QR Code Generator

QR Code Generator — Custom QR Codes with Downloadable PNGs

This QR code generator renders a scannable code on a canvas and lets you download it as a PNG. You control three things that matter for real-world printing: the pixel size, the foreground and background colours, and the error correction level. Generation happens entirely in your browser — the content you encode is never uploaded, which makes it safe for QR codes containing internal URLs, serial numbers or WiFi details.

Almost any string can be encoded. A URL, plain text, an email address, a phone number, a BEGIN:VCARD block, or a WiFi login string all work, because a QR code is just text in a square matrix — the scanner decides what to do with it based on the first characters.

Error Correction Levels: What L, M, Q and H Actually Buy You

Every QR code contains redundant data so that a damaged or partially hidden code still scans. The level sets how much of that redundancy is included, and the trade-off is direct: higher levels survive more damage but hold less data, so the printed modules get smaller and the code gets harder to scan at a distance.

If you want a logo in the middle, jump straight to H — it is the level that makes the centre knockout tolerable. At L or M the same logo will break the code.

Why Scannability Fails More Often Than Encoding

A correctly generated code that will not scan is a much more common problem than a broken one. The causes are almost all about contrast and print size rather than the data:

• Contrast is the single biggest factor. Scanners look for dark modules on a light background. A light-coloured code on a dark background fails on many scanners, and mid-tones like pastel blue on white can fail too. Keep black on white unless you have tested the specific pairing.
• Print it large. The standard is roughly the size of a business card — about 3.5 cm — for a code holding a URL. Small codes on flyers, or codes shown in a video, simply will not resolve.
• Do not round the corners or add heavy effects. Rounded modules, drop shadows, gradients and heavy stylisation all degrade scannability.
• Leave a quiet zone. There must be a light margin of roughly four modules around the code, or scanners will pick up surrounding graphics as part of it.
• Always test on the real target. Print it, then scan it with the two or three phones your audience actually uses. A code that works in a preview is not evidence that it works in print.
• Keep the contrast at least 3:1. Use the Color Contrast Checker before committing to a branded colour scheme.

What to Encode

The generator accepts any text, but the value comes from choosing the right format for the job:

These structured formats are verbose, which is exactly the case for raising the error correction level and printing large — a long WiFi or vCard payload produces a dense code with small modules that struggles in print.

A Note on Privacy

Because the code is drawn locally, the encoded content never leaves your device. That is worth knowing when generating a code for an internal tool, a guest WiFi network, or a document that is not yet public — you can build and export it without publishing anything.

The reverse also holds: anyone who scans the code can read it. A QR code is not encryption. It obscures a URL from a passing human, but not from a camera, so never encode credentials, tokens or personal data you would not put on a poster.