QR Code Generator

How this QR code generator works

Type or paste your content and the QR code appears immediately; every keystroke re-renders it. The encoder runs completely in your browser, so the URL, message or Wi-Fi password you enter is never sent to a server and there is no account, expiry date or watermark. The code you download is yours forever and does not depend on this site staying online — unlike 'dynamic' QR services that redirect through their own domain and stop working when the subscription ends.

Content is encoded as UTF-8 bytes, so Chinese, Japanese, emoji and accented characters scan correctly on every modern phone. The generator picks the smallest QR version (21×21 up to 177×177 modules) that fits your text at the chosen error-correction level.

Choosing size, colors and error correction

For screens, 512 px is plenty; for print, use 1024 or 2048 px, or download the SVG, which scales to any size without blur and is what a designer or print shop will ask for. Keep the quiet zone (margin) at 4 modules unless you are placing the code on a plain white background with plenty of space around it — scanners rely on that blank border to find the code.

Error correction determines how much of the code can be damaged or covered and still scan: L recovers 7%, M 15%, Q 25% and H 30%. Higher levels make the code denser. Use M for normal use, H if you plan to put a logo in the middle or print on rough surfaces. Colors can be changed, but keep strong contrast: dark modules on a light background. Inverted codes (light on dark) fail on many scanners, and low-contrast brand colors are the most common reason a printed QR code does not work.

What you can encode

A URL is the most common payload; include https:// so phones open it directly. Plain text is shown as a message. For Wi-Fi access, use the format WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:Password;; and guests can join by scanning. For a contact card, paste a vCard block; for an email link use mailto:[email protected]; for a phone number use tel:+14155551234. Anything up to roughly 2,900 bytes fits, but shorter content produces a simpler code that scans faster and from farther away, so shorten long URLs before encoding.

Background: a barcode for car parts

The QR code was invented in 1994 by Masahiro Hara at Denso Wave, a Toyota subsidiary, to track components on assembly lines faster than one-dimensional barcodes allowed. The three large squares are finder patterns that let a scanner locate and orient the code from any angle; Reed–Solomon error correction lets it survive grease and scratches. Denso Wave published the specification and chose not to enforce its patents, which is why every phone camera can read one today. The format was standardised as ISO/IEC 18004; the current version defines 40 sizes from 21×21 to 177×177 modules and up to 2,953 bytes of data.

Where it is used

Restaurant menus, event tickets and boarding passes, payment apps across Asia, Wi-Fi sharing for guests, two-factor authentication setup (the code holds an otpauth:// URL with the shared secret), product packaging linking to manuals, museum exhibits, business cards carrying a vCard, and marketing print that links to a landing page. Because the content is plain text, anything you can express as a URL works: a link to a specific tool on this site, a pre-filled email, or a timestamped tracking link. For printed campaigns, generate the SVG at the highest error-correction level and test-scan the physical proof before printing thousands of copies. If a QR PNG must be placed into a document with a size limit, resize it to the exact pixel width you need rather than compressing it — the modules stay crisp. Once a code is generated, read it back from the exported image to confirm it encodes exactly the string you meant — cheaper than finding out after the print run.

Frequently asked questions