How to make a QR code
Choose what the code should do (open a link, join WiFi, save a contact), paste in the details, then download the image as PNG or SVG. Test it with your phone camera before you print, and use a static code if the content will never change, because static codes cannot expire.
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Which type of QR code do you need?
Start with what you want to happen when someone scans the code. The maker handles the common jobs:
- Link: opens a website, a menu, a PDF or a form.
- WiFi: joins your network without typing the password. See the WiFi QR code generator.
- Contact: saves your name, phone and email to the scanner’s phone. See the vCard QR code generator.
- Email, SMS, WhatsApp and phone: start a message or a call with the details filled in.
- Social profiles and Google reviews: open your page or your review form.
If you are not sure, a link code works for almost anything that lives on the web.
Static or dynamic: pick before you print
This is the choice that matters most, and you cannot change it later.
- Static code: your link or details go straight into the pattern. It never expires, because there is nothing to switch off. Every free code on this site is static.
- Dynamic code: the pattern holds a short link that forwards to your real link. You can change where it points after printing, but it depends on the company that runs the short link.
Use a static code if the content will not change. If you need to edit the link later, a dynamic QR code is the right tool. The full comparison is in static vs dynamic QR codes.
How to make a QR code on iPhone, Android or a computer
The maker works the same way in any modern browser, on a phone or a computer. Open this page, paste your details and download the file. On a phone, the image saves to your photos or files, ready to share.
Some phones and browsers can also make a basic code for the page you are viewing. That is fine for a quick share, but you usually cannot pick a type, add a logo or choose a file format for print.
Size, color and logo rules that keep it scannable
A code that looks good but will not scan is worse than no code. Keep these rules in mind:
- Contrast: dark squares on a light background. Avoid light codes on dark backgrounds.
- Size: bigger is safer, especially for posters and signs read from a distance. The QR code size for printing guide has a chart.
- Logo: keep it small and centered. The QR code generator with logo page explains how far you can go.
- Quiet zone: leave a clear margin around the code. Do not crop it tight.
- File type: SVG stays sharp at any size, so use it for print. PNG is fine for screens.
Test your QR code before printing
Testing takes a minute and can save a whole print run.
- Scan the code with your phone camera and check it opens the right thing.
- Try a second phone if you can, ideally one iPhone and one Android.
- Scan it from the distance people will use.
- Print one test copy at the final size and scan that too.
If a code will not scan, why won’t my QR code scan? covers the usual causes.
Why some free QR codes stop working
Some sites advertise free codes but make dynamic ones during a trial. When the trial ends, the short link can be switched off, and every printed copy stops working. One large generator’s home page, read 3 November 2026, says that after signing up “you will have the chance to try all the features of our generator free for 14 days” (qr-code-generator.com).
Static codes avoid this. To learn more, read do QR codes expire? or, if yours already stopped, QR code expired?