Make a QR code with your logo

A QR code with a logo is an ordinary QR code with an image placed in the middle. It still scans because every QR code carries error correction: spare data that lets a phone rebuild the content when part of the pattern is hidden or damaged. Keep the logo modest, keep the contrast strong and test the result, and a custom QR code scans as reliably as a plain black-and-white one.

How a logo fits inside a QR code

QR codes have four error correction levels. Each one sets how much of the code can be lost before it stops scanning. Higher levels add more spare data, which makes the pattern denser.

When you add a logo, the EndureQR generator switches to level H automatically and clears the dots behind the image, so the logo sits on a clean patch instead of on top of half-hidden modules. Without a logo, you can pick any level yourself in the advanced panel. The error correction guide explains the levels in more detail.

How big should the logo be?

The logo size setting runs from about 15% to 35% of the code's width. Because the logo covers a square patch, even the largest setting hides only around an eighth of the pattern's area, which is within what level H can recover. That margin is still worth protecting, because real prints also suffer from glare, curved surfaces and wear.

• Start at 20% to 25%. This reads clearly as a brand mark and leaves plenty of spare data.
• Go larger only after testing. If you push towards 35%, scan with several phones, including an older one.
• Keep the corners clear. The three large squares in the corners tell the phone where the code is. The generator keeps the logo in the centre, so never add artwork over the corners afterwards.
• Keep the content short. A long link makes a denser pattern with smaller modules, which leaves less room for a logo. A short, clean address helps.

Preparing your logo file

You can upload PNG, JPEG, SVG or WebP files up to 1 MB. The file is read in your browser and placed into the code there, so it never leaves your device.

A simple mark works better than a full wordmark. A square icon, monogram or symbol stays readable when the code is only a few centimetres wide, while a long company name shrinks into lines nobody can read. Trim empty space from the edges of the file so the logo fills the area you give it.

Colours, styles and frames

Phones read a QR code by telling dark modules from light ones, so contrast matters more than any other design choice. Use a dark colour for the code and a light background. Brand colours work well for the code if they are deep enough, such as navy, dark green or burgundy. The generator shows a contrast warning when a pair of colours may be hard to scan.

• Avoid inverted codes. Light dots on a dark background fail on some phone cameras.
• Pick a dot style that suits your brand. Square, rounded, soft, dots and classy all scan well when the contrast is strong.
• Match the corners. Square, rounded or circle corner styles let the code echo the shape of your logo.
• Add a frame. A label, box or pill frame with your own text, such as "Scan me" or "See the menu", tells people what to expect.

For more on layout and placement, read our QR code design best practices.

Downloading the right file

Choose the format for where the code will appear. SVG and PDF stay sharp at any size, so use them for print and for sending to a designer. The PDF is set at 300 dpi. PNG and JPEG suit websites, emails, slides and documents. Each format is available at 512, 1024, 2048 or 4096 px, so pick the largest size you might need.

Leave a clear border around the code, called the quiet zone. The advanced panel lets you set it from 2 to 8 modules wide. Keep text and artwork outside it. The printed code also needs to be large enough for the distance people scan from; see QR code size for printing.

Test before you print

1. Scan the on-screen preview with your phone's camera and check it opens the right content.
2. Try at least one iPhone and one Android phone, and an older phone if you have one.
3. Print a single proof at the real size, on the real material, and scan it in the light where it will be used.
4. Scan from the distance and angle people will use, not just up close.

If a code is slow to read, make the logo smaller, raise the contrast or print it larger. Our checklist for codes that won't scan covers the other common causes.

Codes from the free generator are static, so the content is fixed once printed and the code never expires. If you need to change the destination later or count scans, a dynamic QR code is the paid upgrade, with the same logo and frame options.