Printing QR codes

Sizes, DPI, substrates, inks and durability. The cluster where a wrong answer costs a print run.

• Pre-press checklist for QR codesEight checks before any print run: scan a physical proof from the real distance, verify size against the ten-to-one rule, confirm the four-module quiet…
• What DPI should a QR code be printed at?Print QR codes from vector artwork — SVG or PDF — and DPI becomes irrelevant, because the RIP renders exact edges at the device's native resolution. If…
• What size should a QR code be?Printed width should be at least the scanning distance divided by ten. A code read from 30 cm needs 3 cm; from 2 m, 20 cm; from 10 m, 1 m. If there is not…
• 300 dpi vs 600 dpi for QR codes300 dpi is enough once each module gets four printer dots — 0.34 mm and up. 600 dpi earns its keep on tiny codes and rounded or dot-style modules.
• Bleed, trim and safe area for QR codesWhere a QR code may sit in print artwork — safe area rules, cutter tolerance, why quiet zones die at the trim line, and a business card worked example.
• Direct thermal vs thermal transfer for QR codesDirect thermal fades and darkens with heat and UV; thermal transfer is permanent. How to choose by label lifetime, plus wax, wax-resin and resin ribbons.
• Etched vs printed QR codes — durability against contrastA decision table for etching versus printing QR codes — durability, contrast, cost — and why etch-plus-infill wins outdoors.
• How a QR code size calculator worksWhat a QR size calculator computes — version from your payload and EC level, then the larger of two floors, side ≥ distance ÷ 10 and module ≥ distance ÷ 250.
• Ink spread and dot gain in QR codesHow dot gain distorts printed QR modules, typical gain by paper stock, and how to stop dark modules swallowing the light gaps between them.
• Laminate and varnish effects on QR code scanningHow matt and gloss laminates, aqueous coating, and spot UV varnish change QR scan reliability — and the prepress note that prevents the spot-UV killer.
• QR code durability outdoorsOutdoor QR codes fail from UV fading, water ingress, abrasion and lichen — in that order. Use error correction Q or H, a UV-stable substrate with matt…
• QR code size for a billboardThe honest arithmetic — 15–50 m viewing distance needs a 1.5–5 m code. Most billboard codes are a tenth of that. Where roadside QR actually works.
• QR code size for a business cardCards are read in the hand at 15–25 cm, so 1.6–2 cm suits a short URL — but a full vCard pushes the version up and demands 3 cm or more. Numbers by payload.
• QR code size for a flyerFlyers are read in the hand at 20–40 cm — 2 cm minimum, 2.5–3 cm comfortable. What fits on A5 and DL, and why the fold is what kills flyer codes.
• QR code size for a menuMenus are read seated at 30–50 cm — 2.5–3 cm in the hand, 4 cm flat on the table. Why gloss laminate under downlights is the failure that stalks menu codes.
• QR code size for a name badgeBadge space is contested — 3 cm is the floor, 4–5 cm the target on a 10 × 7.5 cm badge. People step in to scan, and half of all lanyard badges face backwards.
• QR code size for a posterPosters are scanned from 0.5–3 m — 5 cm on a noticeboard, 10 cm in a corridor, 20–30 cm across a room. Sizes by placement, and why mounting height matters.
• QR code size for a shipping labelWarehouse imagers and phones read labels from 10–30 cm, so 2–2.5 cm works. On 203 dpi thermal printers the real rule is whole printer dots per module.
• QR code size for a shop windowPavement viewing runs 1–2 m, so 10–20 cm codes. Glass adds its own physics — reflections, torchlight bounce, and clear film with no white backing.
• QR code size for a table tentAcross a table the code sits 40–80 cm away — 3–4 cm minimum, 5 cm better, printed on both faces so nobody reaches. Sizing table and the aisle-facing mistake.
• QR code size for a vehicle wrapDesign for the parked vehicle — 20–50 cm codes read from 2–5 m on the pavement. A code aimed at moving traffic is a billboard problem with worse geometry.
