The minimum size for a QR code is 2 x 2 cm (0.8 x 0.8 in) for anything scanned at arm's length, and the rule for every other placement is simple: print width should be at least the scan distance divided by 10. A code read from 1 m away needs to be about 10 cm wide, and a billboard code read from 10 m needs to be about 1 m wide. Skin is the hardest surface of all, because ink spreads for years: how big a QR code tattoo needs to be.
Those two numbers answer most sizing questions, but they assume a short URL, an intact quiet zone, and a sharp print. Stuff 300 characters into the code, print it at 72 DPI, or crop the white border, and a 2 cm code that should work will fail. This page is the full data set: the size chart by use case, the module math behind it, and the exact pixel dimensions to export for print. Already have a code that came out too small or soft? Check it with the blurry QR code reader.
QR code size calculator
Paste the link you will encode and pick where it will be printed. You get the minimum print size, a true-size preview, and the code itself at that size.
Shown at true size on your screen.
The 10:1 rule: size follows scan distance
A phone camera needs the code to fill enough of the frame to resolve every individual module. In practice that happens when the code width is about one tenth of the distance between the camera and the print. So the working formula is: minimum code width = scan distance / 10. From 30 cm you need 3 cm, from 2 m you need 20 cm, from 15 m you need 1.5 m.
Treat 10:1 as the floor, not the target. If the code sits behind glass, catches glare, gets scanned at an angle, or carries a lot of data, move to 8:1. A poster code sized at 12 cm instead of 10 cm costs nothing in layout and buys a real margin in scan rate. Size is only half of a print job; placement and the call to action decide whether anyone scans, as covered in QR code placement on a flyer or poster.
QR code size chart by use case
| Placement | Minimum code size | Max reliable scan distance |
|---|---|---|
| Business card | 2 x 2 cm (0.8 in) | 20 cm (8 in) |
| Product label or sticker | 2 to 2.5 cm | 20 to 25 cm |
| Table tent or menu | 3 x 3 cm (1.2 in) | 30 cm (12 in) |
| Flyer or brochure | 4 x 4 cm (1.6 in) | 40 cm (16 in) |
| Poster | 10 x 10 cm (4 in) | 1 m (3.3 ft) |
| Shop window | 15 x 15 cm (6 in) | 1.5 m (5 ft) |
| Billboard or vehicle wrap | 1 x 1 m (3.3 ft) | 10 m (33 ft) |
These sizes refer to the dark module area of the code itself. The white quiet zone comes on top of them, which matters when you are squeezing a code onto a 2.5 x 5 cm product label. Our QR code for labels generator handles that case directly: it sizes the code and quiet zone to fit standard label sheets so nothing gets cropped at print time.
One more note on the billboard row: nobody stands 10 m from a billboard. Size for the realistic scanning position, usually a person parked or standing 5 to 15 m away, not for the far longer distance most people only ever see it from.
The smallest size of a QR code
There are two answers: the smallest code that exists, and the smallest code people will actually manage to scan.
- Smallest standard QR code: version 1, 21 x 21 squares. At the 0.4 mm square size most phone cameras need, that is about 8.4 mm across, plus a 4 square white border on each side. It only holds a very short link.
- Smallest code of any kind: a Micro QR code, version M1 at 11 x 11 squares. Our Micro QR code generator makes them, but most phone cameras do not read Micro QR, so they belong on parts and labels read by a dedicated scanner.
- Smallest on retail packaging: GS1 guidance for QR codes on products sets the square size between 0.396 mm and 0.990 mm, with 0.495 mm as the target. A 29 x 29 code at the 0.396 mm minimum measures about 11.5 mm, or about 14.6 mm with its white border.
- Smallest that reliably scans with a phone: about 2 x 2 cm (0.8 x 0.8 in) in print, which is the figure to design for on business cards, labels and stickers.
The gap between 8 mm and 2 cm is the safety margin for real life: ink spread, glossy coatings, curved surfaces, older phones and people who will not hold the camera still. Use the calculator above with your actual link to see where your code lands.
QR code size for business cards
Design for 2 x 2 cm (0.8 x 0.8 in) of code, plus the white border, which takes the total to about 2.6 to 3 cm of clear space on the card. A short link is what makes that work: a link of 25 characters gives a version 2 code with squares of about 0.8 mm at 2 cm, while a long tracking link can push the squares down to the 0.4 mm floor. Point the code at a short page you control, or use a contact QR code with only the fields people need. Placement and what to encode are covered in QR codes on business cards.
