A QR code generator that makes static codes that never expire, with your logo and colors, and checks they'll scan before you print.
Pick what the code opens, fill it in, and style it. The code updates as you type, and you can download it as a PNG or an SVG.
What should it open?
Fill it in
Style it
Your QR code
- Fill in step 2 first.
Prints 8,7 cm (3,4 in) wide at 300 dpi.
This free QR code generator makes static QR codes that never expire. The link, the Wi-Fi password or the contact is inside the code itself, so there's no server in the middle and nothing to renew.
It also checks your code before you print it: colors a scanner can't tell apart, a margin that's too thin, a logo without enough error correction. It all runs in your browser, your logo included.
Here's how QR codes work, how to make one that scans every time, and how to see who scans it.
Static vs dynamic QR codes
A static QR code holds what it opens: the link itself, or the Wi-Fi name and password. Scan it in 10 years and it still works, as long as the link does.
A dynamic QR code holds a short link to a service, which then sends people on to your page. That lets you change where the code goes after you print it. But the code depends on the service, so when the account closes or the plan ends, every printed code can stop working.
| What you get | Static | Dynamic |
|---|---|---|
| What's inside the code | Your link itself | A short link to a service |
| Does it expire? | Never | It can, when the plan ends |
| Change it after printing? | No | Yes |
| Count the scans? | Yes, with UTM tags in your own analytics | Yes, in the service's dashboard |
This generator makes static codes, on purpose. For a code whose destination may change, point it at a page you own, like your link in bio, and change that page instead.
What you can put in a QR code
| Type | What happens when it's scanned | Inside the code |
|---|---|---|
| Link | The phone opens the page | https://navid.me/free-tools |
| Wi-Fi | The phone offers to join the network | WIFI:T:WPA;S:Studio;P:…;; |
| A new email opens, filled in | mailto:hello@yoursite.com | |
| Phone | The phone offers to call | tel:+12125551212 |
| Text message | A text opens, ready to send | sms:+12125551212:Hi |
| Plain text | The text shows on screen | Any text |
| Contact | The phone offers to save the contact | A vCard 3.0 card |
Each format is the one ZXing documents, the open source barcode library behind many scanner apps. The generator also escapes the characters that break a Wi-Fi code, so a password with a ; or a : still works.
How to make a QR code that scans every time
DENSO WAVE, the company that invented the QR code, keeps its advice short: "Basically, please print out your QR Codes with black on a white background" (DENSO WAVE's FAQ).
- Keep it dark on light: the code dark, the background light, as DENSO WAVE advises
- Watch out for red: "QR Code scanners use red light to capture the image of a QR Code," so a red code on white can look sharp to you and blank to a scanner
- Keep the margin: DENSO WAVE says a QR code "requires a four-module wide margin at all sides" (how to use it), and a module is 1 square of the code
- Test it before you print many: scan it with your own phone, from the distance people will
The generator checks the first 3 for you, and shows a note under the preview before you download.
Adding a logo without breaking it
Every QR code carries spare data, called error correction, so it still scans when part of it is dirty or covered. There are 4 levels: L, M, Q and H. DENSO WAVE says "Level M (15%) is most frequently selected," and Q or H suit places where a code gets dirty (error correction).
A logo covers part of the code on purpose. So when you add one, the generator switches to H, the highest level, and keeps the logo small: about a fifth of the code's width, on a plate in your background color.
Your logo never leaves your browser. It's shrunk to a small square and saved with your code, on this device only.
How to track QR code scans
A static code can't count its own scans, but your analytics can. Add UTM tags to the link, and every scan that opens your page shows up in Google Analytics with the source and campaign you chose.
Tick "Add UTM tags" in the generator and fill in the source, medium and campaign. It tags the link the same way as my UTM builder, and shows which GA4 channel the scans land in.
GA4 has no channel for QR codes or print. A medium GA4 knows, like referral, files the scans under Referral. A new one, like qr, lands in Unassigned: still counted, just not grouped.
PNG or SVG?
- SVG stays sharp at any size, so it's the one for print and for designers
- PNG opens everywhere: slides, posts and emails
For print, a PNG needs enough pixels for its size on paper. At 300 dpi, a common print setting, 1,024 pixels print about 8.7 cm (3.4 in) wide. The generator shows this under the size you pick.
Where creators use QR codes
- Slides at a talk, so the room can grab your link
- Printed flyers, posters and business cards
- Merch and packaging
- Guest Wi-Fi at a studio or an event
- The end of a video, pointing to your offer
How to make a QR code
The word "QR Code" is registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED in Japan and other countries.
QR Code Generator FAQs
Questions about QR codes? Here's what to know.
No, these QR codes never expire. They're static, so the link or the details are inside the code itself, and there's no service in between that can shut down.
Yes, you can use these QR codes for commercial print, with no watermark and no credit needed. DENSO WAVE, the company that invented the QR code, says you can use the code freely as long as you follow the JIS or ISO standards.
Yes, you can add your logo to a QR code with the Add a logo button. The generator switches error correction to H, the highest level, so the code still scans with the logo covering part of it.
A QR code often won't scan because of low contrast, a missing margin or a logo without enough error correction. The generator checks all 3 and shows a note under the preview when one needs fixing.
A printed QR code should be big enough for the distance people will scan it from, so test it at that distance before you print many. For a sharp print, use the SVG, or a PNG with enough pixels for your print width at 300 dpi; the generator shows that width under the size.
To track QR code scans, add UTM tags to the link before you make the code. Every scan that opens your page then shows up in Google Analytics under the source and campaign you chose.
Download an SVG QR code for print and design tools, because it stays sharp at any size. Download a PNG QR code for slides, posts and emails, since a PNG opens everywhere.
Yes, you can make a QR code for your Wi-Fi: pick Wi-Fi, type the network name and the password, and guests join by scanning it. It works for WPA, WPA2 and WPA3 networks, and for open ones.
No, your logo isn't uploaded anywhere. It's shrunk and saved in your browser only, and the code is drawn on your device.
Yes, this QR code generator is free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many codes you make.
The QR code generator is for creators and founders who put links on slides, flyers, merch and videos, and want codes that keep working.
Try the UTM builder and the schema markup generator, or see all my free tools.
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist & AI OS builder
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
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