Where to use
A QR code that scans, wherever you print it
Every surface has a right size and a right distance. Pick where your code will live and get the exact specs that keep it scannable.
The surface decides the spec
Where a code is printed sets its minimum size, its material constraints and its realistic scan distance — a rule of thumb worth memorising: minimum code width is roughly scan distance divided by ten. A business card scanned at arm's length gets away with 1.5 cm; a poster read from three metres needs 30 cm; a billboard is its own engineering problem.
Material matters as much as size. Glossy lamination reflects light and can defeat a scanner at an angle; curved surfaces like packaging distort the pattern; a vehicle adds motion to the equation. Every placement page lists the sizes and materials that survive real conditions, and the size guide collects the tables in one place. The habit that saves reprints: always test the final proof, on the final material, at the real distance, with more than one phone.
Not sure about size?
Our size guide has the rule of thumb — then create your code free.