How to make a QR code
- Type or paste your link into the URL or text box, the code renders live in the panel below as you type. Press Sample if you just want to see it working first.
- Open the Download size menu and choose 256 px for a small on-screen badge, 512 px for web and social, or 1024 px for anything headed to print.
- Point your phone camera at the on-screen code to confirm it scans and lands on the right destination.
- Click Download PNG to save the image, then drop it into your design, slide, menu or sign.
QR codes have quietly become the fastest way to bridge paper and phone: a table tent that opens a restaurant menu, a wedding invitation that links to an RSVP form, a business card that adds your contact in one tap, a conference poster that jumps to the schedule, or product packaging that points to setup instructions. The catch with many online generators is that they watermark the image, gate it behind a sign-up, or, worst of all, route your link through their redirect domain so they can track scans. When that company changes plans or shuts down, every code you printed goes dead. This tool encodes your content directly into the pattern, so the code carries the link itself with no middleman.
Everything is drawn on a <canvas> element in your browser using a small open-source library, so the text you enter is never uploaded and the resulting PNG is generated on your machine. The first code you make pulls in that library once; after that the page keeps working even offline. You get a clean, transparent-free black-and-white PNG with no logo stamped in the corner, ready to print at whatever size you selected.
How much data fits in a QR code
A QR code is a grid of black and white modules, and the more you encode the denser that grid becomes. In practice a code can hold up to about 4,296 alphanumeric characters, or roughly 2,953 bytes of arbitrary data, far more than any normal URL needs. That is exactly why you should keep the content short: a link like https://example.com/menu produces a sparse, forgiving pattern that scans instantly from across a room, while cramming in a giant tracking URL packs the grid tight and forces the camera much closer. If your destination link is long, shorten the page structure rather than the QR itself, and the code stays easy to scan.
Frequently asked questions
Do these QR codes expire?
No. Your text or URL is encoded straight into the pattern with no shortening or redirect service in the middle, so the code keeps working forever, for as long as the URL it points to stays online. There is no account or subscription that can switch it off.
Which download size should I choose?
Pick 256 px for a small badge on a web page, 512 px for social posts and slides, and 1024 px for anything printed. As a rule of thumb a printed code should be at least 2×2 cm and is comfortably scanned from roughly ten times its width away, so bigger prints want the larger export.
What can I put in a QR code besides a website link?
Any text works. Common ones are contact details, a plain message, an email address written as mailto:you@example.com, a phone number as tel:+15551234567, or Wi-Fi credentials. When scanned, phones display the text or offer the matching action, like starting an email or joining a network.
Is the text I enter uploaded anywhere?
No. The code is rendered entirely in your browser on a canvas element, and the PNG is created on your device. Nothing you type is sent to a server, which makes it safe for private links, internal URLs or Wi-Fi passwords.
My code won't scan, what's wrong?
Usually it's contrast or size. Keep the code dark on a light background, avoid printing it over a busy image, leave a clear "quiet zone" of blank space around all four sides, and print it large enough for the viewing distance. Shortening a very long URL also thins out the pattern and helps.
Can I add my logo or change the colors?
This tool outputs a standard high-contrast black-and-white PNG for maximum scan reliability. You can open the downloaded PNG in any image editor to recolor it or drop a small logo in the center, but keep strong contrast so scanners still read it. Need to shrink the file for the web afterward? Run it through Compress Image.