Free QR Code Generator

How to create a QR code in four steps

Step 1 — pick the content type. Choose URL, text, phone, email, SMS, WhatsApp, WiFi or vCard at the top of the generator. Each type shows only the fields that format needs, so a WiFi code asks for the network name, security type and password rather than a raw string.

Step 2 — fill in the details. The preview redraws as you type, so you can see the code taking shape before you commit to anything.

Step 3 — customise the look. Change foreground and background colours, switch on a gradient, choose dot and corner styles, drop in a logo and set the error correction level.

Step 4 — download or print. Export PNG or SVG, save an HD PNG for print, generate a one-page PDF, copy the image to your clipboard, or send it straight to your printer.

QR code types supported

URL — the workhorse. Point a code at a landing page, menu, form or product page. Because the destination is baked into the pattern, keep the link short and stable; a link you might change later is better handled by a redirect you control.

WiFi — encodes network name, security type and password so a guest joins without typing anything. Ideal for cafés, holiday lets and offices; see the WiFi QR code generator for a walkthrough.

vCard — a full contact card with name, phone, email, company and address, which is why it is the usual choice for business cards and conference badges.

Email, SMS, phone and WhatsApp — open a pre-addressed message or dial a number in one scan, useful for support posters, feedback cards and order desks.

Plain text — anything that is not a link: a serial number, a short note, a machine ID, a table number.

Customise your QR code without breaking it

Colour: keep dark modules on a light background with strong contrast. Inverting a code (light modules on dark) or using two mid-tones is the most common reason a good-looking code refuses to scan.

Logo: upload a PNG, JPG or SVG and adjust its size. A logo covers part of the pattern, so raise the error correction level to Q or H when you add one — that is exactly what the extra redundancy is for.

Dots, corners and gradients: dot and corner styles plus a two-colour gradient let a code match your brand. Change one thing at a time and scan the preview with a real phone after each change.

Size and quiet zone: the generator keeps a clear margin around the pattern. Do not crop it away in a design tool — that white border is what tells a scanner where the code begins.

Download and use your QR code

PNG suits screens, slides and social posts. SVG is vector, so it stays sharp at any size and is the right export for posters, packaging and anything a printer will scale. The HD PNG option gives you a high-resolution raster when a supplier will not accept vector, and the PDF export drops the code onto a clean A4 page you can hand over or print directly.

Before a print run, decode the exported file with the QR code decoder and check the payload character for character, then print one sample and scan it from the distance your readers will actually stand at.

Common mistakes to avoid

Printing too small. A code needs roughly 2 x 2 cm for close-range scanning and grows with viewing distance — a poster read from three metres needs a code around 30 cm across.

Cramming a long URL into a tiny code. More characters means more, finer modules; shorten the link instead of shrinking the pattern.

No call to action. "Scan for the menu" converts far better than a bare code with no context.

Skipping the test. Scan the final artwork with both an iPhone and an Android device, in the lighting where it will live.