# How to make a QR code as an SVG

> Choose SVG as the download format in the generator, or add format=svg to the API URL. An SVG QR code is a vector — it scales from a business card to a billboard with perfectly sharp module edges, weighs a few kilobytes, and is the format every print workflow should start from.

Source: https://useqr.app/docs/how-to/how-to-make-a-qr-code-svg · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, MIT licensed, no signup.

---

## 1. Generate the code

Build your code in any UseQR generator — URL, WiFi,
vCard, any of the 32 types. Styling, colours and logo all carry over to the
vector output.

## 2. Download as SVG

Pick **SVG** in the download options. That is the whole trick for a one-off. From the
[keyless API](/docs/developers/free-qr-code-api-no-key) it is one parameter:

```
https://useqr.app/api/v1/qr?data=https://example.com&format=svg
```

Two variants exist:

| Parameter | Output |
|---|---|
| `format=svg` | Standard SVG — browsers, Figma, Inkscape, print PDFs |
| `format=svg-tiny` | **SVG Tiny 1.2** — for Adobe Illustrator and cutting plotters that choke on fuller SVG features |

The file is typically **2–6 KB** — a fraction of any PNG at print resolution — because it
stores module geometry as a vector path, not pixels.

## 3. Why vector, in one sentence

A raster QR code has one correct size; an [SVG](/glossary/svg) has every size. Enlarging a
PNG interpolates pixels and softens module edges, which is exactly how codes end up
[pixelated when enlarged](/docs/troubleshooting/qr-code-pixelated-when-enlarged) and why
[print workflows should start from SVG](/docs/print/why-you-should-print-qr-codes-from-svg).
An SVG rasterises at the printer's native resolution, whatever that is, with dead-sharp
edges — no DPI arithmetic required.

## 4. Editing the SVG without breaking the code

Opening the file in Illustrator, Figma or Inkscape is safe. Editing it has rules:

- **Recolour fills, never add strokes.** A stroke widens every module by half the stroke
  width on each side, merging neighbours and shifting the dark/light balance until the
  code stops decoding.
- **Do not move, delete or "tidy" individual squares.** Every module is data or function
  pattern. There are no decorative squares in a QR code.
- **Keep the group together.** Scale the whole object uniformly; never stretch one axis.
- **Preserve the background rectangle.** It is the quiet zone.
  Cropping the artboard tight to the modules removes it and the code stops scanning.
- **Flattening, expanding and outlining are fine** — the geometry does not change, only
  how it is described.

Tool-specific walkthroughs: [Illustrator](/docs/how-to/how-to-make-a-qr-code-in-illustrator)
and Figma.

## 5. Verify after any edit

An edited SVG should be re-checked: export or screenshot it and run the result through the
[validator](/validate), which decodes the rendered image and confirms the payload survived.
If a print shop converts your SVG to another format, ask for the proof and check that too.

## Bulk SVG

Need hundreds — one per table, asset or product? The [bulk tool](/bulk) takes a CSV or
XLSX and returns a ZIP of SVGs, and the batch API accepts up to 1,000 items per call with
`"output":"svg"`:

```bash
curl -X POST "https://useqr.app/api/v1/qr/batch" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"output":"svg","items":[{"data":"https://example.com/t/1"},{"data":"https://example.com/t/2"}]}'
```

Start from the generator and pick SVG at download: [make an SVG QR code](/url?data=https://example.com).

## FAQ

### How do I get a QR code as an SVG file?
Generate the code and choose SVG as the download format, or call the API with format=svg. UseQR outputs SVG free, with no signup or watermark, for all 32 code types.

### Is SVG better than PNG for QR codes?
For print and for anything that might be resized, yes — an SVG scales to any size with sharp module edges, while an enlarged PNG blurs. For screens at a fixed size, PNG is fine.

### Can I edit a QR code SVG in Illustrator or Figma?
Yes. Recolour fills, scale uniformly and keep the background rectangle, but never add strokes, move individual modules or crop away the quiet zone. Re-verify with a decoder after editing.

### What is SVG Tiny and when do I need it?
SVG Tiny 1.2 is a restricted SVG profile. Request it with format=svg-tiny when a consumer — older Illustrator versions, vinyl cutters, laser engravers — rejects standard SVG features.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/url
- https://useqr.app/validate
- https://useqr.app/bulk