QR Code Generator

Static codes, and why free QR sites need you to know the difference

There are two kinds of QR code, and the difference is the business model of most QR code sites. A static code encodes your link or text directly into the pattern itself: scan it and the phone reads the destination straight out of the squares. A dynamic code encodes a short redirect URL on the QR provider's own domain instead, which lets the provider count scans, let you edit the destination later, and, crucially, switch the redirect off when the free trial ends. That is why codes from many free generators stop working after two weeks.

This generator only makes static codes. Your text goes into the pattern and nothing routes through this site, so the code cannot expire, cannot be paywalled retroactively, and produces no scan statistics for anyone. The honest trade-off: because the destination is baked into the pattern, it cannot be edited afterwards either. If the link changes, you generate and print a new code.

Which error correction level to pick

QR codes carry redundancy so a partly damaged code still scans, and the selector above exposes the format's four standard levels. Per the encoding library's documentation, Low survives roughly 7 percent damage, Medium about 15, Quartile about 25 and High about 30. The default here is Medium, which is also the level most commonly used in practice. Higher levels are not free: more redundancy means more modules in the same area, so the pattern gets denser and each square smaller at a given print size.

Pick High for codes that will live rough lives: stickers outdoors, packaging that gets scuffed, laminated signs that glare. Stay on Medium for a code on a clean page or a screen. And whatever you change, keep the contrast high: scanners expect a dark pattern on a light background, so after adjusting the colors above, test a scan before you print a thousand of anything.

PNG or SVG, and printing at size

The PNG download is a raster image at the pixel size you set with the slider, 128 to 640 pixels, which is right for screens: a slide, a website, a chat message. The SVG stores the same code as vector shapes, so it prints sharp at any size from a business card to a poster, and it is the file a designer or a print shop will ask for.

There is no single safe minimum print size, because scannability depends on how dense your code is and how far away it will be scanned from. A long URL produces a denser pattern that needs more physical space than a short one. The reliable route is the SVG, sized generously, with a test scan from the actual distance you expect. The generator also keeps a quiet margin of two modules around the pattern; leave that white space alone when placing the code in a design, because scanners need it to find the edges.

Generated in your browser, verifiably

The code is generated by a JavaScript library running inside this page, and the preview you see is a data URL, not an image fetched from a server. Neither the text you encode nor the finished code touches the network. You can check that the same way as with the converters: open the network tab, type a link, and watch nothing leave. Whatever you put in a QR code here, a password reset link, a private event address, a Wi-Fi credential, stays on your device.

Are these QR codes free to use commercially?

Yes. The codes you generate are yours to use anywhere, including print, packaging and commercial projects. There is no watermark and no expiry.

Do the QR codes ever expire?

No. These are static QR codes, so the link is encoded directly into the image. It keeps working forever and does not depend on this site.

What size should I download for print?

Use the SVG for print because it stays sharp at any size. For screens, a PNG of 512 pixels or more is plenty.