QR Code Generator (Free, Online)
Create and download a QR code for free just by entering text or a URL. Adjust the error correction level, size, margin, and colors, then save as PNG or SVG. Everything runs in your browser — nothing you enter is sent to a server.
Tips
- Raising the error correction level makes the code more readable even if it gets a bit dirty or damaged, but it also makes the pattern denser and the image larger.
- Keep enough contrast between the foreground and background colors — pairing two light colors can make the code unreadable to a phone camera.
- When printing a QR code for display, leave enough margin (quiet zone) around it so scanners can find it reliably.
- A long URL produces a dense, hard-to-scan pattern, so it is a good idea to shorten it with a URL shortener before encoding.
- If you enter a properly formatted string, such as Wi-Fi credentials or a vCard, a compatible app can read the settings directly from the QR code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Side Note — The Birth of the QR Code and How It Works
The QR code is a two-dimensional barcode developed in 1994 by the Japanese company Denso Wave. The one-dimensional barcodes then used to manage automotive parts could only hold about 20 numeric digits, and that was no longer enough as production processes grew more complex. The name "QR" stands for "Quick Response," reflecting the original design goal of letting a scanner read the code almost instantly.
Three of the four corners of a QR code carry a distinctive square pattern called a "position detection pattern," which lets a camera recognize the correct orientation of the code no matter what angle it is scanned from. The code also embeds Reed-Solomon error correction, so even if part of it gets dirty or damaged, up to about 30% of the data can still be recovered and read correctly.
Although Denso Wave holds the patent for the QR code, it chose not to enforce that right and published the specification openly, which let companies around the world adopt the technology freely. In recent years, the spread of cashless payments and the rise of contactless menus and ordering systems at restaurants have pushed QR code use to grow dramatically, both in Japan and worldwide.