How big should I print a QR code?

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.

How do I test a QR code before printing it?

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.

Can I track how many people scanned my printed QR code?

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.

Is the QR code generator free, and does it add a watermark?

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.

What file types can I put behind a QR code?

PDFs, images (PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF), video (MP4, WebM, MOV), ZIP folders, and HTML pages. Whoever scans opens the file straight in their browser, with no app to install.

Does the QR code or its link ever expire?

Nothing is counting down to delete your link, so a QR pointing at your link keeps working for years on packaging or signage. A static QR from the generator doesn't expire either, but it can only ever point where you first aimed it.

Can I make one QR code for a whole set of files?

Yes. On Pro or Lifetime you can bundle many files into one shareable link (up to 500 MB each) and print that link's QR, so a scan opens a single page listing every file.

Can I style or colour the QR code?

The generator makes a clean black-on-white PNG, which scans most reliably. If you place it on a coloured background, keep strong contrast and the blank margin, since low contrast is the top reason a scan fails.

Free QR code generator for files & 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.

Where these QR codes earn their keep

Restaurant table tents and window menus (swap the PDF when prices change, no reprint). Product packaging and inserts that link to a setup video or manual. Business cards that open your resume or portfolio instead of a dead vanity URL. Event handouts, name badges, and posters pointing to a schedule or slide deck. Real-estate yard signs and flyers linking to a property photo set or floorplan PDF. Trade-show booth graphics that open a one-page PDF a visitor can actually keep. In each case the code is printed once and the content behind it stays editable.

See which QR codes people actually scan

A printed QR usually vanishes into a black hole, you have no idea if anyone scanned it. Put a file behind a Link in Seconds link and its QR routes through a page you can measure: on Pro you get view analytics showing scan counts plus the rough devices and countries opening it. Run two versions of a flyer with different links and you can tell which placement pulled more scans. Print the same product QR on two SKUs and see which drives more interest. It won't tell you who scanned, just how many, and roughly from where, but that's the difference between guessing and knowing your print is working.

Static QR vs. file QR, which to use

Use the free generator's static QR when the target is fixed and you want zero dependencies: a WiFi login page, your main website, a contact link. It encodes the URL directly, works forever without an account, and nothing is uploaded, the code is drawn locally in your browser. Choose a file QR when the content might change or you want to measure scans: menus, price lists, event PDFs, product docs, anything you'll reprint at scale. The tradeoff is real, a static code needs no service to keep living, while a file QR gives you editability and scan counts in exchange for hosting the file. Pick per code, not per project.

Frequently asked questions

Still stuck? Ask us directly and a real person answers.

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.