How QR Codes Work and How to Make Them Scan
What this generator creates
A QR code is a compact, machine-readable grid that a phone camera decodes in a fraction of a second. This generator turns what you type — a website URL, plain text, WiFi network credentials, or vCard contact details — into that grid, then lets you shape it: error-correction level, pixel size and margin, foreground and background colors, dot and corner styles, and an optional center logo.
The result updates as you edit; save it as a high-resolution PNG for screens and print, or an SVG that stays sharp at any scale.
Choosing what to encode
The starting points cover most needs. A URL is the classic case: scanning opens the link directly, so QR codes appear on posters, packaging, and menus. Plain text can carry anything from a coupon code to a short message. The WiFi option encodes a network name and password so guests connect by pointing their camera instead of typing, and the vCard option packs a name, phone, and email into a single scan that saves straight to contacts.
A single code holds up to 4,296 alphanumeric characters, but shorter content makes a simpler, more damage-tolerant grid that scans faster — so keep URLs trimmed.
Example: a WiFi code for guests
Say you want visitors to join your network without sharing the password out loud. Enter the network name and passphrase, and the tool builds a code following the WiFi:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:password;; convention. Anyone who scans it is prompted to join. Bump the size to 512px for a printed sign by the door, keep a clear margin around the grid, and it reads across the room.
Getting a code that always scans
Two things make or break a scan: contrast and error correction. Keep the foreground darker than the background — the classic dark-on-light — since inverted or low-contrast codes confuse many scanners. The error-correction level decides how much of the code can be damaged or covered while still decoding: Low recovers about 7%, Medium 15%, Quartile 25%, and High about 30%. Higher levels add redundancy, exactly what you need when a logo sits in the center and hides part of the pattern.
Leave the quiet-zone margin intact, and pick High whenever a code will be printed small, laminated, or carry a logo. For format, choose PNG when you need a fixed-size image for a document or slide, and SVG when the code will be resized for a banner or professional print — note that circle dots and rounded corners apply to PNG only, while SVG exports use square modules.