QR Code Size Guide: Minimum Sizes for Print & Digital
How big should your QR code be? Size guidelines for business cards, posters, billboards, and packaging.
Why Size Matters for QR Codes
A QR code that is too small will not scan reliably. The minimum size depends on the scanning distance — the further the scanner is from the code, the larger it needs to be. A QR code on a business card needs to be much smaller than one on a billboard, but the scanning distance is also much shorter.
The general rule is: minimum size equals scanning distance divided by 10. A code scanned from 12 inches away should be at least 1.2 inches. A code scanned from 6 feet away (72 inches) should be at least 7.2 inches.
Size Recommendations by Format
Business cards: 0.6 to 1 inch (15-25 mm). Flyers and brochures: 1 to 1.5 inches (25-38 mm). Table tents and menus: 1.5 to 2 inches (38-50 mm). Posters (indoor): 2 to 4 inches (50-100 mm). Banners and signs: 4 to 8 inches (100-200 mm). Billboards: 12+ inches (300+ mm).
These are minimums for reliable scanning. When in doubt, go bigger. A QR code that is slightly too large is always better than one that is too small to scan.
Quiet Zone: The Required White Space
Every QR code requires a quiet zone — a margin of blank space around the code — for scanners to detect its boundaries. The standard minimum quiet zone is 4 modules wide (the width of 4 of the smallest squares in the code). In practice, leave at least 2-3 mm of white space around the code at business card sizes, and scale up proportionally for larger formats.
Cutting into the quiet zone or placing the code against a busy background is the most common reason QR codes fail to scan. This margin is not decorative — it is functional.
Resolution and File Format
Always export QR codes in SVG format for print. SVG is a vector format that scales to any size without losing quality. PNG and JPG are raster formats that become blurry when enlarged. If your print workflow requires a raster format, export at the largest available size and scale down rather than up.
For digital screens (websites, presentations, digital signage), PNG at the target display resolution is fine. Most screens display at 72-150 PPI, so a 1024px PNG covers most use cases.