Skip to content

Minimum QR code size

There's no fixed minimum size for a QR code: it depends on the number of modules (the little squares) and how big each one is printed. For a short link scanned with a phone, about 2 cm (0.8 in) wide plus a white border is a practical minimum. Longer content makes a denser code, which needs to be printed bigger.

QR code generatorUpdated 4 min read

The maths behind QR code size

A QR code's size is its number of modules times the size of each module, plus a margin.

  • Modules: version 1 is 21 × 21 modules, and each version up adds 4 per side, to 177 × 177 at version 40. The more you put in, the higher the version.
  • Module size: how big each square is printed. This is set by your print size, and limited by what the printer can draw cleanly and what the scanner can resolve.
  • Quiet zone: the specification asks for a clear margin four modules wide on every side.

Denso Wave, which invented the QR code, works an example: 50 characters at error correction level M need version 3 (29 × 29 modules). On a 400 dpi printer using 4 dots per module, each module is 0.254 mm, so the code is 7.4 mm wide, or 9.4 mm with the four-module quiet zone. That's for dedicated industrial scanners. Phone cameras need much bigger modules.

Practical sizes for phones

These are starting points for a short link at level M (about version 2 or 3), not rules. Always print one and test it.

  • Business card, label, product tag (scanned from about 10–20 cm): at least 2 cm wide, plus the white border.
  • Flyer, table menu, letter (scanned from 20–40 cm): 3–4 cm.
  • A4 or letter poster on a wall: as big as the layout allows; 8–10 cm or more.
  • Banner or window across a room: much larger. Size it by testing from where people will actually stand.

A common rule of thumb is to make the code about a tenth of the scanning distance wide. Treat it as a rough guide; contrast, light and the camera matter too.

If your content is long, scale up. A 94-character web address with tracking tags needs version 6 (41 × 41 modules) at level M. Printed at the same width as a version 2 code (25 × 25), each of its modules is about 40% smaller.

Don't forget the white space

The quiet zone counts towards the space the code takes up. Scanners use it to find where the code starts. Text, borders or busy backgrounds that touch the code can stop it scanning at any size.

The PNG and SVG from the generator below come with a narrow white border built in. That's less than the specification's four modules, so leave extra white space round the code when you place it in your design.

How to make a QR code smaller

If the code has to fit a small space, cut the number of modules so each one can be bigger:

  1. Shorten the content. Encode a short web address rather than a long one with tracking tags. A page on your own domain, such as liite.co/yourname, keeps the code simple.
  2. Use a lower error correction level if you don't add a logo. Level L holds more per version than M, Q or H, so the code needs fewer modules.
  3. Skip the logo. A logo needs level H, which makes the code denser.
  4. Print sharper. A vector file (SVG) keeps the edges crisp at small sizes; low-resolution images go blurry and fail sooner.

What not to do: don't squash the code out of square, and don't crop the margin to save space.

Check it before you print

Download the code, place it at its real size in your layout and print one copy on the same printer or paper. Scan it with two or three phones, at the distance people will use, in normal light. See how to test a QR code for a full checklist.

QR code generator

Open the full tool

Related guides

Sources

Questions

What is the minimum QR code size?

There's no single number: it depends on how many modules the code has and how sharp the print is. For codes people scan with a phone, about 2 cm (0.8 in) wide plus a white border is a sensible minimum for a short link. Test a print before you order many.

What size should I make a QR code?

Scale it to the distance. Business cards and labels read from a hand's length can use about 2–2.5 cm. Flyers and menus read from the table do better at 3–4 cm. Posters read from across a room need much more, so print a test and try it from where people will stand.

How do I make a QR code smaller?

Put less in it. A shorter link needs fewer modules, so each module can be bigger at the same print size. Use a lower error correction level if you don't add a logo, and drop tracking tags you don't need.

What is the smallest QR code that is readable?

The smallest standard QR code, version 1, is 21 × 21 modules. Denso Wave's own example prints modules at 0.254 mm for industrial scanners. Phone cameras need much larger modules than that.