How to make a QR code: a step-by-step guide

To make a QR code, open a QR code generator, choose what the code should do (open a link, join WiFi, save a contact), enter your content and download the image. Before you print, add a short call to action, scan it with a couple of phones, and pick a file format that suits where it will appear. With a free generator the whole process takes a few minutes, and a static code made this way never expires.

What are the steps to make a QR code?

There are eight steps, from deciding what the code should do to checking a printed proof:

1. Decide what should happen when someone scans, and whether the content will change.
2. Open the free QR code generator and choose a code type.
3. Enter your link, text or details.
4. Set the colours, dot style and corner style.
5. Add a logo if you want one.
6. Add a frame with a short call to action.
7. Test the code with more than one phone.
8. Download the right format and size, then check a printed proof.

Step 1: decide what the code should do

Start with the person scanning. What should happen on their phone? Opening a web page, joining a WiFi network and saving a contact all need different code types. Then decide whether the code should be static or dynamic.

• Will the destination change? Menus, event pages and listings often do. A static code cannot be edited after printing.
• Do you need to know how often it is scanned? Static codes cannot count scans.
• How long will the print last? Signs and packaging can stay in use for years.

If you answered no to the first two questions, a free static code is all you need. If not, a dynamic code lets you change the destination after printing and see scan analytics. EndureQR offers dynamic codes on paid plans, and they keep redirecting even if you cancel. Our comparison of static vs dynamic QR codes goes into more detail.

Steps 2 and 3: choose a type and enter your content

The EndureQR generator has 17 code types. The type decides how your content is formatted inside the code, and so what the phone offers to do with it.

Then enter your content carefully. A static code cannot be corrected later.

• For a link, paste the full address, including https://, into the URL QR code generator. Remove tracking parameters you do not need. Shorter content makes a simpler pattern that scans more easily.
• For WiFi, type the network name exactly as it appears, including capitals and spaces, and choose the right security type.
• For a contact card, fill in only the fields people need. Every extra field makes the code denser.
• Check before moving on. Open the link in a browser to confirm it works and is the page you meant.

Everything in the EndureQR generator is processed in your browser, and nothing you type is sent to a server. That matters when the content is a WiFi password or personal contact details.

Steps 4 to 6: style it, add a logo and a frame

Colours, dots and corners

Scanners read brightness, not colour. Keep the modules dark and the background light, with strong contrast between them. A deep navy or dark green on white works as well as black. Avoid light modules on a dark background, which some scanners cannot read. Rounded dots and softened corner squares usually scan well, but keep the three corner squares easy to recognise.

Logo

A logo in the centre covers some modules, and error correction fills in the gaps. When you upload a logo, the generator switches to error correction level H, which can restore about 30% of the data. Do not spend all of that on the logo. Keep it small, use a simple mark instead of a long wordmark, and never place it over the corner squares.

Frame and call to action

A frame with a short label tells people what they will get. "Scan me" is a start, but a specific label like "Scan for the menu" or "Scan to join WiFi" works better. Keep the frame outside the plain margin around the code. Our guide to QR code design best practices has more on safe styling.

Steps 7 and 8: test it, then download

Test before you download the final file, and again after every design change.

1. Scan the code from your screen with an iPhone and an Android phone.
2. Check that it opens the right page or action, not just that it scans.
3. Open the destination on a phone over mobile data and check that it loads quickly and reads well.
4. If any phone hesitates, reduce the logo, raise the contrast or shorten the content.

Then choose a format and size. The generator exports four formats at sizes from 512 to 4096 pixels.

For print in PNG, allow 300 pixels per inch of final width. A 2048 pixel PNG prints at about 17 cm (6.8 in) wide at that resolution, and a 1024 pixel PNG at about 8.7 cm (3.4 in). For screens and email, 512 to 1024 pixels is plenty.

What are the most common QR code mistakes?

The most common mistakes are linking to a page that will move, testing only on a screen and trimming the margin. Here is the full list:

• Linking to a page that will move. A static code is only as good as its destination. Link to a stable address on a site you control.
• Using a code that depends on a trial. Some free tools make dynamic codes that stop working when a trial ends. Check what kind of code you are getting before you print.
• Testing only on a screen. Ink, paper and lighting change how a code reads. Always test a printed proof.
• Trimming the margin. Cropping the plain border to fit a layout is one of the most common reasons a code fails.
• Stretching a small image. Enlarging a small PNG blurs the edges. Download a larger size or a vector file instead.
• Leaving out the call to action. A bare code gives people no reason to scan it.

What should you check before you print a QR code?

Check the size, the margin, the finish and the surface, then scan a printed proof where the code will live:

• Size it for the distance. A code should be at least about one tenth as wide as the distance people scan from, and around 2 cm (0.8 in) at minimum. See QR code size for printing.
• Keep the quiet zone. Leave a plain light margin of 4 modules on every side.
• Choose a matte finish. Gloss and lamination can reflect light into the camera.
• Keep it flat. Avoid folds, seams and tight curves.
• Print a proof. Put it where the code will live and scan it from where people will stand.
• Add a fallback. Print a short web address under the code for anyone who prefers to type.