QR code generator: free, static, no expiry.

A QR code is a grid of dark and light squares called modules, defined by the ISO/IEC 18004 standard. The three large squares in the corners are finder patterns that let a camera locate and straighten the code; smaller alignment patterns and timing lines help it read a code printed on a curved or tilted surface. The rest of the grid holds your data plus error correction codewords.

Codes come in 40 sizes called versions. Version 1 is 21×21 modules and each version adds 4 modules per side, up to 177×177 for version 40. This generator picks the smallest version that fits your content at the error correction level you choose, so a short URL makes a sparse code that scans quickly, while a long vCard makes a dense one. The largest code holds 2,953 bytes of binary data, but anything near that limit is hard to scan from a phone.

The data is encoded in the most compact mode available: numeric, alphanumeric (upper-case letters, digits and a few symbols) or byte mode for everything else, including UTF-8 text with accents and emoji. The encoder used here is lean-qr, a small open-source library that is loaded only on this page and runs in your browser.

Every code from this tool is static: the URL or text is in the pattern itself. Nothing sits between the scan and your content, so the code works forever, has no scan limit, and no third party sees who scanned it. The trade-off is that you cannot change the destination after printing.

Dynamic QR codes from paid services encode a short redirect URL on the provider's domain. That lets you change the target and count scans, but the code stops working if the subscription lapses or the provider shuts down, and every scan passes through their servers. A middle path many teams use: encode a URL on your own domain, such as example.com/menu, and redirect it yourself. You keep the flexibility and you never depend on a vendor.

For measurement without a redirect, add UTM parameters to the URL, such as ?utm_source=flyer&utm_medium=qr, and your analytics tool will attribute visits to the printed piece. Our guides on QR code ordering for restaurants and QR menus for cafes show where static codes earn their keep.

QR codes use Reed-Solomon error correction, so a code can still be read when part of it is dirty, scratched or covered. Level L can recover about 7% of the codewords, M about 15%, Q about 25% and H about 30%. Higher levels need more modules for the same content, so the code becomes denser.

M is the sensible default for screens and clean print. Use Q or H for codes on packaging, outdoor signage or anything that gets handled. When you add a centre logo, this tool switches to H automatically, clears the modules behind the logo plus a one-module margin around it, and caps the logo at 28% of the width so the damage stays well inside what H can repair.

The standard asks for a quiet zone of at least 4 modules of background colour around the code. Scanners use that empty border to find the edges; a code printed flush against a busy photo or a coloured box often fails. The slider lets you go lower for screen layouts where you control the surroundings, but keep 4 for print.

Print size depends on scanning distance. A common rule of thumb is a code width of at least one tenth of the distance, so about 2 cm (0.8 in) works at arm's length and a poster read from 3 m needs about 30 cm. Dense codes need more space than sparse ones, which is another reason to keep URLs short.

Use dark modules on a light background with strong contrast. Many current phone cameras read inverted (light on dark) codes, but plenty of older scanners and payment apps do not, so the tool warns you about inverted or low-contrast colour pairs. You can check a pair precisely with the colour contrast checker.

A Wi-Fi code uses the WIFI: format that the built-in camera apps on iOS and Android understand: WIFI:T:WPA;S:network;P:password;;. Choose WPA for WPA, WPA2 and WPA3 networks. Special characters such as ; , : \ and " are escaped for you. Anyone who photographs the code can read the password, so use a guest network.

A vCard code holds a contact in vCard 3.0 format, the version phone contact apps import most reliably. Keep it to the fields people need, because every extra field makes the code denser. Email codes use a mailto: link with an optional subject and body, which opens the scanner's mail app with the message ready to send.

QR phishing, sometimes called quishing, works because people cannot read a code before they scan it. Attackers paste their own stickers over legitimate codes on parking meters, menus and posters. If you put codes in public places, print the destination URL in plain text next to the code, use your own domain, and check periodically that nothing has been stuck on top.

PNG is right for documents, slides and the web. SVG is a vector file that stays sharp at any size, which is what printers and designers want for signage and packaging. Both downloads are generated in your browser from the same module grid, so they scan identically.

A code on its own gives people no reason to scan it. Put a short call to action next to it that says what happens, such as "Scan to see the menu" or "Scan to join the guest Wi-Fi", and make sure the destination works well on a phone, because that is where every scan lands. A slow or desktop-only page wastes the effort of printing the code.

Brand colours are fine as long as the modules stay clearly darker than the background. Keep the finder patterns intact, avoid gradients and textures behind the code, and leave the quiet zone empty. For packaging and signage, export the SVG and give it to your printer at the final size rather than enlarging a small PNG, which blurs the module edges.