QR code guides you can try as you read
Each guide opens with the tool for the job, so you finish with a code in hand.
These guides walk you through the jobs people do with QR codes most: adding a logo, choosing a print size and colours, sharing Wi-Fi, putting a code on business cards, menus and review cards, tracking scans and fixing a code that stopped. Each one starts with a live generator or calculator, so you can follow along.
Make your code
Pick the code for the job and style it in the generator at the top of each guide.
Print it right
Size, colour and placement decide whether a printed code scans at the first try.
Run and rescue your codes
Choose between fixed and editable, count your scans, and bring a stopped code back.
Find the smallest size that scans
Free tools for every print
Comparing QR code makers
Where to start
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Printing something this week?
Read the size guide, enter your scan distance in the calculator here, and make the code at that width.
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Unsure which kind of code?
The static vs dynamic guide explains fixed and editable codes in plain words, with a demo of each.
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A printed code stopped?
The rescue guide has a checker that reads the code and four checks that find the cause.
Questions and answers
Are these guides free to use?
Yes. Every guide and every tool in them is free, and fixed codes download without sign-up or watermark.
Which guide should I read before printing?
Start with QR code size for print and the colours guide. Together they cover most reasons a printed code fails to scan.
Do the guides cover editable codes?
Yes. The static vs dynamic, menu and tracking guides show when an editable code pays off and how to set one up.
Can I test a code I already printed?
Yes. The scanner in the rescue guide reads a code from your camera or a photo and shows the link as text.
How do I choose between a fixed and an editable code?
Ask whether the link might change after printing or whether you want to count scans. If either is yes, choose editable; otherwise a fixed code is free and permanent.
What makes a printed QR code fail?
Mostly size, contrast and the white margin. A code that is too small for the scan distance, low in contrast or cropped tight to its edges is the usual cause.