What size should a printed QR code be?
A QR code that looks fine on screen can fail completely once it is printed too small or placed too far away. The right size depends mainly on how far away people will be when they scan it and how much information the code holds.
QR codes · Published 2026-10-07
The short answer
For anything held in the hand, such as a business card, label or menu, aim for at least 2 × 2 cm (about 0.8 × 0.8 inches), including the white border. Around 2.5 to 3 cm is more comfortable for older phones and poor lighting. For anything scanned from further away, use the distance rule below.
The 10:1 distance rule
A widely used rule of thumb is that the QR code's width should be about one tenth of the scanning distance. In other words, divide the distance by ten.
- Scanned from 20 to 30 cm (a card or leaflet in the hand): 2 to 3 cm wide.
- Scanned from 1 metre (a table tent or counter sign): about 10 cm wide.
- Scanned from 2 metres (a door or window poster): about 20 cm wide.
- Scanned from 5 metres (a large banner): about 50 cm wide.
Treat these as minimums. If people will scan at an angle, through glass or in dim light, go bigger.
More data means smaller squares
A QR code is a grid of small squares called modules. The more characters you put in it, the more modules it needs, and at the same printed size each module gets smaller. A short website address might need a 25 × 25 grid; a long URL with tracking parameters or a full contact card can need 50 × 50 or more.
That is why a long link printed at 2 cm can be unreadable while a short one at the same size scans instantly. To keep codes small and reliable:
- Use a short URL instead of a long one with many parameters.
- For contact details, link to an online contact card instead of encoding every field in the code itself.
- Test the actual printed size, not just the file on your screen.
Do not forget the quiet zone
The QR standard requires a clear margin, called the quiet zone, around the code: at least four modules wide on every side. Scanners use it to find where the code begins. Printing a code right up against text, a photo or the edge of a card is one of the most common reasons it will not scan. When you measure the size, include this white border.
Resolution and file format
For print, use a vector format (SVG or PDF) whenever your design software accepts it. Vector files stay perfectly sharp at any size. If you must use a PNG, export it at a large size, such as 1024 pixels or more, and scale it down rather than up. Enlarging a small PNG produces blurry edges that scanners struggle with.
Always test before printing a batch
- Print one copy at the final size on the final paper or material.
- Scan it with at least two different phones, ideally one older model.
- Scan from the real distance and angle people will use.
- Check the link or details open correctly, then print the full run.
Doing it in Zonlet
Zonlet's QR code generator lets you export SVG, PDF or PNG up to 1024 pixels, with a built-in quiet zone. For contact cards, the editable vCard option creates a short link instead of packing all your details into the code, which keeps the code simple enough to print small on a business card.