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QR code size calculator

Enter how far away people will scan from. Get the smallest width your code still reads at, quiet zone included.

A QR code should be at least one tenth of the scan distance wide, for a code with 25 squares across, and larger when it holds more data. A short-link code read from 30 cm needs about 4.2 cm; one on a sign read from 3 m needs about 42 cm. Pick the distance and what the code holds below, and the calculator gives the minimum width with the white margin included, by the same rule the print check in our generator uses.

Work out the minimum size

For example 30 for a card in the hand, 100 for a poster on a wall, 300 for a sign.

Download the size and distance poster (PDF)

How the size is worked out

  1. Distance divided by ten

    The starting point is a rule of thumb printers use: the code is one tenth of the distance it is scanned from, for a code 25 squares across.

  2. Scaled by the number of squares

    A code that holds a long address or a contact has more squares, so each square shrinks. The width grows in step so each square stays readable.

  3. Never under 0.4 mm per square

    Below that, printers and phone cameras blur the squares together, whatever the distance.

  4. Plus the quiet zone

    The white margin around the code is part of it. The result includes the margin the generator draws by default.

When to go bigger

Questions and answers

What is the minimum size of a QR code?

For a short link scanned from about 20 cm, roughly 2.8 cm wide including the white margin. Smaller codes can still work when printed very sharply, but every millimetre below the rule makes scanning slower on older phones.

How big should a QR code be on a poster?

Measure where people will stand. Read from 1 m, a short-link code needs about 14 cm; read from 2 m, about 28 cm. Use the calculator for the exact figure.

Does a bigger QR code scan better?

Up to a point. A code that is too large for a close distance can overflow the camera view, but that rarely happens below a metre wide.

Why does the content change the size?

More data means more squares in the same space. Each square gets smaller, so the code needs to grow to keep every square readable.

Can I print the table for my shop?

Yes. The size and distance poster is a free PDF with the minimum widths for common distances and code sizes, made from the same calculation.

oqrely is not affiliated with any service listed here.

Get the right size the first time

Make your code in the generator: the print check tells you the smallest width your exact design prints well at.

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