A QR code you canprint once, change forever
Make a QR code for any link or file free, then swap the file behind it later so your printed code never needs reprinting.
Your QR code appears here — instantly, nothing uploaded.
Need a QR code for a PDF, image, or video?
Upload the file, get a clean link + QR — and see how many people scanned it.
Create a file QR codeFree: 20 links, up to 100 MB, never expire · Pro: unlimited, permanent links
Make a print-ready QR in four steps
- 1
Decide: static link or an editable file QR
For a plain URL that never needs to change (your homepage, a WiFi password page), paste it into the generator above and download the PNG — done. If the thing behind the code might change (a menu, a price list, an event PDF), upload that file to Link in Seconds instead so you get a QR whose destination you can edit later.
- 2
Upload the file and grab its QR
Drop your PDF, image, or video and you get a clean, shareable link with a QR button beside it. Download that QR as a PNG. Because it points at your link (not the file bytes directly), the printed code is permanent even when the file isn't.
- 3
Test it before it goes to the printer
Open your phone camera and scan the QR straight off your screen. Confirm it lands on the right file and looks good on mobile. Then print one test copy at final size and scan that too — screen and paper behave differently under real lighting.
- 4
Print, and update the file whenever you need
Add the QR to your flyer, packaging, or table tent at a safe size. Later, replace the file from your dashboard to keep the same link — the code you already printed now shows the new version, no reprint, no new sticker.
Reprint-proof: change the file, keep the code
This is the reason to route a QR through a link instead of encoding a raw file. A plain QR bakes its destination in — change anything and every printed copy is dead. A Link in Seconds QR points at a link you control, so on Pro you can replace the file behind it and keep the same URL. The menu on 500 printed table tents updates the instant you swap the PDF. A recalled spec sheet, a corrected price list, a new event schedule — all fixed from your dashboard while the codes on the wall stay exactly as printed.
Sizing it right for print
QR readability is about the size of each little square (a 'module'), not the code overall. A rough field rule: the printed code should be at least one-tenth of the scanning distance — a code read from 2 metres of signage wants roughly 20 cm across; a business-card code read at arm's length can sit near 2 cm. Always download the PNG and let your layout tool scale it; never stretch a small on-screen code up, which blurs the modules. Keep a clear 'quiet zone' (blank margin) of about four modules on every side, or scanners miss the edges.
Test before you print — the five-minute check
The most expensive QR mistake is discovering a typo after 1,000 flyers ship. Before any print run: scan the code from your screen, then from one test print at final size. Check it in the two apps your audience actually uses (iPhone Camera and a common Android reader). Scan it upside down and at an angle. Try it in dim light — glossy stock throws glare that kills reads. And confirm the destination page looks right on a phone, since that's where nearly every scan happens. Only after all five pass do you commit to the full run.
Frequently
asked
questions
Yes. Upload your file and its QR points at a link you own, so on Pro you can swap the file anytime and every printed code shows the new version. The plain generator code can't change once printed.
Size it to at least one-tenth of the scanning distance: a poster read from 2 metres wants about 20 cm, a business card about 2 cm. Leave a blank margin around it so scanners find the edges.
Scan it from your screen, then print one test copy at final size and scan that too. Try it on both iPhone and Android, at an angle, and in dim light before you commit to the full run.
A plain QR can't be tracked, but if it points at a file link its scans route through a page you can measure. On Pro you see view counts plus rough devices and countries, though not who scanned.
The generator is free, unlimited, and adds no watermark. It draws the QR locally in your browser, so nothing is uploaded. You only need a free account for a QR behind a hosted file you can update or track.
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