QR codes went from "that weird square thing nobody uses" to genuinely useful almost overnight. Restaurants use them for menus, businesses put them on business cards, and event organizers use them for ticketing. If you need to make one, it takes about 15 seconds.
But there's a difference between a QR code that works and a QR code that works well. Here's what I've learned from creating hundreds of them for different situations.
How to create a QR code in 4 steps
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Open a QR code generator. No account, no app download — just a browser tool.
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Enter your content. This is usually a URL, but QR codes can encode lots of different data types:
- Website URL — the most common use. Link to any webpage.
- Wi-Fi credentials — guests scan to connect without typing passwords
- Plain text — short messages, notes, or instructions
- Email address — opens the user's email app with your address pre-filled
- Phone number — tap to call
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Customize the appearance. Good generators let you change the foreground color, background color, and error correction level. More on these choices below.
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Download and use it. Save as PNG or SVG. SVG scales to any size without getting blurry — use it for print. PNG is fine for screens.
When QR codes actually help (and when they don't)
I've seen QR codes used brilliantly and I've seen them used pointlessly. Here's my honest take:
QR codes work well for:
- Restaurant menus — customers already have their phones out. Scanning beats handling a sticky menu.
- Business cards — a QR code on the back that opens your LinkedIn or portfolio saves people from typing URLs
- Event check-in — scan a code instead of searching a list of names
- Wi-Fi sharing — way easier than spelling out "xK9!mPqR_2024" to every guest
- Product packaging — link to instructions, warranty registration, or how-to videos
- Print ads and posters — bridge the gap between physical and digital
QR codes don't help for:
- Websites linking to other websites — just use a regular hyperlink
- Social media posts — you can't scan a QR code that's on the same screen you're looking at
- Situations where the URL is simpler — if your link is "shop.com/sale", just print the URL
The rule of thumb: use QR codes when the user is looking at a physical object and needs to get to a digital destination.
Making QR codes that scan reliably
Not all QR codes scan equally well. Here's what affects scan success:
Size matters
A QR code needs to be at least 2cm × 2cm (about 0.8 inches) for a phone camera to read it from hand distance. For posters or signs that people scan from farther away, go bigger. The rule: the scanning distance should be about 10x the QR code's width.
Contrast is everything
Black on white works best. Dark blue on white works fine. Light gray on white? Phone cameras struggle. Keep the contrast ratio high. If you want to use brand colors, make sure the foreground is significantly darker than the background.
Error correction saves you
QR codes have built-in error correction — they can still scan even if part of the code is damaged or obscured. Most generators offer four levels:
- L (Low) — 7% recovery. Smallest code, but fragile.
- M (Medium) — 15% recovery. Good default.
- Q (Quartile) — 25% recovery. Use for printed materials that might get scuffed.
- H (High) — 30% recovery. Use if you're putting a logo over part of the code.
I typically use M for digital and Q for print.
Test before printing
Always scan your QR code with at least two different phone cameras before printing 5,000 flyers. I've seen codes that work on iPhone but fail on older Android devices because the error correction was too low.
Advanced tips
Use a URL shortener for tracking
If you want to know how many people scanned your code, encode a shortened URL (like a Bitly link) instead of the direct URL. You'll get scan analytics without the QR code itself needing any special features.
SVG for print, PNG for screen
SVG files are vector graphics — they scale to any size without pixelation. Use SVG for anything that will be printed: business cards, posters, packaging, merch.
PNG is fine for digital uses: websites, presentations, social media profile images.
Don't put QR codes in emails
People read emails on the same device they'd use to scan. A QR code in an email is asking someone to hold their phone up to their phone screen. Just use a regular link.
Keep the encoded data short
The more data you encode, the denser (more complex) the QR code becomes, and the harder it is to scan from a distance. A short URL like toolsjam.co/tools produces a simpler, more scannable code than a 200-character tracking URL.
Getting started
Open the QR Code Generator, paste your URL or data, adjust the colors if you want, and download. The whole process takes less time than reading this sentence. Your files never leave your browser, so there's no privacy concern with sensitive URLs or Wi-Fi passwords.