What is the minimum size for a QR code?

About 2 × 2 cm for print that people scan from arm's length, such as a business card. Go larger when people scan from further away (minimum width ≈ scan distance ÷ 10) or when the code holds a lot of data, such as a long link or a full contact card. On screens, use at least 200 × 200 pixels.

How big should a QR code be on a poster?

Use scan distance ÷ 10. A poster that people scan from 1 m needs a code about 10 cm wide; from 2 m, about 20 cm. Add 20–30% if the code has a logo, colors with lower contrast, or the poster hangs in poor light.

How big should a QR code be on a business card?

At least 2 cm wide for a short link. A contact card (vCard) with many fields has many more modules, so it needs about 3 cm or more. To keep the code small, encode a short link to your contact page instead of the full card.

Does the amount of data change how big a QR code must be?

Yes. More characters means more modules (the small squares), and each module gets smaller at the same print size. A 26-character link makes a 25 × 25 module code; a full contact card with 255 characters makes 65 × 65 modules. Keep each module at least about 0.4 mm wide in print.

What file format should I use to print a QR code?

SVG, because it is a vector file and stays sharp at any size. A PNG from Pretty QR is 2048 pixels wide, which is enough for print up to about 17 cm wide at 300 DPI. Do not scale up a small PNG: blurry module edges make scans slower.

Can a QR code be too big?

Rarely. A very large code only fails when people stand too close to fit it in the camera view, for example a 1 m wide code at a 30 cm distance. Size the code for the distance people really stand at.

QR Code Size Guide: How Big Should a QR Code Be? (Sizes in cm)

A printed QR code should be at least 2 × 2 cm when people scan it from arm's length, and about scan distance ÷ 10 for anything further away: 10 cm wide for a poster scanned from 1 m, 20 cm for 2 m. Two things make a code need more space: more data (a long link or a full contact card) and weaker contrast (colors, a logo, glossy paper). On screens, use at least 200 × 200 pixels.

The table below covers the common cases. The rest of this guide explains where the numbers come from, so you can size anything that is not in the table.

How big should a QR code be for each use?

Where	Scan distance	Minimum	Comfortable
Business card	20–30 cm	2 cm	2.5 cm
Flyer, leaflet, product label	25–35 cm	2.5 cm	3 cm
Restaurant table card, menu	30–40 cm	3 cm	4 cm
Shop window, A4 sign on a wall	0.5–1 m	5–10 cm	12 cm
A2 / A1 poster	1–2 m	10–20 cm	15–25 cm
Banner, trade-show stand	2–4 m	20–40 cm	30–50 cm
Screen (website, slide, video)	arm's length	200 × 200 px	300 × 300 px

The widths are for the code itself, without the quiet zone. Add the empty margin of 4 modules on every side on top of that.

What is the scan distance ÷ 10 rule?

A phone camera needs each module (each small square) to cover enough pixels in its image. That depends on the angle the code fills in the camera view, so size and distance scale together. The common rule of thumb is a ratio of about 10 : 1:

minimum code width = scan distance ÷ 10

Scanned from 30 cm → 3 cm
Scanned from 1 m → 10 cm
Scanned from 3 m → 30 cm

This rule assumes a short link, dark modules on white, and normal room light. It is a starting point, not a guarantee. The next two sections are the reasons to go bigger.

Why do long links and contact cards need a bigger QR code?

A QR code grows in modules as you add data. At the same print width, more modules means smaller modules, and small modules are what phones fail to read.

These are real module counts from a QR encoder, per side for error correction level M (the Pretty QR default) and level H (used when the code has a logo or a heart, circle, or other shape):

Content	Characters	Level M	Level H
Short link, such as pretty-qr.com/menu	26	25 × 25	33 × 33
Typical page link	54	33 × 33	41 × 41
Wi-Fi network (WPA, 14-character name, 13-character password)	53	33 × 33	41 × 41
Link with UTM tracking tags	120	45 × 45	61 × 61
Contact card: name, phone, email	119	45 × 45	57 × 57
Contact card: all fields, with address	255	65 × 65	85 × 85

A practical print limit is about 0.4 mm per module. Below that, cheap printers smear the edges and older phones slow down. Multiply the modules by 0.4 mm and you get the smallest safe width for that content:

Short link at level M: 25 × 0.4 mm = 1 cm. The 2 cm floor from the table wins.
Link with UTM tags at level H: 61 × 0.4 mm = 2.4 cm. Already more than a business card minimum.
Full contact card at level H: 85 × 0.4 mm = 3.4 cm. Too big for most business card layouts.

So the fix for a crowded code is usually less data, not more centimeters. Use a short link, drop UTM tags you will not read, and for business cards link to a contact page instead of packing the whole card in. Our business card guide shows both options.

When should I make a QR code bigger than the minimum?

Add 20–30% to the width when one of these applies:

The code has a logo. The logo hides modules, and the code switches to level H, which adds modules. See how to add a logo.
The colors have less contrast than black on white. At 4.5:1 a code works, but a little extra size buys back reliability. Our QR code colors guide lists measured ratios.
The surface is glossy or curved: laminated menus, bottles, cups. Glare and curves distort modules.
The light is poor: bars, evening events, outdoor signs at night.
People scan at an angle, for example a code on the floor or high on a wall.

What file should I export for print and for screens?

Use	Format	Why
Professional print, any size	SVG	Vector: sharp at any size, the printer can scale it freely
Office print, up to about 17 cm wide	PNG	Pretty QR's PNG is 2048 px wide, which is 300 DPI at 17.3 cm
Website, email, slides	PNG	Exact pixels, transparent edges not needed
Photo-style use where file size matters	JPG	Smaller file; use high quality so edges stay sharp

Do not enlarge a small PNG from a screenshot. The module edges blur, and blurry edges are the most common reason a big printed code scans slowly.

How do I check the size before a print run?

Print one copy at 100% scale on the real paper. Check "actual size" in the print dialog, not "fit to page".
Measure it with a ruler. Printers and PDF exports sometimes scale artwork by a few percent.
Scan it from the real distance with two phones, one of them a few years old.
Scan it in the real light. A code that works on your desk can fail in a dim restaurant.

If the scan takes more than a second, make the code bigger or shorten the content, then test again.

How do I make a QR code at the right size in Pretty QR?

Open the design editor and enter your content. Keep the link short.
Style it if you like. A template is a quick start.
Download SVG for print and scale it in your layout tool to the width from the table above. Download PNG for screens.

The download is free, has no watermark, and the code is static, so it does not expire. More design limits are in our QR code design rules.

Short content, a code at least 2 cm wide, and distance ÷ 10 for everything bigger. Then test the printed piece where people will use it. Make your code in the editor.

Questions? [email protected]