Get a link code onto paper without it failing
A link code prints reliably when you get four things right: resolution, size, margin and contrast. Export at 300 DPI or higher, print it big enough for the reading distance, leave a clear white border, and keep it dark on a light background. Do that and a scan lands on the page every time.
The detail people miss with URL codes is that link length sets your minimum print size. A short address makes a bold code you can shrink onto a small label; a long one full of tracking tags makes a fine pattern that needs a larger footprint. Fix the link before the printer.
Fill the form to generate a QR code
Resolution and the size-to-distance rule
Export at 300 DPI minimum for anything held in the hand; at that density the modules print as crisp squares rather than fuzzy blobs. For a poster read from across a room, a rough rule of thumb is that the code should be about a tenth of the scan distance — a code read from 2 metres wants to be around 20 cm across.
Undersizing is the classic print failure. A code that looks fine on the proof PDF becomes unscannable once it is a stamp on a flyer, because the camera can no longer resolve the modules.
- 300+ DPI for handheld print, higher for fine detail.
- Rule of thumb: code width ≈ scan distance ÷ 10.
- Minimum roughly 2 cm square for a short link.
- Test the printed piece, not just the screen.
Quiet zone and contrast decide the scan
Leave a quiet zone — a clear margin of at least four modules of blank space — around the code. Scanners find the pattern by its border, so text or artwork crowding the edge causes misreads. If your layout bleeds to the paper edge, keep the code well inside the safe area.
Print black on white. Reversed or low-contrast colour schemes look smart but drop the contrast the camera relies on; if you must use colour, keep the code darker than its background, never the reverse.
Link length sets your minimum size
Because the code is static, the entire URL sits in the pattern, so a longer link means more modules and a finer grid. That finer grid needs a larger print to stay readable — the address you encode directly controls how small you can go.
Trim before generating: drop unneeded parameters, shorten the path, keep the domain short. On a small label a lean link is the difference between a bold code that scans and a dense one that does not.
Vector or raster for the print run
For a print shop, hand over an SVG so the code scales to any size with perfectly sharp edges. A PNG works for a fixed on-screen or sticker size, but enlarge it and the squares turn to fuzz.
If you only have a raster export, make it oversized rather than upscaling a small one — start big and shrink, never the other way around.
Prepare a link code for print
- Shorten the URL first. Strip tracking parameters so the code stays low-density; a long link forces a larger minimum print size than you may have room for.
- Set contrast to black on white. Avoid inverting colours — a light code on a dark ground is the usual reason a nicely designed flyer won't scan.
- Export at 300 DPI or as SVG. Choose SVG for a print shop so it stays sharp at any size, or a high-DPI PNG for a fixed placement.
- Print a test and scan it. Check the actual printed piece at real reading distance, including the white quiet-zone margin.
Technical details
- Maximum characters: 2953
- Recommended error correction: Q (quartile) — raised from the default because a printed link code gets handled, folded and scuffed, and the extra recovery keeps it scanning through wear.
- Payload is the raw URL; a shorter link lowers density and shrinks the minimum reliable print size.
- Export SVG for scalable print, or a 300+ DPI raster for a fixed placement, always with a four-module quiet zone.
Frequently asked questions
- What DPI should a printed link code be?
- At least 300 DPI for anything held and scanned close up, which keeps the modules crisp. Large-format posters can print lower because they are read from further away, but exporting as SVG sidesteps DPI entirely by scaling cleanly to any size.
- How big does the code need to be?
- A short link prints reliably from about 2 cm square in the hand. For distance, size it to roughly a tenth of the scan distance — around 20 cm for a 2-metre poster. A longer URL needs a larger minimum because its pattern is denser.
- Why won't my printed link code scan?
- Usually one of three things: it is too small for its link length, the quiet-zone margin is missing, or it is printed light on dark. Check size against the URL length, add a clear border, and use black on white.
- Can I print the code in my brand colour?
- Yes, if the code stays darker than its background so contrast holds. Avoid inverting to a light code on a dark ground, and never reduce contrast for style — the camera needs a clear difference between modules and gaps.
- How much white margin does it need?
- Keep a quiet zone of at least four modules of blank space on all sides. Scanners locate the pattern by that clear border, so letting text or a photo touch the edge is a common cause of failed print scans.
- Should I send my printer a PNG or SVG?
- SVG. It is vector, so a print shop can scale it to any size with razor-sharp edges and no pixelation. A PNG is fine only at its exact export size; enlarging one makes the modules blur and the scan unreliable.