QR code size guide
Size is the most-asked and most-guessed QR question. It shouldn't be guessed: it is a function of scanning distance and data density, both measurable. This page is the reference table.
The rule everything derives from
Printed width ≈ scanning distance ÷ 10. One division answers most cases — the table below just applies it per support.
| Support | Typical distance | Minimum width | |---|---|---| | Business card | ~25 cm (in hand) | 2.5 cm (floor: 2 cm) | | Flyer / leaflet | ~30 cm | 3 cm | | Table menu | 25-30 cm | 2.5-3 cm | | Product packaging | 30-40 cm | 3-4 cm | | Counter display | 50-80 cm | 5-8 cm | | Indoor poster | 1-2 m | 10-20 cm | | Shop window | 2-3 m (street) | 20-30 cm | | Signage / billboard | 5 m+ | 50 cm+ |
Worse-than-average conditions — dim light, moving readers, glossy finish — justify +50%. Oversizing has no failure mode; undersizing has only failure modes.
The density variable
A QR code holding more characters uses a finer grid: more modules in the same square, each smaller, each harder to resolve at distance. Practical consequences: a clean 30-character URL can work at the table minimums above; a 200-character tracking monster may need half again the size. Shortening the destination is free printed space. Error correction adds density too — that is not a reason to lower it below H for print (the damage insurance matters more), just a reason to respect the floors.
The resolution floor
Size on paper means nothing if the file can't fill it: vector (SVG/PDF) first, always, for print; raster at 300 DPI at final size minimum — and never an upscaled small file, which arrives blurry. Quiet zone counts inside your reserved space: budget the white margin *in addition* to the widths above, not carved out of them.
Sizing in practice, in order
- Measure the real scanning distance where the code will live.
- Divide by ten; round up.
- Add 50% if conditions are hostile.
- Shorten the URL before enlarging the code.
- Print one proof at final size and scan it — the table gets you to the right neighbourhood; the proof signs the lease.
If a correctly sized code still refuses to scan, size is no longer your problem: work the three failure layers.
Frequently asked questions
What size should a QR code be on a business card?
2.5 cm, never below 2 cm. Cards are scanned in hand at ~25 cm, and the code competes with limited space — resist shrinking it below the floor.
How big must a QR code be on a poster?
Width ≈ viewing distance ÷ 10. Read from 2 metres, the code needs ~20 cm; from 5 metres, ~50 cm. When lighting is poor or people move past, add half again.
Does the amount of data change the minimum size?
Yes. More characters mean a denser module grid; each module gets smaller and needs more physical size to resolve. A short URL lets the same code work smaller.
What resolution should the file be?
Vector (SVG/PDF) whenever possible — size-independent. For raster, at least 300 DPI at final size: a 3 cm code needs roughly 350 px minimum; our exports at 2400-4800 px leave wide margins.
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