QR code size calculator
Enter what the code holds and how far away people will scan it. The calculator measures the code and gives the smallest width that still scans.
Minimum print size
4 × 4 cm
The distance sets the size: a code reads from up to 10 times its width.
- Modules
- 25 × 25
- Width for the content (0.4 mm a module)
- 2 cm
- Width for the distance (distance ÷ 10)
- 4 cm
- PNG width for print at 300 DPI
- 473 px
This width is the code itself. Leave an empty margin of 4 modules around it, or keep the frame the editor draws.
Make this QR codeHow the size is calculated
Two things set the size of a printed QR code. The first is the scan distance: a phone reads a code from up to about 10 times its width, so a code must be at least a tenth of the distance. A code on a poster read from 2 m needs 20 cm.
The second is the content. More characters make more modules, the small squares of the code, and each module needs about 0.4 mm on paper for a phone camera to see it. A short link has 25 × 25 modules; a contact card with an address has 65 × 65 or more.
The calculator takes the larger of the two, and never less than 2 cm. It measures the module count with the same encoder the Pretty QR editor uses, at error correction level M, or level H when the code has a logo.
Questions
- What is the minimum size of a QR code?
- 2 × 2 cm for a short link scanned from close up, such as on a business card. Larger content or a longer scan distance needs more: use the calculator for your case.
- How do I calculate the QR code size from the scan distance?
- Divide the distance by 10. A code scanned from 1 m must be at least 10 cm wide; from 3 m, 30 cm. Round up, and check the content does not need more.
- Does a logo make the QR code bigger?
- Yes. A logo covers modules, so the code switches to error correction level H, which adds modules for the same content. A typical page link goes from 33 × 33 to 41 × 41 modules.
- What resolution do I need for print?
- 300 DPI. The calculator shows the PNG width in pixels for the size. Pretty QR exports PNG at 2048 px, which is 300 DPI up to 17.3 cm. For larger prints, use SVG: it is sharp at any size.
- Does the size include the white margin?
- No. The width is the code itself. Leave an empty margin, the quiet zone, of 4 modules on each side, or keep the frame the editor adds around the code.