--- title: "How Big to Print a QR Code" description: "Print a QR code at least 2 cm for close range. Scan distance is about ten times the width. Leave a quiet zone, keep contrast high, and export SVG or 1024px PNG." canonical: https://reroutehq.com/resources/qr-code-print-size --- # How big to print a QR code **Who this is for:** Anyone about to send a QR code to a printer A QR code that is too small, too low-contrast, or jammed against other artwork will not scan, and the person holding the phone will not try twice. Three rules cover almost every print job. Leave a quiet zone of empty space around the square. Keep dark modules on a light background. Print at least 2 cm across for anything scanned at arm's length, and treat scan distance as about ten times the printed width. ## Steps ### 1. Start from how far away people will stand A reliable rule of thumb is that scan distance is about ten times the code's width. A poster scanned from a metre away needs a code around 10 cm wide. A window decal scanned from the pavement needs more. Work backwards from the real distance, not from how much space is left on the layout. ### 2. Do not go below 2 cm at close range Business cards, menus, table tents, product labels and handouts are scanned from a phone's length away. Print those at least 2 × 2 cm (about 0.8 × 0.8 inches). Smaller than that and even a clean, high-contrast code starts to fail on older cameras and in poor light. ### 3. Leave a quiet zone around the square The quiet zone is the empty margin on all four sides. It needs to be at least four modules wide — four times one of the small squares in the pattern. Cropping it off, butting type against the edge, or dropping the code onto a busy photograph is the most common reason a code that looked fine on screen fails in print. ### 4. Keep contrast high and the background quiet Dark modules on a light, solid background scan best. Light-on-dark, low-contrast brand colours, and patterns behind the code all cost readability. If the design needs a dark field, put the code on its own light plate with the quiet zone inside that plate, then place the plate on the dark background. ### 5. Export SVG for print, or 1024px PNG if you need a raster The free generator runs in your browser and downloads SVG, 1024px PNG or WebP, with no account and no watermark. SVG is the print file — it stays sharp at any size. Use PNG for slides, email and the web. A longer destination makes a denser static code; if the URL is long and the print is small, a short dynamic link keeps the pattern sparse. ### 6. Print one proof and scan it from the real distance Test on the actual stock, at the actual size, in the light the code will live in, with more than one phone. A proof that scans on your desk can still fail on a laminated menu or a sunlit window. Fix size, contrast or the quiet zone before the run, not after. ## What this will not do - This is a sizing guide, not a calculator. The product does not measure your print run or pick a size for you. - We do not control the printer, the stock or the laminate. A correct file can still fail if the press closes the quiet zone or drops the contrast. - A static code that encodes a long URL is denser, and dense codes need more millimetres. Shorten the URL or use a dynamic short link if the print is small. - City is captured in scan analytics on dynamic links. It is not used for routing, and it does not change how large the code should be. ## Frequently asked questions ### How big should a QR code be on a business card? At least 2 × 2 cm, with a quiet zone around it. That is the close-range floor. If the card is crowded, give the code its own light plate rather than shrinking it into a corner. ### How big should a QR code be on a poster? About one tenth of the expected scan distance. A poster read from a metre away needs a code around 10 cm wide. A corridor banner read from three metres needs about 30 cm. ### What is the quiet zone? The empty margin around the code, at least four modules on every side. Phones use it to find the edge of the pattern. Without it the scan fails even when the code itself is large enough. ### Does a coloured QR code still scan? Yes, if the contrast stays high — dark modules on a light background. Pale grey on cream, or brand colours that sit close together, are what break. Test a real print before you commit the run. ### SVG, PNG or WebP for the printer? SVG. It is vector, so the printer can set it at any size without the modules going soft. Use 1024px PNG when the destination needs a raster, and WebP for the web. ### Do I need a different size for a dynamic code? No. Static and dynamic codes scan the same way. A dynamic short link is often the smaller, cleaner pattern because it encodes a short address rather than the full destination URL — which helps at the 2 cm floor. ## Related - [/tools/url-qr-code](/tools/url-qr-code) - [Free QR code generator](/generate) - [URL QR code tool](/tools/url-qr-code) - [What is a GS1 Digital Link?](/resources/what-is-gs1-digital-link) - [Pricing](/pricing)