How small can a QR code be on a product label?

About 1.5–2 cm wide for a short link, if the print is sharp and the contrast high. Keep each module at least about 0.4 mm wide: a 26-character link makes 25 × 25 modules, so 1 cm is the absolute floor and 2 cm is the safe size. Longer links need more space.

Can I put a QR code on a curved bottle or can?

Yes, but keep the code small relative to the curve, or put it on a flat part such as the lid, shoulder, or a flat label panel. On a curve, the edges of the code bend away from the camera and the modules look narrower. Test on the real filled package, not on a flat proof.

Do QR codes on packaging expire?

A static QR code does not: the link is in the pattern. Packaging stays in homes for years, so never use a dynamic code from a free trial that can be switched off. Point a static code to a link on your own domain and change the page behind it when needed.

Is a QR code on packaging the same as a GS1 QR code for checkout?

No. A GS1 QR code (GS1 Digital Link) holds your product's GTIN in a standard URL format so shop checkouts can scan it like a barcode. You need a GTIN from GS1 for that. A marketing QR code that opens your instructions page is a separate job; you can make it with any QR generator.

QR Codes on Product Packaging: What to Link, Size, and Print

Q: What should a QR code on product packaging link to?

Something the buyer needs after the purchase: setup instructions or a video, ingredients and allergens in more detail, a reorder or refill page, warranty registration, or recycling information. A link to the home page wastes the scan. Use a short link on your own domain so it keeps working if your shop or website changes.

A QR code on packaging should open something the buyer needs after the purchase: setup instructions or a video, full ingredients and allergens, a reorder or refill page, warranty registration, or recycling information. Point it to a short link on your own domain, such as yourbrand.com/p/oat-cookies, so it keeps working when your shop changes. Print it at least 2 cm wide (1.5 cm is the floor for a very short link), with dark modules on a light, matte background, on a flat part of the package. Packaging lives in kitchens and drawers for years, so the code must be static, not a trial code that can expire.

You can make the code free, with no account, in the Pretty QR editor, and download an SVG for the packaging designer.

What should a packaging QR code link to?

Product	Useful link	Label idea
Electronics, furniture, tools	Setup video, manual, spare parts	"Setup video"
Food and drink	Ingredients, allergens, recipes, origin	"Recipes and ingredients"
Cosmetics, supplements	Full ingredient list, how to use	"How to use"
Consumables (coffee, filters, pet food)	Reorder or subscription page	"Reorder in one tap"
Anything with a guarantee	Warranty registration form	"Register your warranty"
Any packaging	Recycling or return instructions	"How to recycle this"

Avoid linking to the home page. The buyer scanned because they wanted something specific. If they land on the shop front, they have to search for it again.

How do I keep a packaging QR code working for years?

Packaging is printed in large runs and stays in use long after you change your website. Plan for that:

Use your own domain and a short, permanent path: yourbrand.com/p/oat-cookies. Not a link to a page on a shop platform, which changes when you move platforms.
Set that path up as a redirect on your website, pointing to the current page. When the page moves, change the redirect; the printed code does not change.
Use a static code. It holds your link in the pattern. A dynamic code from a free trial can stop working when the trial ends, on every box in every home. Our guide on QR codes that never expire explains the difference.
One path per product, not one for the whole range. Then you can tell which product people scan, and change one without touching the others.

To see how many people scan, add a UTM tag to the redirect target, such as ?utm_source=packaging&utm_medium=qr, and read the visits in your web analytics.

How small can a QR code be on a label?

The limit is the size of each module (the small squares). A practical print minimum is about 0.4 mm per module. Short links make fewer modules:

Content	Modules	Smallest width at 0.4 mm	Safe width
Short link (26 characters)	25 × 25	1 cm	1.5–2 cm
Typical page link (54 characters)	33 × 33	1.3 cm	2 cm
Link with tracking tags (120 characters)	45 × 45	1.8 cm	2.5 cm

The module counts are for error correction level M, from a QR encoder. A logo or a heart or circle shape switches to level H, which adds modules, so on a small label use a plain square code without a logo. Our QR code size guide has the full tables.

How do I put a QR code on a curved bottle, jar, or can?

On a curve, the sides of the code bend away from the camera, and the modules near the edges look narrower than they are. Two ways to deal with it:

Use a flat area: the lid, the shoulder of a bottle, the bottom, or a flat neck or side label.
Keep the code small relative to the curve. On a thin bottle, a narrow code that wraps less of the circumference reads better than a wide one.

Either way, test on the real, filled package, with two phones, under shop lights. A flat print proof tells you nothing about the curve.

What print rules apply to packaging QR codes?

Dark modules on a light background, at least 4.5:1 contrast. On kraft paper or colored packaging, print a white or pale panel behind the code. Our QR code colors guide has tested pairs.
Matte finish over the code. Gloss varnish, foil, and metallic inks reflect light into the camera. Leave the code area out of spot varnish and foil.
Quiet zone: 4 modules of empty space on every side. Packaging designs often crowd the code with legal text.
Not across folds, seams, or the glued flap. A fold through the code breaks it.
SVG to the designer. A vector file stays sharp at any size and on any press.
Test the production proof, not only the PDF. Ink spread on cardboard makes modules fatter, which can close the gaps between them on very small codes.

Where do GS1 QR codes for checkout fit in?

Retailers and GS1, the organization that issues barcode numbers (GTINs), are moving checkout from the classic barcode to 2D codes such as QR codes in the GS1 Digital Link format. That code holds your product's GTIN in a standard URL, so the checkout can read it like a barcode, and the same code can open product information for shoppers.

If a retailer asks you for a GS1 QR code, that is a different job from a marketing code:

You need a GTIN from GS1 for each product.
The URL must follow the GS1 Digital Link format, and the retailer may have its own placement and size rules.
Check the requirements with GS1 in your country and with the retailer before you print.

A marketing QR code that opens your instructions or reorder page does not need any of that. You can make it with any QR generator.

A useful link on your own domain, a static code at least 2 cm wide, matte, on a flat part, with a label. Make your packaging QR code: free, no account, no watermark, and it does not expire.

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