Use a vector or high-resolution file
For anything printed, download an SVG — it is a vector, so it stays razor sharp at any size, from a business card to a billboard. If you must use PNG, export it at the largest size (1024px) and never scale it up in your design tool, which causes blur.
Keep the quiet zone
QR codes need an empty margin — the quiet zone — of at least four modules (roughly the width of four "dots") on all sides. Do not let text, borders or images touch the code, or scanners may fail to find it.
Get the size right
A good rule of thumb is a 10:1 scan-distance-to-size ratio. So a code scanned from 1 metre away should be about 10 cm wide. For a poster read from 5 metres, aim for ~50 cm. See our size guidance below and never print smaller than about 2 cm.
Test before you print at scale
- Print one proof and scan it with two or three different phones.
- Check it works under the actual lighting where it will live.
- Keep high contrast — dark code, light background — and avoid glossy laminate glare.
- If you added a logo, confirm it still scans from the intended distance.