QR Code Size Guide: How Big to Print a QR Code

Size calculator

The calculator applies the rules in the next section and takes the largest result. It is a starting point for a test print, not a guarantee: phone cameras, light and print quality vary.

The rules of thumb and where they come from

Rule	Number	Source (checked 24 October 2026)
Scan distance to code width	about 10 : 1 — a 1 cm code from 10 cm, a 1 m code from 10 m	Bitly blog, “What’s the Minimum Size for a QR Code?” (October 2024). A rule of thumb, not a standard.
Smallest practical size	2 cm × 2 cm (about 0.8 × 0.8 in)	Same Bitly article: the size “most QR Code scanners” read.
Module width for a given distance	about 1/250 of the distance — 1.2 mm per module from 30 cm	Worked out from the QRStuff “QR Code Minimum Size” table (2011), which assumes a 3–4 megapixel camera and a black code on white.
Quiet zone	4 modules of clear space on every side	DENSO WAVE, the inventor of QR Code (qrcode.com, “Point for determining the code area”).
Modules per side	21 × 21 at version 1 up to 177 × 177 at version 40, 4 more per version	DENSO WAVE (qrcode.com, “Information capacity and versions of QR Code”).
Retail checkout scanners	modules of 0.396 mm minimum, 0.495 mm target, 0.990 mm maximum, quiet zone 4 modules	GS1 New Zealand, “QR Code powered by GS1 – quick start guide”. These limits are for checkout scanners, not phone cameras.

No standard sets a phone scanning distance. ISO/IEC 18004 defines how the symbol is built, and the distance figures above come from QR code services and their own tests. That is why this guide calls them rules of thumb and why every printed code still deserves a test scan.

Why the number of modules matters as much as the width

A phone does not read the code as a whole; it has to tell each small square — each module — apart. The more content you put in a code, the more modules it needs. DENSO WAVE describes it this way: more data means more modules and therefore a larger symbol. Print two codes at the same width and the one with more content has smaller modules, so it must be scanned from closer or printed larger.

That is where the two rules of thumb part ways. The 10 : 1 rule ignores content. The QRStuff table scales with the module count: from 30 cm, a 25-module code needs 30 mm, a 35-module code 42 mm and a 50-module code 60 mm. For a 25-module code both rules give the same answer. Above that, the module rule asks for more, and this guide uses the larger of the two.

QR Meadow shows the version and module count under every preview, for example “Version 3 · 29 × 29 modules”. A short web address is usually version 2 or 3. A Wi-Fi network is often 3 to 5, and a full contact card can reach 10 or more. Shorter content gives a smaller code: a short link or a vCard with only the fields you need helps more than any styling.

Examples

The distances below are typical assumptions, not measurements; the widths are calculated with the rules above (the larger of 10 : 1 and 1/250 per module, never under 2 cm).

Where	Assumed distance	Code	Code width	With quiet zone
Business card with a web address	20 cm	Version 3, 29 modules	2.3 cm	3.0 cm
Contact card (vCard) on a flyer	25 cm	Version 8, 49 modules	4.9 cm	5.7 cm
Wi-Fi card on a café table	30 cm	Version 5, 37 modules	4.4 cm	5.4 cm
Menu on a table tent	40 cm	Version 4, 33 modules	5.3 cm	6.6 cm
Poster across a room	1.5 m	Version 4, 33 modules	19.8 cm	24.6 cm
Shop window seen from the pavement	3 m	Version 3, 29 modules	34.8 cm	44.4 cm

The quiet zone counts

DENSO WAVE specifies a margin of four modules on all sides. It is part of the code: a scanner uses the clear border to find where the symbol starts. When you plan the space on a layout, add the quiet zone to the code width — that is the “with quiet zone” column above. QR Meadow’s PNG, SVG and PDF downloads already include it, and a frame is drawn outside it, so do not crop the white border off in a design tool.

Printer resolution and small codes

Very small codes are also limited by the printer. DENSO WAVE’s own example prints each module with 4 dots on a 400 dpi printer, which gives modules of 0.254 mm; a version 3 code is then 7.4 mm wide, or 9.4 mm with its quiet zone. That is a code for a scanner held right against a label, far below the 2 cm that phone users need. For phones, design for the distance first and check that the printer can render each module sharply.

Use a vector file for print. The SVG and PDF downloads stay sharp at any size, and the PDF can be saved at a set width (2, 3, 5 or 10 cm) so the code arrives at the size you planned.

Colour, material and checkout scanners

• Keep strong contrast: a dark code on a light background. QR Meadow warns below 4 : 1 and checks every gradient end and corner colour separately.
• For codes that must also scan at a shop checkout, GS1 New Zealand advises dark colours on a light background, no inverted colours, and no red or orange, because many checkout scanners use red light.
• Curved, glossy or textured surfaces make a code harder to read. Allow extra size and test on the real material.

Before you print a full run

1. Make the code with the shortest content that does the job, and note its version and module count.
2. Pick the size with the calculator or the table, then round up.
3. Print one proof at the final size on the final material.
4. Scan it with two or three different phones, including an older one, from the distance people will really stand, in the light of the real location.

Questions

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