Free QR Code Generator - No Expiry, No Sign-Up

Static vs dynamic QR codes: the trap most people fall into

A static QR code stores your data directly in the black and white pattern. Scan it in ten years and it still opens the same URL, joins the same Wi-Fi network, or saves the same contact. Nothing sits between the code and the phone, so there is nothing that can expire.

A dynamic QR code stores a short redirect link owned by the generator company. That is how they offer scan analytics and "edit after printing". It is also how they hold your printed menus hostage: when the free trial ends or you stop paying, the redirect breaks and every flyer, table tent and business card points at an upsell page. Search Reddit for "QR code stopped working" and you will find restaurant owners who reprinted everything.

Every code this tool makes is static. If you need to change the destination later, point the QR code at a URL you control (your own site or a short link on your own domain) and change what that page does instead.

Which QR type to pick

URL: the common case. Use the full address including https://. Shorter URLs make a less dense code that scans faster from farther away, so drop tracking junk you don't need. If you do want to measure scans, add UTM parameters (utm_source=flyer&utm_medium=qr) and read them in your analytics. You get tracking without a middleman.

Wi-Fi: builds the standard WIFI:T:WPA;S:name;P:password;; string that iOS and Android cameras both understand. Guests point the camera, tap Join, done. The network name and password are case-sensitive, and special characters like ; , : and \ are escaped for you. Pick None only for genuinely open networks.

Contact (vCard): creates a vCard 3.0 card with name, phone, email, company, title, website and address. Phones offer to save it straight to contacts. Keep it lean; every extra field makes the code denser. Put it on the back of a business card or conference badge.

Email: opens a new message with the recipient, subject and body filled in. Handy for support signs, feedback cards and "email us your order" flyers. Text: plain text shown on screen, useful for serial numbers, short instructions or scavenger-hunt clues.

Error correction, explained without the math

QR codes store redundant data so they still scan when part of the code is dirty, scratched or covered. Low recovers about 7% damage, Medium 15%, Quartile 25% and High 30%. More recovery means more modules (the little squares), so the code gets denser at the same size.

Use Medium for screens and clean prints. Use Quartile or High for stickers on outdoor equipment, anything that gets handled, and any code you plan to put a logo on top of. The logo physically covers modules, so the redundancy is what keeps it scannable. Keep a centered logo under about 20% of the code's width and test it on a few phones.

Print size and scanning distance

The rule of thumb: the code should be about one tenth of the scanning distance. Scanned from 10 inches (a business card or a table tent) a 1 inch or 2.5 cm code is enough. A poster read from 10 feet away needs a code about 12 inches wide.

Always leave the quiet zone, the blank margin around the code. This tool adds the standard four modules. Cropping it off to save space is the most common reason a printed code fails. For print, download the SVG. It is vector, so it stays razor sharp at any size in Canva, Illustrator, InDesign or Word. Use PNG for websites, slides and messaging apps; 1024 px or more is plenty for most print jobs if SVG isn't an option.

Colors and contrast

Scanners look for dark modules on a light background. Brand colors are fine as long as the foreground is clearly darker: navy on white works, yellow on white does not. Inverted codes (light on dark) scan on recent iPhones but fail in plenty of older Android camera apps and dedicated scanners, so avoid them for anything printed in bulk. The tool warns you when contrast looks risky.

Pitfalls to check before you print 500 copies

Test on at least two phones, one iPhone and one Android, from the real distance and in the real light. Glossy lamination can cause glare, so try it under the actual lights. Double-check the URL for typos, because a static code can't be edited after printing. That is the price of never expiring. And check that the destination page loads fast on mobile data, since a QR scan is almost always a phone on a cellular connection.

Finally, privacy: everything here is generated in your browser. Your Wi-Fi password, contact details and links are never sent to a server, which is more than most QR sites can say.