Choosing the right print size

You have a nice-looking code on screen, but you don't know if it'll scan once printed small on a sticker, or large on a shop window poster.

Step by step

1. Measure or estimate the expected reading distance for your support.
2. Divide that distance by ten to get the code's minimum size.
3. Open the code's page and pick "SVG", "PNG" or "PDF" depending on your use.
4. Keep a white margin around the code when you lay out your design.

Reference sizes by support

A business card is read between 15 and 25 cm away, plan for a code at least 2 cm on each side with a 3 mm white margin around it. A table stand or menu is read between 30 and 50 cm, count 3 cm. An A5 flyer or product label is read between 40 and 60 cm, count 4 cm and avoid photo backgrounds behind the code. An A3 poster or shop window is read between 1 and 2 meters, count 10 cm and place the code at eye level. A roll-up banner, tarp or vehicle is read between 3 and 5 meters, count 25 to 40 cm: the distance-divided-by-ten rule stays the most reliable guide, whatever the support.

Which format to download

SVG is a vector file: it scales up without ever losing sharpness, it's the format to hand a professional printer. PNG is a plain image, handy for a Word document or a web publication, but it loses quality if you enlarge it too much. PDF, reserved for the Starter plan and above, produces a print-ready file with its margins already set.

Frequently asked questions