How the QR code generator works
Pick what the code should do, type it in, and the QR code is drawn instantly — on your own device, by your own browser. Add a center logo and brand colors if you want them, then download a PNG for screens or an SVG for print. No account, no watermark, and the code is yours forever.
Link, plain text, WiFi access, contact card (vCard), email, phone call or SMS — each produces the right format automatically.
Upload a logo for the center, pick foreground and background colors, and set the error-correction level. QRGen warns you if a choice could hurt scanning.
PNG up to 2048×2048 for screens, crisp vector SVG for print, or copy the image straight to your clipboard. Free for commercial use.
Static QR codes: why these never expire
If a QR code you made with a “free” generator ever stopped working, this is why: that service gave you a dynamic QR code. Instead of your link, the code contained a short redirect URL on the company’s server — and when your trial ended, the redirect was switched off. Your printed menus and flyers pointed at a dead link, and the fix cost a subscription.
QRGen only makes static QR codes: your link, WiFi login or contact card is encoded directly into the pattern. A phone reads the data straight out of the squares — no server in the middle, nothing to expire, no company that can hold your code hostage. The honest trade-off: a static code can’t be edited after it’s printed, and there are no scan statistics. If the destination might change, encode a URL you control (like your own domain) and change where that points.
Every QR code type, explained
Link (URL) QR code
The classic — scanning opens a web page. Perfect for menus, flyers, packaging and business cards. QRGen adds https:// automatically if you leave it off. Shorter URLs make simpler, easier-to-scan codes.
WiFi QR code
Guests scan and connect — no password spelled out over the counter. Enter the network name, password and security type (WPA for almost every modern router); iPhones and Android phones both join with one tap. Great for cafés, offices, rentals and guest rooms.
vCard contact QR code
Scanning offers to save your name, phone, email, company and website straight into the phone’s contacts. Put it on a business card or an email signature — no app required, the vCard standard is built into iOS and Android.
Plain text QR code
Encodes any text as-is: a serial number, an asset tag, instructions, a message. Whatever scans is exactly what you typed — nothing is interpreted or linked.
Email, phone and SMS QR codes
These open the phone’s own apps pre-filled: a new email with subject and body, a dial screen with your number, or a text message ready to send. Useful for support lines, RSVP flows and “text us” signs.
Logos, colors and scannability
QR codes survive damage by design — error correction stores redundant data so a scanner can rebuild missing parts. That redundancy is what makes a center logo possible: the logo “damages” a small area, and the correction level determines how much damage is recoverable:
| Level | Recoverable | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| L | ~7% | clean screens, short links, smallest pattern |
| M | ~15% | the sensible default for most uses |
| Q | ~25% | print that may get scuffed or dirty |
| H | ~30% | logos, small print, harsh conditions |
When you add a logo, QRGen locks the level to H and sizes the logo to about a fifth of the code’s width — comfortably inside the recoverable margin. For colors, keep it dark code on a light background with strong contrast; QRGen warns you when a combination gets risky. And whatever you choose: test-scan before you print.
Print size, quiet zone and testing
Most scan failures in the wild are size problems. The rule of thumb: printed width ≈ scanning distance ÷ 10.
| Where | Scan distance | Minimum size |
|---|---|---|
| Business card, flyer | ~20 cm | 2 × 2 cm |
| Table tent, menu | ~50 cm | 5 × 5 cm |
| Shop window | ~1 m | 10 × 10 cm |
| Poster, signage | ~3 m | 30 × 30 cm |
Keep the quiet zone — the empty margin around the pattern that scanners use to find the code. QRGen bakes the standard four-module margin into every download, so don’t crop it off in your design tool. For print, use the SVG: it scales to a billboard without a single blurry pixel. More data also means denser codes, so keep links short — dense codes need to be printed larger.
Your data stays on your device
Think about what goes into QR codes: your WiFi password, your personal phone number, your contact details, unreleased product links. Most online generators receive all of it on their servers — and the “free” ones monetize it. QRGen is built so that data cannot leave your device: the page is static, there is no backend, and the code is computed by JavaScript in your own browser tab. Nothing you type is transmitted, logged or stored — close the tab and it’s gone. Once loaded, QRGen even works offline: install it and make codes with no connection at all.
Frequently asked questions
Do QR codes made with QRGen expire?
No — never. QRGen creates static QR codes: your link or text is encoded directly into the pattern itself, so the code works for as long as QR codes exist. Many “free” generators instead encode a redirect through their own server and disable it when a trial ends — that’s why codes from those services stop working. There is no server between your code and its content here, so there is nothing that can expire.
What is the difference between static and dynamic QR codes?
A static QR code contains your data itself — scan it and the phone reads the link, WiFi login or contact card directly. A dynamic QR code contains a short redirect URL owned by a service, which then forwards to your content; that lets the service offer scan statistics and editable destinations, but it also means your code breaks if the service shuts down, paywalls, or expires your account. QRGen makes static codes: free forever and independent of any service, with the one trade-off that the content cannot be changed after printing.
Can I add my logo to a QR code? Will it still scan?
Yes. QR codes carry built-in redundancy (Reed–Solomon error correction), so a code can lose part of its pattern and still scan. When you add a logo, QRGen automatically switches to the highest correction level (H, ~30% recoverable) and keeps the logo small enough — about 22% of the width, roughly 5% of the area — to stay well inside that margin. Always test-scan with a phone before printing, especially at small sizes.
What size should I print a QR code?
A reliable rule of thumb: printed size ≈ scanning distance ÷ 10. A code scanned from 20 cm away (business card, flyer) should be at least 2×2 cm; a poster scanned from 2 meters needs about 20×20 cm. Also keep the quiet zone — the empty margin around the code, which QRGen includes automatically — and download the SVG for print jobs so it stays sharp at any size.
Why won’t my QR code scan?
The usual causes: too little contrast between the two colors, inverted colors (light modules on a dark background confuse many scanners), a logo that covers too much of the pattern, printing it too small for the scanning distance, or a missing quiet zone around the code. QRGen warns about low contrast and inverted colors, forces high error correction under logos, and always includes the quiet zone — but a quick test scan before printing is always worth it.
Should I download PNG or SVG?
PNG is right for screens: websites, email signatures, presentations, messaging. SVG is a vector format that stays perfectly sharp at any size, so use it for anything printed — business cards, menus, posters, packaging — or hand it to your designer. QRGen exports both for free, up to 2048×2048 pixels for PNG.
Is the data I enter uploaded anywhere?
No. QRGen runs entirely in your browser — the QR code is computed and drawn on your own device, and your links, WiFi passwords and contact details are never transmitted, logged or stored on any server. Nothing you type is saved when you close the page. Once loaded, the generator even works offline.
Are the QR codes free for commercial use?
Yes. Codes you create with QRGen are yours — use them on products, menus, packaging, ads or anywhere else, with no watermark, no attribution and no license fee. (“QR Code” is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE Incorporated; the format itself is free for anyone to use.)
Test every code with a real phone before you print it at scale — colors, materials and lighting all affect scanning. “QR Code” is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE Incorporated.