• QR code size for packagingPacks are scanned in the hand at 20–30 cm, so 2–3 cm works — but add about 25% on cylinders, and use EC Q because transit scuffs are what packaging collects.
• QR code size on a TV screenSofas sit 2–4 m from the panel, so the code needs 20–40 cm of physical screen — a quarter of a 55-inch TV's width. The percentage arithmetic by screen size.
• QR codes in CMYK printKeep modules at 100% K on a single plate. Four-colour black needs four plates in register, and ±0.1 mm of misregistration fringes every module edge.
• QR codes in cold storage and freezersWhy freezer QR labels fail — condensation, frost and adhesives that never bonded — with application temperatures, placement and scanning fixes.
• QR codes on curved surfacesHow much curvature a QR code tolerates, the one-sixth-of-circumference rule, and why orientation on a cylinder decides whether it scans.
• QR codes on cylindrical packaging — cans, bottles and jarsMaximum QR code sizes for cans, bottles, jars and tubes using the one-sixth rule, with worked examples and shrink-sleeve warnings.
• QR codes on Dymo and Brother label printersWhat QR codes fit on Dymo LabelWriter and Brother P-touch and QL printers — tape widths, module maths, app features and tape durability.
• QR codes on fabric — what survives the weaveMinimum module sizes for printed textiles, which print methods hold QR detail, and how stretch breaks codes that scanned flat.
• QR codes on glass — why etched codes fail and what worksEtched glass has almost no contrast of its own. Infill, white underlayers, ceramic frit and window clings compared for scannable glass QR codes.
• QR codes on glossy surfaces — glare and how to beat itWhy gloss finishes stop QR scans at exactly the angle people hold their phones, the flash-hotspot failure, and why matt laminate wins.
• QR codes on metal — marking processes that scanLaser annealing, engraving with infill, anodised aluminium and printing on metal compared for contrast, glare and decades-long durability.
• QR codes on thermal printers — dots, density and fadingModule sizing for 203 and 300 dpi thermal printers, why modules must be whole printer dots, and how long direct thermal prints actually last.
• QR codes on uncoated paperUncoated stock wicks ink — dot gain runs 15–25%, modules fatten and fine gaps close. Compensate with 0.5 mm modules and plain squares, and beware kraft.
• QR codes on wood — grain, species and laser settingsWhich wood species give scannable laser-engraved QR codes, minimum module sizes against grain, and why outdoor wood codes need sealing.
• QR codes that survive dishwashersWhich mug and glassware marking processes survive dishwasher cycles — fired ceramic decals, etched infill, sublimation — and a 20-cycle test protocol.
• Spot colour and Pantone QR codesA single dark spot ink prints from one plate with crisp edges — often better than CMYK. Which Pantone families are dark enough, and why metallics never scan.
• The 10:1 QR code distance rule, derivedWhy printed width ≥ scanning distance ÷ 10 works — camera field of view and module sampling arithmetic — and when to switch to 8:1 instead.
• The minimum size a QR code can beThe practical floor is 2 × 2 cm for close-range print. Underneath sit three hard limits — module size, camera focus distance and payload density.
• UV fading and QR codes — which inks survive sunlightHow UV light degrades printed QR codes, why black outlasts colour, realistic outdoor lifetimes by ink type, and when to schedule replacement.
• Weatherproof QR code stickers — the material stack that lastsHow to build a QR sticker that survives outdoors — vinyl grades, UV laminate, adhesives, expected lifetimes, and when a metal plate wins.
• Why you should print QR codes from SVGVector QR codes rasterise at the press's native resolution with exact module edges. The PNG-resample chain is how codes that looked sharp on screen die in print.
• Zebra and label printer settings for QR codesDarkness, print speed, media calibration and stock choice for crisp QR codes on Zebra and similar label printers, plus a print-then-verify workflow.
• ZPL QR code command reference — ^BQ explainedThe ZPL ^BQ command parameter by parameter — magnification, error correction, input modes, defaults — with a complete working label example.