QR codes that do not expire
Many free QR generators give you a code that points at their own server, which then forwards to your link. That is convenient for their analytics and risky for you: if the service disappears or starts charging, every printed code stops working.
This generator encodes your data directly into the code. Nothing points through a third party, nothing expires, and nothing is tracked. The code is generated in your browser and stays exactly as valid in five years as it is today.
Seven kinds of code
A QR code can hold more than a link. Wi-Fi codes let a guest join your network by pointing a camera at a card instead of typing a password. Contact codes carry a full vCard, so a scan offers to save your name, phone, email, company and website. Email, phone and SMS codes open a pre-filled message or call.
Plain text codes are useful for serial numbers, instructions and asset labels, and link codes remain the most common of all, from menus to packaging to event pages.
- Link, plain text and Wi-Fi.
- Contact card, email, phone number and SMS.
Making it look like yours
Colors, dot shapes and corner styles are all adjustable, with seven ready-made themes as starting points, and you can drop a logo in the middle. Keep strong contrast between the dots and the background, because scanners read contrast rather than color, and light dots on a dark background fail on many phones.
If you add a logo or use decorative dot shapes, raise the error correction level. Error correction adds redundancy so a code still scans when part of it is covered or damaged, and level H tolerates the most interference at the cost of a denser pattern.
Printing codes that actually scan
Export as SVG for anything that will be printed, because it stays sharp at any size; PNG suits screens and documents. As a rule of thumb, a code should be at least 2 by 2 centimeters for a scan from arm's length, and larger for posters read from a distance.
Leave the quiet zone, the empty margin around the code, clear of other design elements, and test the printed result with more than one phone before ordering a thousand copies.
QR generator questions
Do the codes expire?
No. Your data is encoded directly in the code, so it keeps working with no service in between.
Can I add my logo?
Yes. Add a logo in the center and raise the error correction level so the code still scans.
Which formats can I download?
PNG, SVG, JPEG and WebP. SVG is best for print.
Can I create a Wi-Fi QR code?
Yes. Enter the network name, password and security type, and a scan offers to join the network.
Are the codes tracked?
No. There is no redirect and no analytics; the code is generated in your browser.
Why does my code not scan?
Usually low contrast, a logo that is too large, or a printed size that is too small. Raise the contrast and the error correction level and test again.