Enter a scanning distance and content length to get the minimum print size, with the formula shown.
The calculator uses a rule of thumb from the print and signage industry, not a number from the ISO/IEC 18004 QR code standard, which does not specify a print size. It takes the larger of two limits:
minSizeMm = max(distanceMm / 10, modules × 0.4mm × densityFactor)
The first term is the “one-tenth of the scan distance” guideline: a code meant to be read from 1 meter away should be at least 100 mm across. The second term accounts for how much data the code holds. More content forces a higher QR version with more modules packed into the same grid, and each module needs roughly 0.4 mm to resolve cleanly on a phone camera at close range. densityFactor is 1.0 for versions 1–10 and 1.25 for versions above that, since denser codes lose a little more resolving power than the raw module count suggests. Whichever term is larger sets the result, and the calculator tells you which one it was.
Worked example: the URL https://quickqrmaker.com/menu is 29 characters, which at error correction M gives a version 3 code, 29 modules across. On a poster read from 1 m, the distance term is 1000 / 10 = 100 mm and the density term is 29 × 0.4 × 1.0 = 11.6 mm, so the answer is 100 mm, distance-limited. Add a logo and the calculator raises error correction to Q (still 29 modules for this URL) and adds 15%, for 115 mm.
| Use case | Distance | Distance-limited minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Business card | 250 mm | 25 mm |
| Table tent | 500 mm | 50 mm |
| Poster | 1000 mm | 100 mm |
| Shop window | 2000 mm | 200 mm |
| Billboard | 10000 mm | 1000 mm |
These are only the distance term; a code with a lot of content or a logo can still be density-limited even at a short scan distance, which is why the calculator computes both terms rather than using a lookup table.
Covering the middle of a QR code with a logo removes real data modules. The code compensates with error correction, which can reconstruct missing modules up to a point, but only if enough of the pattern survives. The calculator uses at least Q-level error correction whenever the logo toggle is on, which raises the module count, and adds a further 15% to the final size to keep the remaining modules large enough to read reliably. Without this margin, a branded QR code that tests fine on a phone held six inches away can fail once it’s shrunk onto a business card. Use the design studio’s live scannability score to confirm a specific logo, colour or gradient before you print; a gradient is graded by its palest end rather than an average, which is the figure that matters at size.
Once you have a size, download the code at the resolution to match: the QR codes for printing page covers vector export and 300 DPI, and the QR code tester lets you verify the exported file decodes correctly before it goes to a printer.
There is no fixed minimum: it depends on the scanning distance and how much data the code holds. A short-URL QR code held a few inches from a phone camera can scan at under half an inch across. The same content on a poster read from across a room needs to be many times larger, because the limiting factor shifts from module density to viewing distance.
Yes. More characters force a higher QR version, which packs more modules into the same code, and each module needs a minimum physical size for a phone camera to resolve it cleanly. A short link like quickqrmaker.com/x needs far less size than a long tracking URL with query parameters. Keep the URL under about 80 characters, or use a short path on a domain you control; a shortener you do not control can break every printed code at once.
A logo covers part of the code, so the error correction has to reconstruct more missing data from the modules that remain. The calculator uses at least Q-level error correction whenever a logo is present, which increases the module count, and adds 15% to the size so the remaining modules stay large enough to read. Keep the logo under roughly 20 to 30% of the code area.
No. A logo removes data modules, so the calculator compensates with error correction and a 15% margin. A gradient removes nothing — every module is still there, some are just fainter — so the formula is unchanged. What it spends is the margin the result already assumes, since the distance rule takes a code that reads equally well all over. If you are between two sizes, take the larger, and check the studio’s score: it grades a gradient by its palest end.
No. The ISO/IEC 18004 QR code specification does not define a minimum print size; it only defines the code structure and error correction math. The distance-to-size ratio and per-module minimum used here are working rules from the print and signage industry, stated on this page so you can check the arithmetic yourself, not a certified requirement.
M (15% recovery) is a reasonable default for clean printing. Use Q (25%) if you are adding a logo or printing on a textured or curved surface, and H (30%) for outdoor signage exposed to weather and dirt. Each step up adds modules, so pick the level first and then read the size.