QR Code Generator

Plain payloads only

This generator has one text field. It encodes the plain text or URL you enter and does not build specialised Wi-Fi, contact, message or calendar payloads.

Error correction levels

Higher correction means more modules, so the code is bigger for the same content. It also gives the code more tolerance for physical damage.

Design tips that actually work

• Quiet zone. Keep a 4-module margin of solid colour around the code. Running into adjacent graphics kills scan rates.
• Contrast. Dark foreground on light background. Avoid inverted (light on dark), many readers struggle. Black on white is always safe.
• Minimum size. 2 × 2 cm on paper for a short URL at reading distance. Bigger for scan-from-across-the-room use.
• Test with the worst scanner. Low-end phone cameras and grainy webcam scans will fail before flagship ones. Test with the bottom third of devices your audience uses.

Common mistakes

• Short URL inside a short URL. Using a link shortener in a QR code buys you nothing (the whole URL compresses fine), but does add a redirect-time dependency. Skip it unless you need analytics.
• Encoding too much. A 200-character URL works but makes a denser code that scans poorly on noisy cameras. Shorten the destination URL if possible.
• Downloading too small. The generated PNG uses the pixel size selected above. Choose a larger size before downloading instead of enlarging a small image afterwards.