How to Make a QR Code That Works (Free, No Expiry, No Sign-Up)
QR codes are everywhere: on menus, posters, business cards, packaging and event tickets. Point a phone camera at one and it opens a website, saves a contact or shows a message. Making one takes a minute. Making one that scans every time, in every light, on every phone, takes a little more care.
This guide shows how to create a QR code with the free QR Code Generator, what to watch out for with colours, logos and size, and why the type of code you choose matters more than most people think.
Static or dynamic: the question to ask first
There are two kinds of QR codes, and many “free” generators don’t tell you which one you’re getting:
- A static QR code holds your content directly: the web address, the contact or the text is written into the pattern itself. It works without any service in between, so it never expires and nobody can switch it off.
- A dynamic QR code only holds a short link to the generator’s own server, which then redirects to your page. You can change the target later and count scans, but if the subscription ends or the company closes, every printed code stops working.
For most uses, such as a website, a menu, a business card or Wi-Fi instructions, a static code is the safer choice. Every code you make on DeviTools is static: it contains exactly what you typed and works for as long as your content does.
How to make a QR code, step by step
- Open the QR Code Generator and choose what the code holds: Website, Business card or Text.
- Fill in the content. For a website, paste the full address; https:// is added if you leave it out. The preview updates as you type, and Scans to: shows exactly what a phone will open.
- Under Design, pick the Code colour and Background, add a logo if you like, and choose the Error correction level and Quiet zone.
- Click Download PNG (choose a size from 256 to 2048 pixels) or Download SVG.
- Scan the downloaded code with your own phone before you print or share it.
Three kinds of QR codes you can make
A website or link
The most common QR code. Use the full, final address of the page, and avoid long tracking links where you can: the shorter the address, the simpler and easier to scan the code.
A business card (vCard)
The vCard QR Code Generator puts your name, company, phone numbers, email, website and address into the code. When someone scans it, their phone offers to save you as a new contact, with no typing. Behind the scenes it’s a short text in the vCard format:
BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
N:Lovelace;Ada
FN:Ada Lovelace
ORG:Analytical Engines Ltd
TEL;TYPE=CELL:+44 20 7946 0000
EMAIL:ada@example.com
END:VCARDFields you leave empty are left out, which keeps the code small.
Plain text
Text to QR Code stores any text: a short message, a voucher code, a serial number or instructions. The phone shows the text when scanned, without needing internet. A QR code holds up to about 2,900 bytes; the tool shows how many you’ve used.
Design tips: what makes a QR code scan
Keep strong contrast, dark on light
Brand colours are fine, as long as the code is clearly darker than the background. Light codes on a dark background (inverted codes) look stylish, but some scanners can’t read them. The generator warns you when the colours are too close or inverted.
Leave the quiet zone
The empty border around the code tells the scanner where the code starts. Keep the Standard quiet zone unless you add a white border yourself, and don’t place the code right against text or a busy picture.
Logos and error correction
Error correction lets a QR code still scan when part of it is dirty, scratched or covered. There are four levels: Low (7%), Medium (15%), Quartile (25%) and High (30%). A logo in the middle covers part of the code, so when you add one, the generator switches to High automatically. Keep the logo simple and don’t make it larger than the tool allows.
PNG or SVG?
Choose PNG for screens, documents and social media; 1024 pixels is enough for most uses. Choose SVG for print: it’s a vector file that stays perfectly sharp at any size, from a business card to a banner.
How big should a printed QR code be?
A simple rule: the code should be at least one tenth of the distance it’s scanned from. A code read from 30 cm away needs to be about 3 cm wide; a poster read from 3 metres needs about 30 cm. Never go below about 2 × 2 cm, and make it bigger when the code holds a lot of content, such as a full business card.
Before you print: a quick checklist
- Scan the downloaded file with at least two different phones.
- Check that the link opens the right page, on mobile, and that the page will stay online.
- Print one test copy at the final size and scan it in the light where it will hang.
- Add a short line next to the code, such as “Scan for the menu”, so people know what they’ll get.
Is your logo file too big to add? Shrink it first with the Image Compressor, or read how to compress images without losing quality.
Is what I type uploaded?
No. The QR code is made in your browser, so your link, contact details or text never leave your device. And because the codes are static, there is no tracking and no redirect through our servers.
Frequently asked questions
Do these QR codes expire?
No. They are static, so they work for as long as the content they hold, such as your website, stays the same.
Can I change the link after printing?
Not in a static code: the link is part of the pattern. If you expect the page to move, point the code to an address you control and can redirect later, such as a page on your own website.