Why static codes are the safer choice for print
A static QR code stores its information directly in the pattern. Nothing sits between the scan and the destination, so the code cannot be switched off, does not expire, and keeps working even if 77-3.com disappears. That makes static codes the safer choice for anything you print and leave in place.
Dynamic codes work differently. The pattern holds a short link to the provider's server, which redirects to the destination. That lets the destination be edited and scans be counted, but it also means the provider can stop the redirect. Some QR services document that dynamic codes stop working when a free trial or subscription ends.
If you want a code that keeps pointing at the same destination, a static code is usually the better fit.
What you get here
This is a free QR code generator. There is no sign-up, no account and no email required, so you can make a code right away.
The code is generated in your browser. Text, contact details, Wi-Fi passwords and uploaded logos are never sent to or stored on our servers. We do not track scans, and static codes cannot be tracked by anyone.
You can set the foreground and background colors, use gradients, and choose dot shapes such as square, rounded, dots, soft or diamond. You can also change the corner eye shapes, the quiet-zone margin and the error correction level.
To place a logo in the center, add it and the error correction level is raised to H automatically. For a logo that blends into the code, use woven logo mode. The logo is blended into the dots of the code itself, so the whole code looks like the logo while still scanning.
Make a code in three steps
- Choose a code type and enter your content, such as a web address, a Wi-Fi network or contact details.
- Adjust the design with colors, gradients, dot and eye shapes, margin and an optional logo.
- Check the test scan, then download a PNG (512, 1024, 2048 or 4096 pixels) or an SVG. Choose SVG for print, because it is a vector file.
Every design is test-scanned in the browser before you download it. If a design will not scan, the page says so and suggests a fix, usually more contrast or a smaller logo.
Printing tips
- Print the code at least 2 cm (about 0.8 inch) wide. A common guide is that the scanning distance can be about 10 times the width of the code.
- Longer content makes a denser code, and a denser code needs to be printed larger.
- Keep a blank margin around the code. The standard calls for 4 modules, and many codes still scan with less, but do not go below 2.
- Dark modules on a light background scan most reliably. Light-on-dark codes do not scan on some older scanner apps.
- Always test-scan with a phone before you print a large run.
Code types you can make
Pick the type that matches what the person will do after they scan:
- Website link (URL)
- Plain text
- Wi-Fi, which lets current iPhone and Android camera apps join a network
- Contact card (vCard), which opens a save contact screen on current iPhones and Android phones
- SMS
- Phone call
- Google Maps location
- Google review link
What we can't do
A printed static code cannot change where it points, so if the destination changes you will need a new code. We also cannot count scans, and we cannot host files such as PDFs or menus.
For a file, upload it somewhere you control, such as your website or a cloud drive, and make a code for that link. To see how these limits follow from the way static codes work, read static vs dynamic QR codes.