cards. For large formats, the concert poster guide shows a code read from across a venue. For placement, contrast and testing, see the full QR code best practices.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum QR code size for print?

2 x 2 cm (0.8 x 0.8 in) for close-range scanning, plus the white border around it. For longer distances, divide the scanning distance by 10.

What size should a QR code be on a business card?

At least 2 x 2 cm (0.8 in), with a short link inside. A dynamic code's short link keeps the grid small enough to fit.

What size should a QR code be on a poster?

About 10 cm (3.9 in) if people scan it from 1 metre, 20 cm (7.9 in) from 2 metres.

How many pixels should a QR code be?

For print at 300 dpi, about 118 pixels per centimetre. Better still, use an SVG file, which has no pixel limit.

Does a longer URL make a QR code bigger?

Yes. More characters need more modules. At the same printed size, the modules get smaller and harder to scan. A short link avoids this.