Great QR codes balance brand style with technical reliability. Follow these best practices to ensure your codes look sharp and scan instantly on most phones.
1) Use strong contrast
Dark foreground on a light background is easiest to scan. Avoid light-on-dark unless you’ve tested widely. If you want color, keep the foreground much darker than the background.
2) Respect the quiet zone
Leave a margin of clear space around the code so the camera can detect edges. Don’t place busy patterns or text right up against the modules.
3) Choose the right size
On print, start around 1 inch (2.5 cm) square for arm’s-length scanning. For posters, increase size based on distance. If in doubt, go bigger.
4) Add logos carefully
Logos are fine—just increase error correction. In FreeQRHub, set it to Q or H and keep the logo under ~20% of the code’s area. Never cover the three “finder eyes.”
5) Pick a module shape that still scans
Rounded or circular modules look stylish but can reduce contrast at very small sizes. Test with the shape you plan to ship, and keep colors high-contrast.
6) Keep URLs short and unique
Short links encode better (fewer modules) and scan faster. Create unique URLs per placement so you can measure performance with UTM tags.
7) Test on real phones
Always test your final artwork on multiple devices (iOS and Android) under different lighting conditions—especially if you’re using colored codes or overlays.
Quick checklist
- ✅ High contrast + quiet zone
- ✅ Size matched to viewing distance
- ✅ Error correction Q/H if logo used
- ✅ Short, tracked URL
- ✅ Tested on multiple phones
Create a beautiful, brand-safe QR now: FreeQRHub.com — free PNG & crisp SVG downloads.