QR codes on packaging and product labels
Packaging is scanned close up, often on a curved or glossy surface, so the square size matters more than the overall size. Keep squares at 0.5 mm or more where you can, which is the GS1 target for codes on retail products, and never below 0.4 mm. Leave the full 4 square border even when the label is tight, and avoid placing the code across a seam, a fold or the curve of a bottle.
Thermal label printers print at 203 or 300 DPI. At 203 DPI each dot is 0.125 mm, so size the code so each square is a whole number of dots, for example 4 dots (0.5 mm) per square. The calculator gives the pixel size for a 203 DPI printer directly, and our QR code label maker lays codes out on standard label sheets.
Module density: more data means a bigger print
A QR code is a grid of square modules, and ISO/IEC 18004 defines 40 versions of that grid: version 1 is 21 x 21 modules, each version adds 4 modules per side, and version 40 is 177 x 177. The generator picks the version automatically based on how much data you encode. More characters means more modules, and at a fixed print size more modules means each module gets smaller.
For reliable phone scanning, keep printed modules at roughly 0.4 to 0.5 mm or larger. Run the numbers and you get a hard link between data length and minimum print size:
| QR version | Grid size | Capacity at level M (bytes) | Min print width at 0.4 mm modules, quiet zone included |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 25 x 25 | 26 | 1.3 cm |
| 4 | 33 x 33 | 62 | 1.6 cm |
| 6 | 41 x 41 | 106 | 2.0 cm |
| 10 | 57 x 57 | 213 | 2.6 cm |
The practical takeaway: a short URL of 25 to 30 characters stays at version 2 or 3 and scans happily at 2 cm. A long URL with UTM parameters can hit version 6 or higher, which at business card size pushes the modules down to that 0.4 mm floor or under it. Shorten the URL before you shrink the code. This matters double when you batch produce codes with our QR code generator from an Excel list: one long URL in the spreadsheet quietly produces one dense code that fails in print while the other 200 work.
Quiet zone: 4 modules of empty space
ISO/IEC 18004 requires a quiet zone of 4 modules of background color on all four sides of the code. Scanners use that empty border to find the edges of the symbol, and designs that crop it or run text and borders into it are one of the most common causes of failed scans. With 0.5 mm modules, 4 modules is only a 2 mm white frame, but it is not optional.
As a layout rule, reserve an extra 10 to 15 percent of the code width on each side as clear space. Keep logos, borders, and background patterns out of it, and on dark designs remember the quiet zone must match the light background of the code, not the page color. A logo in the middle spends error correction rather than clear space, and why logo QR codes fail to scan shows where that goes wrong.
QR code size with a logo
A logo in the middle of a code covers squares, and the code survives only because error correction rebuilds the missing data. That means using level H, which adds squares and makes the code denser, so a code with a logo needs to be printed bigger than the same link without one. Tick Logo in the middle in the calculator to see the difference, and keep the logo under about a quarter of the code width. Our QR code generator with logo handles the sizing and checks the result scans.
DPI math: converting print size to pixels
Standard print output is 300 DPI, which for your exported artwork means 300 pixels per inch, or 118 pixels per centimeter (300 / 2.54 = 118.1). So the export formula is: pixels = print width in cm x 118. Here are the exports for the sizes in the chart above:
| Print width | Inches | Pixels needed at 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|
| 2 cm | 0.8 in | 236 px |
| 3 cm | 1.2 in | 354 px |
| 4 cm | 1.6 in | 472 px |
| 10 cm | 3.9 in | 1181 px |
| 15 cm | 5.9 in | 1772 px |
Export at these dimensions or larger, and scale down only, never up. Upscaling a small PNG smears the module edges into gray, which is the single most common reason a printed code looks fuzzy; our guide to blurred QR code causes and fixes walks through every cause, from over-compression to low resolution PDF exports. When your workflow allows it, skip raster math entirely and export SVG, which stays sharp at any print size. Two exceptions to the 300 DPI rule: thermal label printers run at 203 DPI, so generate label codes to match that dot pitch, and large format billboard printing runs far below 300 DPI because viewing distance hides the dots.
Error correction and the size tradeoff
QR codes carry Reed Solomon error correction at four levels: L recovers about 7 percent of damaged codewords, M about 15 percent, Q about 25 percent, and H about 30 percent. Higher levels are not free. The correction data takes up capacity, which pushes the code to a higher version, which shrinks the modules at a fixed print size. How each level behaves under real damage, and which to pick for print, is covered in QR code error correction levels explained.
