How big to print a QR code
Enter how far away people will scan it. If you have the link, add it too: a long link makes a denser code, which needs more room.
By Joel Simard · Updated October 17, 2026
Left empty, sized for a short link like a dynamic code’s.
How the size is worked out
Three limits, and the largest one wins. A code should be at least a tenth of the distance it is scanned from: read from 3 m away, 30 cm wide. It should never be under 2 cm (¾ in), the smallest phones read reliably. And each of its squares needs about half a millimeter, so a code with many squares needs more room than the distance alone suggests.
The squares come from what the code holds. A short link like mybakery.com/menu makes a code 25 squares across, and a dynamic code’s short link 29: both fit in 2 cm. A long Google Maps or Google Forms link makes 40 to 45, which needs 2.5 cm, and a contact 50 or more. A logo adds more still, because the code then carries extra error correction to make up for what the logo hides.
Common sizes
| Where it is | Scanned from | Print it at least |
|---|---|---|
| Business card | 20 cm | 2 cm (1 in) |
| Menu or table card | 35 cm | 3.5 cm (1½ in) |
| Poster on a wall | 1.5 m | 15 cm (6 in) |
| Shop window | 3 m | 30 cm (12 in) |
| Sign across a parking lot | 10 m | 100 cm (39½ in) |
For a short link. A longer link or a logo can need more.
Before the print run
Print one copy at its final size and scan it with two phones from where people will stand. Keep the white border around the code, and avoid gloss and laminate where light falls on it: glare can hide part of the pattern.