What this does
Turns any text or URL into a QR code as you type, and lets you take it away
as a PNG, an SVG, or straight to the clipboard. Encoding happens in the page
with the qrcode library — the text you enter is never sent to a
server, which matters more than it sounds if you are encoding a Wi-Fi
password or an internal link.
How do I make a QR code?
- Replace the sample URL in the box with your own text. The preview redraws on every keystroke.
- Leave error correction on M unless you have a reason to change it.
- Set the pixel size — 128 to 1024, in steps of 32, defaulting to 320. This only affects the PNG; the SVG is resolution-independent.
- Click Download PNG, Download SVG, or Copy image to put a PNG on the clipboard.
Should I download the PNG or the SVG?
PNG for anything that ends on a screen or in a slide — it is a flat raster at exactly the size you picked. SVG for print, signage, or a sticker, where the code has to stay sharp at any scale; it is a vector path, so a business card and a poster use the same file. The SVG is also the version to hand a designer, since the modules stay editable.
What do the error correction levels mean?
QR codes carry redundant data so a damaged or partly covered code still reads. The four levels trade that redundancy against density:
- L — about 7% recoverable. Fewest modules, so the pattern stays coarse for long URLs. Fine on a screen.
- M — about 15%. The default, and the right answer for most printing.
- Q — about 25%. Worth it on curved, glossy, or hard-wearing surfaces.
- H — about 30%. Choose this if you plan to drop a logo over the middle of the code.
Higher levels mean more modules for the same text, so the individual squares get smaller. Raise the pixel size to compensate when you go to Q or H.
Why won't my long text encode?
A QR code has a hard ceiling — roughly 2,900 bytes of arbitrary text at level L, and considerably less at H, since redundancy eats into the same budget. Past that the generator errors out instead of producing an unscannable code. Long content is better handled by encoding a short link and hosting the text behind it; you can tidy up the link first with the URL encoder.
Why does my printed code scan badly?
Two usual culprits. The quiet zone: the code is drawn with the four-module white border the spec calls for, and scanners rely on it, so don't crop it away or butt artwork right up against the modules in your layout. And contrast: the code is rendered pure black on pure white, and inverting it or printing it in a light brand colour is what breaks most real-world scans. Test the finished artwork with QR scanner before it goes to press.