Make sure your card ends up in the phone, not the bin
Most business cards are typed into a phone once, if ever, then lost. A QR code on the card fixes that: one scan and your details are saved, correctly spelled, ready to call or email.
The real decision isn't whether to add a code — it's what the code should do. A card outlives your current phone number and job title, so the choice between baking your details in and pointing at something you can update shapes how useful the card is a year from now.
vCard on the card, or a link to a page?
A vCard code stores your details inside the code — it works offline and forever, but the day your number changes, every printed card is out of date. A link to a contact page you control can be updated after printing, but needs a connection to load and dies if the page moves.
For a freelancer whose details are stable, the offline vCard is simplest. For someone who changes roles or numbers often, a link you own is the safer long-term bet. Many people print both a vCard code and their details as text, so the card works even if a scan doesn't.
What to put in — and leave out
Include the essentials that people actually use to reach you: name, one phone number, email, company and title. Skip the fax line, the second mobile and the postal address — they bloat the code and make it denser, and they're already printed on the card as text.
A lean code prints as a bold, forgiving pattern that scans on the first try even at the small size a card allows.
- Include: name, mobile, email, company, title.
- Leave out: fax, secondary numbers, full postal address.
- Print your details as text too, as a fallback for non-scanners.
Print resolution and quiet space
Business cards print at high resolution, and the code must keep up. Export a vector (SVG) or a high-DPI PNG so the fine modules stay crisp — a code rescaled from a small blurry image won't scan. Leave a clear quiet margin around it; a code crammed against text or the card edge confuses the scanner.
At card size, aim for roughly 2 cm square. Smaller is possible only with very few fields and clean printing.
How to add a code to your card
- Decide vCard or link. Choose an offline vCard for stable details, or a link you control if your number or role changes often.
- Keep the fields minimal. Name, one number, email, company and title. Fewer fields means a bolder, more scannable code.
- Export at print quality. Download SVG or a high-DPI PNG so the pattern stays sharp when the printer scales it.
- Give it quiet space. Place it with a clear white margin, around 2 cm square, away from text and the card edge.
Technical details
- Maximum characters: 4296
- Recommended error correction: Q (quartile) — cards live in wallets and pockets and get scuffed, so higher recovery keeps them working over time.
- A vCard card code uses the VCARD format; a link card code carries a plain URL you can redirect.
- Density, not length, is the enemy at card size — keep fields minimal and print at high resolution.
Frequently asked questions
- Should the code hold my details or link to them?
- A vCard code holds them and works offline forever but can't be updated after printing. A link can be changed later but needs internet. Pick offline for stable details, a link for details that change.
- Will the scan add me to contacts automatically?
- It opens a pre-filled 'add contact' screen; the person taps to save. Nothing is written to their phone without their action, which is the behaviour they expect.
- How small can the code be on a card?
- About 2 cm square with a few fields and clean printing. Go smaller and you risk failed scans, especially with a dense multi-field vCard.
- Why does my card's code scan on screen but not in print?
- The image was too low-resolution or too dense for the print size. Export a vector or high-DPI file and reduce the number of encoded fields.
- Can I match the code to my brand colours?
- Within limits — keep a strong dark-on-light contrast and don't tint it so lightly that the camera can't separate pattern from background. Test every colour choice with a real scan before printing a batch.
- What if someone's phone can't scan it?
- Print your name, number and email as text as well. The code is a shortcut, not the only path to your details.