QR code size calculator: print size by distance
Work out the minimum QR code size for any scanning distance and any amount of data, for business cards, flyers, posters, shop windows and billboards.
Minimum code size
12 cm
pattern only, square
- Comfortable size
- 17 cm
- With quiet zone
- 15 cm
- One module
- 4.0 mm
- Rule used
- distance ÷ 10 × modules ÷ 25
Assumes a normal phone camera in decent light. Glossy, curved or textured surfaces: use the comfortable size.
Set how far away people will scan from and how much the code has to hold.
The calculator gives the minimum print size and the size of one module.
Add a margin and you have the number to give the printer.
Questions
What is the rule of thumb for QR code size?+
Distance divided by ten. A code scanned from 1 m should be at least 10 cm wide. The calculator refines that for the number of modules, since a denser code needs to be bigger.
What is a module and why does it matter?+
A module is one square of the pattern. Cameras need each module to cover a few pixels, so a code with more modules needs more physical size for the same distance. Short links mean fewer modules.
How small can a QR code be printed?+
For a phone at arm's length, 2 cm is a safe floor for a short link on good paper. Below that, use as few modules as possible and test a real print.
Does the quiet zone count in the size?+
No. The sizes here are for the pattern itself. Add a clear margin of at least four modules on every side.
More free tools
Learn the terms
- ModuleA module is one square cell of a QR code, dark or light. It is the basic unit of the symbol: every size, margin and print rule for a QR code is measured in modules.
- Version informationVersion information is an 18-bit field that records the version of a large QR code. It appears only in versions 7 to 40, as two 6 × 3 blocks near the top-right and bottom-left finder patterns.
- QR code versionA QR code version is the size of the symbol, numbered 1 to 40. Version 1 is 21 × 21 modules and each version adds 4 modules per side, up to 177 × 177 modules for version 40.
- Data capacityData capacity is how much a QR code can hold. The largest, version 40 at level L, stores up to 7,089 digits, 4,296 alphanumeric characters or 2,953 bytes; smaller codes and higher error correction hold less.
- Error correction levelsError correction levels set how much of a QR code can be damaged and still scan. There are four: L recovers about 7% of codewords, M about 15%, Q about 25% and H about 30%.
- Encoding modesEncoding modes are the ways a QR code packs characters into bits. The four main modes are numeric, alphanumeric, byte and kanji, and a single code can switch between them.
The next step
Make the code the artwork.
These tools make and check classic codes. AriaQR turns your photo, logo or illustration into the code itself, verified on real decoders before you download, with a link you can edit and track.
