What next?
A QR code carries a URL. These prepare and verify what goes in it.
How to use this tool
- Enter the URL or text to encode.
- Adjust the size and colours if you like.
- Download the QR code as an image.
What your result means
The code encodes exactly the characters you typed and nothing more — there is no redirect, no tracking and no server involved, so the code will keep working for as long as whatever it points to does. A URL is stored as plain text; the scanning app is what decides to open it.
The grid gets denser as the content gets longer, and denser codes need to be printed larger or scanned closer. Two practical rules: keep the quiet zone — the blank margin around the code — clear, and print at roughly one centimetre of code per ten centimetres of expected scanning distance. If a code will be printed once and used for years, point it at a short URL you control rather than a long one you may want to change.
Why this one is different
The PNG you download is drawn at the pixel size you picked rather than scaled up from a preview, so a code headed for print stays crisp. The encoder ships with the page instead of loading from someone else's network, which means it works offline and whatever you encode — a link, a phone number, a wifi string — is never handed to a server to be drawn.
How a car-parts factory invented the QR code
QR codes were created in 1994 by a Toyota subsidiary to track car parts faster than barcodes could. Decades later they resurfaced on menus, posters and payments — a quiet invention that suddenly ran the world.
Because the data lives inside the pattern itself, the codes you make here never expire and need no tracking service — print them once and they work forever.
How it works
A QR code encodes your text as a grid of black and white squares that phone cameras can read instantly. Type a link or message, adjust the size and colour, and download the result as a PNG to print or share. Everything is generated on your device.
How a QR code stores data
A QR code is a two-dimensional grid encoding data as black and white modules, with three large squares in the corners so a scanner can find its orientation. Part of every code is given over to Reed–Solomon error correction, at one of four levels: L recovers about 7% damage, M 15%, Q 25% and H 30%. Higher correction means a denser grid for the same content — which is the trade-off if you plan to put a logo over the middle.
Worked example
How content length changes the code:
A full URL with parameters ~90 characters → noticeably denser
Maximum capacity 4,296 alphanumeric characters
Density is the practical constraint, not the limit. A code holding a 14-character address scans reliably from across a room at poster size; the same physical square holding 500 characters may need a phone held 20 cm away. If a code is going on a leaflet or a window, shorten what it points at rather than shrinking the code.
Frequently asked questions
Do these QR codes expire?＋
No. The data is baked directly into the code, so it works forever and needs no tracking service — but that also means you can't edit it after printing.
Can I use a very dark colour?＋
Yes. Keep strong contrast against the white background so cameras scan reliably — the presets are all safe choices.
How much data can a QR code hold?＋
Up to about 4,300 alphanumeric characters at the largest size, but readability falls as density rises. Keep URLs short so the code stays easy to scan from a distance.
What is error correction and which level should I pick?＋
Error correction lets a code be read when part of it is damaged or covered, at levels from about 7 to 30 percent. Higher levels make the pattern denser, so use the higher settings only if the code will carry a logo or be printed on something that gets handled.
How big should a printed QR code be?＋
A common rule is that the code should be at least a tenth of the scanning distance. For a poster read from two metres, that means about 20 cm square, plus a clear quiet zone around the edge.
Can I track scans?＋
Not with a static code, which encodes the destination directly. Tracking requires a redirect service, which adds a dependency and a point of failure if that service ever disappears.
Related tools
Assumptions & limitations
The code is generated to spec. Whether it scans reliably depends on how it is used:
- Codes are static: the destination is encoded in the pattern and cannot be changed after printing.
- Contrast matters more than colour. A light foreground on a dark background, or a low-contrast pair, will fail on many scanners.
- The quiet zone around the code is part of the symbol. Cropping to the edge of the pattern breaks scanning.
- Print size must suit the scanning distance, and higher error correction raises density, so test a physical proof before a print run.