How to Create a QR Code: A Guide for Menus, Wi-Fi and Links

Size, contrast and testing when you make a QR code, the text format used for Wi-Fi networks, and what to check before printing.

A QR code turns a piece of text or a link into a square pattern that a phone camera can read. You see them on restaurant menus, business cards, event posters and packaging. Making one takes seconds. The real work is making sure it scans reliably once printed.

Decide on the content first

A phone reads whatever you put in the code. Put in a web address and it opens the browser; put in plain text and it shows the text. In most cases a link is the most practical choice: keep the menu, price list or contact page on the web and put only its address in the code. Then you do not have to reprint when the content changes.

A QR code for Wi-Fi

There is a text format phones recognise for joining a network without typing the password: WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:Password;;. T is the security type (WPA for most homes and offices), S is the network name and P is the password. Put this text into the QR code generator and a phone that scans the result will offer to join the network. If the name or password contains special characters such as a semicolon or colon, put a backslash before them. Test the code with both an iPhone and an Android phone.

Size and readability

Contrast: A dark pattern on a light background is the safest choice. Inverted colours and low contrast cause trouble for some cameras.
Quiet zone: Leave empty space around the code. If the pattern touches text or a frame, it becomes harder to read.
Print size: The further away people will scan from, the bigger the code needs to be. A few centimetres is enough on a table menu; a wall poster needs much more.
Short content: The longer the content, the denser the pattern and the harder it is to read in a small print. Prefer a short, clean address over a long one.

Test before you print

Print a test copy and scan it with different phones from the distance people will actually use. Check that the link goes to the right page and that the page works on a phone. A typo discovered after printing hundreds of copies is the most expensive QR code mistake.

The security side

Someone scanning a QR code cannot see in advance where it leads, which is why scammers sometimes stick their own codes over codes in public places. Check the codes at your own business now and then, and print the domain next to the code if you can. As a visitor, look at the address that opens before entering personal or payment details.

Type your text or link into the QR code generator, choose a size and download the code as a PNG. The code is generated in your browser.