A concrete example: a 50 character URL fits in version 3 at level L, version 4 at M, version 5 at Q, and version 6 at H. At a fixed 2 cm print, that drops the module size from about 0.69 mm to 0.49 mm. Use M as the default. Reserve Q or H for codes that will get scratched, dirty, or partially covered by a logo overlay, and when you do use H, bump the print size up one step in the chart to pay for the extra density.
Test the size before you print
A code that scans on your monitor can still fail in print, because a screen shows it bright and sharp. Before a print run, use the Test strip to print button above: it makes a sheet with your actual code at four sizes around the recommendation. Print it at 100 percent scale (turn off fit to page), then scan each size from the real distance with two or three phones, including an older one, in the lighting where the code will live. Pick the smallest size that every phone reads first time, then go one step up.
Quick sizing checklist
- Size the code at scan distance / 10, and never below 2 x 2 cm in print
- Keep printed modules at 0.4 mm or larger; shorten URLs to keep the version low
- Preserve the 4 module quiet zone on all sides
- Export at 300 DPI (cm x 118 = px) or as SVG, and never upscale a small PNG
- Print one sample and test with two or three different phones at the real distance before the full run
If a correctly sized code still refuses to read, the problem is usually contrast, glare, or a dead link rather than size; our checklist of QR code not scanning fixes covers those in order of likelihood.
Common questions about QR code size
What is the minimum size for a QR code?
2 x 2 cm (0.8 x 0.8 in) for a code someone scans at arm's length, and that assumes a short link and a clean print. For anything further away, use scan distance divided by 10.
How small can a QR code be?
About 1 x 1 cm, but only with a very short link. A Version 1 code is 21 modules across, so at 1 cm each module is 0.48 mm, just above the 0.4 mm floor most phone cameras need. Add characters and the grid grows, the modules shrink, and the code stops scanning.
What size QR code do I need on a business card?
2 x 2 cm works, with the quiet zone on top of that. Keep the link short so the code stays at a low version, and test the printed card rather than the screen preview.
What is the smallest size of a QR code?
The smallest standard QR code is version 1 at 21 x 21 squares, about 8.4 mm across at 0.4 mm per square. In practice, design for at least 2 x 2 cm in print so every phone reads it. A Micro QR code is smaller still, but most phone cameras cannot read one.
What size should a QR code be on a poster?
About 10 cm wide for a poster read from 1 m, following the 10:1 rule, and bigger if people will read it from further away or through glass. A poster in a shop window read from the pavement needs 15 cm or more.
Does a longer link make the QR code bigger?
Yes. More characters need more squares, so at the same print size each square gets smaller. A long link with tracking parameters can need a noticeably larger print than a short one, which is why the calculator reads your actual link.
What size should a QR code be on packaging?
Size it so each square is at least 0.4 mm and ideally 0.5 mm, the GS1 target for retail products, with the full white border. For a short link that is roughly 1.5 to 2 cm of code.
How far away can a QR code be scanned?
Roughly ten times its width, in good light and straight on. A 3 cm code reads at about 30 cm, a 10 cm poster code at about 1 m. Glare, angle and glass all cut that down, which is why 8:1 is the safer target.
Does a bigger QR code always scan better?
Up to a point. Past a certain size the camera has to move back to fit the whole code in frame, and a very large code scanned from close up can fail for that reason. Size for the distance people will actually stand at.
Our QR code generator applies this sizing rule as you type and exports a print-ready SVG, and the rest of the QR tools collection covers the specific formats, and the guides index has the rest of the print and scanning deep dives, from dynamic redirect links to full scan troubleshooting. For parts too small for any regular code, a Micro QR code goes much smaller, as long as a barcode scanner rather than a phone camera reads it. Size the code right once, and it will scan for the life of the print.
Sources
- ISO/IEC 18004, the QR code standard: versions 1 to 40, module grid sizes and the 4 module quiet zone.
- GS1 UK, QR codes powered by GS1 design guidelines: square size 0.396 mm to 0.990 mm, 0.495 mm target, and the 14.6 mm minimum overall size.
- Industry sizing guides from QR code providers (Scanova, Uniqode, QRKit, connectmachine): the 10:1 distance rule and the 2 cm practical minimum for print.
- ISO/IEC 18004 Micro QR code: versions M1 (11 x 11) to M4 (17 x 17).
Last checked October 2026.