Free QR Code Generator Without Login or Registration

A QR code is a two-dimensional matrix barcode invented in 1994 at the Japanese company DENSO WAVE to label automobile parts[1]. The letters QR stand for quick response, because the code was designed for fast reading. According to DENSO WAVE, it could be read more than 10 times faster than other codes. After its release, the automotive industry used it in electronic kanban, a communication tool for production management[2].

A QR code is made of modules, the dark and light squares. There are 40 versions: version 1 has 21 × 21 modules, version 40 has 177 × 177, and each version adds 4 modules per side[3]. The generator picks the smallest version that fits your data. Since June 2000, the QR code has been defined by the international standard ISO/IEC 18004[4].

You can make a QR code in five steps. The preview updates on its own after every change to the data or settings.

1. In the Data type field, choose URL address, Text, Business card (vCard), Email or Phone.
2. Enter your data. A business card needs First name and Last name, and an email needs Email address. You can leave fields marked (optional) empty.
3. In Size (px), choose an image width from 150 to 1000 px, and leave Margin (quiet zone) at 4.
4. Set QR code color, Background color and Error correction level. By default, the code is black on a white background at level M.
5. Click Download PNG or Download SVG. The buttons work once the preview shows a finished code.

The generator creates the code in your browser and does not send your data to a server. You do not need an account, and there is no limit on how many codes you make.

A business card code holds contact details in vCard 3.0, the electronic business card format described in RFC 2426. The generator requires First name and Last name because it builds the N and FN fields from them, and both fields are mandatory in every vCard 3.0[5]. Fields marked (optional) go into the code only when you fill them in. This is the text of the sample business card:

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
N:Clark;Emma;;;
FN:Emma Clark
ORG:Clark & Sons\, Inc.
TEL:+12125550123
EMAIL:hello@company.com
URL:https://www.company.com
END:VCARD

The generator keeps only the plus sign and digits from the phone number and adds https:// to the website. Every filled field makes the text longer, and more data needs more modules[3]. On a small business card, enter only the details the recipient will use. You can enter the same contact details in the email signature generator, which turns the phone number and website into clickable links.

Website

Enter the address in the URL address field. If the address has no https://, the generator adds it, and it replaces spaces with %20. An email address typed into this field is saved as a mailto: link to a new message, and a phone number as a tel: link to a call.

Email

The Email type requires the Email address field. The generator adds Subject (optional) and Body (optional) to the mailto: link, so the new message gets the subject and text you entered[6]. Separate several addresses with commas, and the generator removes the spaces between them.

Phone

In the Phone field, enter the number with the country code, for example +1 212 555 0123. Only the plus sign and digits stay in the code. A tel: link cannot contain spaces, and parentheses and hyphens only make the number easier to read and are not dialed[7]. An extension typed after the word ext. does not go into the code. If the entry contains no number, the preview shows the message: Enter the phone number in digits, ideally with the country code.

For print, download the SVG file. It is a vector graphic, so the print shop can enlarge the code to poster size without blurred module edges. A PNG file is fine for a website, and for a document you will print, pick a size from the table above.

Leave the margin empty. A QR code needs a clear area four modules wide on every side, with nothing printed on it[13]. The generator sets this margin by default in Margin (quiet zone). Choose a smaller margin only when the design already leaves empty space around the code in the code’s background color.

Choose a dark code on a light background. DENSO WAVE recommends printing the code in black on white. QR code scanners use red light, so they cannot read a red code on a white background or a blue code on a green one[12]. Pick a color in the swatch or type it in the field next to it, including a HEX code without #. If the entry cannot be read as a color, the preview shows the message: We could not recognize the color. Enter a HEX code such as #1a1a1a, a CSS color name or an rgb() value. When the contrast between the colors drops below 3:1, the generator shows the warning: Contrast between colors is too low. The QR code may be difficult to scan. You can check the exact contrast of any color pair in the color contrast checker.

Error correction level sets how much of the data the code can restore after dirt or damage: about 7% at level L, 15% at M, 25% at Q and 30% at H. According to DENSO WAVE, level Q or H is used where the code gets dirty, such as in a factory, and level L in a clean environment with a large amount of data. Level M is the one most frequently selected[11], and the generator sets it by default.

On iPhone and Pixel phones, the built-in camera reads the code without an extra app.

iPhone and iPad

1. Open the Camera app from the Home Screen, Lock Screen or Control Center.
2. Hold your device so that the QR code appears, then tap the link to open the content[14].

You can also open the scanner in Control Center with the Scan Code button. If it is not there, touch and hold the background of the screen, tap Add a Control and choose Scan Code[14].

Pixel phone with Android

1. Open the Camera app and point it at the code so that the entire code shows on the screen. You do not need to take a picture.
2. Wait a moment until the camera shows a bubble or link, then tap it[15].

If the camera does not recognize the code, check in its settings that Camera scan suggestions is turned on. You can also find the scanner in Quick Settings under the Scan QR code button. If the code still does not scan, Google suggests holding the phone steady, scanning in good light without shadows or glare, cleaning the lens and moving closer while keeping the entire square clearly on the screen[15]. On phones from other manufacturers, the option names may differ.