QR Code Generator

A QR code is a 2D barcode that encodes text in a grid of black and white squares. The QR Code Generator turns any URL or plain text into a downloadable PNG or SVG. It picks the smallest QR version that fits your data, applies error correction, and renders the result with the colours and quiet zone you choose. SVG output scales infinitely without pixelation, so it's the right choice for print; PNG suits screen embedding and email signatures.

Error correction is the part most people don't understand. QR codes have four levels: L (7% damage tolerance), M (15%), Q (25%), H (30%). Higher correction means a denser code (more squares) but lets the code survive a logo overlay, a torn corner, or a smudged print. For a clean URL on a clean background, L is fine; for a code printed on a t-shirt or behind a logo, use Q or H.

The biggest mistake: insufficient contrast between the foreground and background. A QR scanner needs to clearly distinguish dark from light, so don't use light grey on white or dark grey on black. Pure black on pure white is the gold standard; coloured QR codes work if the foreground is genuinely dark and the background genuinely light. The 'quiet zone' (the white margin around the code) is also critical; reduce it below 4 modules wide and scanners will struggle.

Print at the right size for the scan distance: roughly 1cm of QR width for every 30cm of expected scan distance. A QR on a poster across a room needs to be at least 10 to 15cm wide. A QR on a business card scanned at arm's length needs only 2 to 3cm. Pair this with the [Password Generator](/password-generator) if you're encoding Wi-Fi credentials, and the [Robots.txt Generator](/robots-txt-generator) if the QR points to a public landing page you want indexed.