QR code size calculator
Enter the distance the code will be scanned from and what it holds, and get the smallest width to print it at.
How wide should the printed code be?
Choose where the customer scans it from and what the code holds.
cm
The width here comes from the distance: about a tenth of it, and more if the code has more squares. This code has 25 squares across, so one square is about 0.91 mm.
The distance is short, so the minimum size applies: do not print a code under 2 cm. This code has 25 squares across, so one square is about 0.91 mm.
Holding a short link (an editable code), 3 cm would do: it has fewer, larger squares.
Where the number comes from
- The common rule: make the code about 1/10 as wide as the distance it is scanned from.
- That rule applies to a code that holds little. The more it holds, the more squares it has and the smaller each one is, so we widen it to match.
- The empty margin around the code, 4 squares on each side, is inside this number, as it is inside the file you download from Kuody. Do not crop it in the artwork.
This is a rule of thumb, not a standard: the light, the paper and its gloss, and the phone's camera change the result. Print one copy and scan it from where the customer stands before the whole run.
Questions about size
How do I make the code smaller without weakening it?
Make it hold less. An editable code holds a short link however long your own link is, so it has fewer and larger squares. Editable and static codes
Is bigger always better?
For scanning from afar, yes. From very close, a very large code does not fit in the camera's view: a code on a table does not need to be as wide as a whole sheet.
Which file do I print from?
SVG or PDF: they stay sharp at any size. Once the designer has placed the code in the artwork, check the image before printing.