QR code print size calculator
Work out the smallest size your code can print and still scan — from the payload, the error correction level and how far away people will be standing.
- Symbol version
- v2 · 25×25
- Capacity used
- 22/26 chars at EC-M
- Module size at minimum
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- Distance-to-size ratio
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Whether this fits a given print size is the gated question. The module pitch beside each placement below is not — it is that width divided by the modules across, and a pitch under about 0.4mm is where consumer cameras start to struggle.
- Business card corner18 mm0.55mm/module
- Product label25 mm0.76mm/module
- A5 table tent40 mm1.21mm/module
- A4 standee70 mm2.12mm/module
- A3 poster110 mm3.33mm/module
- Shop window decal200 mm6.06mm/module
Distance ÷ 10 is a starting point, not an answer
The familiar advice — code width equals scan distance divided by ten — assumes a version 2 symbol, a clean print and a modern phone. Change the payload and the ratio changes with it, because a longer payload packs more modules into the same square and each one gets smaller. That is the part every other calculator leaves out.
Payload length
More characters means a higher version and more modules in the same square, so each module shrinks. This is the dominant factor and the one people forget.
Error correction
Higher EC adds redundant modules. It buys damage tolerance and costs area — about 18% more from L to H.
Surface and ink
Ink spreads on uncoated stock and gloss reflects light. Both reduce effective contrast at the module edges, so the code needs to be physically larger.
Camera and lighting
A ₹8,000 Android in a dim restaurant is the real-world worst case, and it is the device these thresholds are fitted against — not a flagship in daylight.
Print size questions
What is the smallest a QR code can be?
The hard floor is about 0.38mm per module, which puts a version 2 code at roughly 13mm and a version 4 code at 18mm. Below that, consumer cameras cannot resolve individual modules regardless of contrast or lighting.
Why does the same size work for one code and not another?
Because the two codes are almost certainly different versions. A 22-character link is a 25×25 grid; a 90-character link is a 37×37 grid. Printed at the same width, the second code’s modules are 30% smaller.
Does the quiet zone count towards the size?
Yes, in the numbers above. The four-module white margin is part of the symbol as far as a decoder is concerned, and cropping it is one of the most common reasons a correctly sized code still fails.
How do I make a code that prints smaller?
Shorten the payload. A dynamic code encodes a 22-character short link regardless of how long the real destination is, which typically drops the version from 4–6 down to 2 and shrinks the printed code by around 40%.
Does colour affect print size?
Indirectly. Low contrast means the decoder needs more pixels per module to be confident, so a pale code needs to be printed larger than a black one at the same version.
What about curved surfaces like bottles and cups?
Curvature distorts the grid. Keep the code on the flattest available face, add about 25% to the size, and never wrap it around a radius tighter than about 60mm.