Do these QR codes expire?

No. The content is encoded directly into the image, so there is no service in the middle that could stop working. Once you have the file, the code works for as long as whatever it points to does.

Can I use them commercially?

Yes. There is no restriction on the generated images, no attribution requirement and no account needed. QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE Incorporated, so if you name the format in printed material, include the usual trademark acknowledgement.

Which error correction level should I choose?

M is a sound default. Use L when the content is long and you want to keep the code as sparse as possible on a screen. Use Q or H for print, especially where the code may be scuffed, curved around a surface, or partly covered by a logo in the centre.

Should I download the PNG or the SVG?

PNG for anything on a screen, SVG for anything printed. The SVG is vector, so it stays sharp at any size; enlarging a PNG for a poster softens the module edges, which is the usual reason a printed code scans unreliably.

How do I make a QR code for a Wi-Fi network?

Encode a string of the form WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:Password;; including the two closing semicolons. Scanning it offers to join the network without anyone typing the password. Since the password is readable by anyone who scans or decodes the image, treat the printed code as you would the password itself.

How much text can a QR code hold?

The theoretical maximum is a few thousand characters, but long content makes the code dense and hard to scan, particularly at small sizes or with a high error correction level. For anything substantial, encode a short URL that points at the content rather than the content itself.

Why will my printed code not scan?

Usually one of four things: it was enlarged from a raster image and the edges are blurred, it was printed too small for the scanning distance, there is insufficient quiet zone around it, or the contrast is too low. Use the SVG, keep a clear margin, and avoid inverting the colours.

Can I put a logo in the middle?

Yes, which is what the higher error correction levels are for. Use level H, keep the covered area to well under the tolerance, and test with several phones before printing. The redundancy that lets a logo work is the same redundancy that would otherwise absorb real damage.

Is the content I type sent anywhere?

No. The code is generated in your browser and the text is never transmitted, stored or logged. That is what makes it reasonable to encode a Wi-Fi password or an internal URL here.

Can I change where the code points after printing it?

Not with a static code, because the destination is encoded in the image itself. If you need to redirect later, encode a URL you control, such as a short link on your own domain, and change where that link points.

QR Code Generator – Free PNG and SVG, No Sign-Up

QR Code Generator

// INPUT TEXT / URL

SIZE

ERROR CORRECTION

// QR CODE

// QR Code Generator: Features

Static codes that do not expire

Many free QR services encode a link to their own domain and redirect from there, which gives them analytics and gives you a code that stops working if they change their pricing or shut down. The code produced here encodes your content directly. Nothing sits between the scanner and the destination, there is no account, nothing expires, and the image is yours. The trade-off is that a static code cannot be edited afterwards; changing the destination means generating a new code.

Error correction, and why the level matters

QR codes carry redundant data so that a damaged or partly obscured code still scans. Level L tolerates about seven per cent damage and keeps the code small; M handles around fifteen per cent and is the usual default; Q reaches twenty-five per cent; and H around thirty. Higher levels need more modules for the same content, making the code denser. Choose L or M for a screen, and Q or H for anything printed on a surface that will be handled, curved or partly covered by a logo.

PNG for screens, SVG for print

The PNG is a fixed-size raster, which is what you want for a web page, a slide or a chat message. The SVG is vector and scales to any size without softening, which is what you want for anything going to print: a poster, a business card, packaging or a sign. Printing an enlarged PNG is the most common reason a physical QR code scans badly, because the blurred module edges confuse the decoder.

Encoding Wi-Fi, contacts and other actions

A QR code holds text, and what a scanner does with that text depends on its format. A URL opens a browser. The form beginning WIFI: joins a network without typing the password. A vCard block adds a contact. A mailto or tel URI starts a message or a call. All of these are just text conventions, so entering the correctly formatted string here produces a code that performs the action.

Encoding a Wi-Fi password without it leaving the page

The code is rendered in the page and the content you type is never transmitted, stored or logged. That matters for the cases people hesitate over: a Wi-Fi password, an internal URL, or a link to an unreleased page. The character and byte counters show how much you are encoding, which is the main determinant of how dense the code becomes.

// QR Code Generator: FAQ

Do these QR codes expire?: No. The content is encoded directly into the image, so there is no service in the middle that could stop working. Once you have the file, the code works for as long as whatever it points to does.
Can I use them commercially?: Yes. There is no restriction on the generated images, no attribution requirement and no account needed. QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE Incorporated, so if you name the format in printed material, include the usual trademark acknowledgement.
Which error correction level should I choose?: M is a sound default. Use L when the content is long and you want to keep the code as sparse as possible on a screen. Use Q or H for print, especially where the code may be scuffed, curved around a surface, or partly covered by a logo in the centre.
Should I download the PNG or the SVG?: PNG for anything on a screen, SVG for anything printed. The SVG is vector, so it stays sharp at any size; enlarging a PNG for a poster softens the module edges, which is the usual reason a printed code scans unreliably.
How do I make a QR code for a Wi-Fi network?: Encode a string of the form WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:Password;; including the two closing semicolons. Scanning it offers to join the network without anyone typing the password. Since the password is readable by anyone who scans or decodes the image, treat the printed code as you would the password itself.
How much text can a QR code hold?: The theoretical maximum is a few thousand characters, but long content makes the code dense and hard to scan, particularly at small sizes or with a high error correction level. For anything substantial, encode a short URL that points at the content rather than the content itself.
Why will my printed code not scan?: Usually one of four things: it was enlarged from a raster image and the edges are blurred, it was printed too small for the scanning distance, there is insufficient quiet zone around it, or the contrast is too low. Use the SVG, keep a clear margin, and avoid inverting the colours.
Can I put a logo in the middle?: Yes, which is what the higher error correction levels are for. Use level H, keep the covered area to well under the tolerance, and test with several phones before printing. The redundancy that lets a logo work is the same redundancy that would otherwise absorb real damage.
Is the content I type sent anywhere?: No. The code is generated in your browser and the text is never transmitted, stored or logged. That is what makes it reasonable to encode a Wi-Fi password or an internal URL here.
Can I change where the code points after printing it?: Not with a static code, because the destination is encoded in the image itself. If you need to redirect later, encode a URL you control, such as a short link on your own domain, and change where that link points.

// How to Use QR Code Generator

Enter your content

Type or paste the text, URL, Wi-Fi string or vCard block you want to encode. The character and byte counters show how much is being encoded, which determines how dense the code becomes.
Set the size and error correction

Choose a size suitable for where the code will appear, and an error correction level: L or M for screens, Q or H for print or when a logo will cover part of the code.
Download and test

Download the PNG for screen use or the SVG for print. Scan the result with more than one phone before committing it to anything printed, since a code that works on one camera can be marginal on another.

Category Utilities