# FrameQR

> FrameQR is a Denso Wave QR variant that reserves a canvas area inside the symbol for logos, illustrations or photos by design. Unlike an ordinary logo overlay, the image space is excluded from the data region, so no error-correction budget is spent hiding it. Generation requires Denso Wave's licensed tools.

Source: https://useqr.app/glossary/frame-qr · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, MIT licensed, no signup.

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## Design-in, not damage

The usual way to brand a code is an overlay: place a logo on the centre and let
[error correction](/glossary/error-correction-level) reconstruct the modules it hides — the
logo is literally treated as damage. FrameQR, announced by Denso Wave in 2014, takes the
opposite approach: the symbol layout itself reserves a **canvas region** (centre or other
shapes) that carries no data. Artwork placed there costs nothing from the damage budget,
so the full correction capacity stays available for real-world wear, and the canvas can be
proportionally larger than a safe overlay logo.

## The catch

FrameQR is proprietary. Generating one requires Denso Wave's licensed generators or SDK, and
while many phone readers do decode FrameQR symbols (the data region is QR-compatible),
support is not as universal as for standard codes — some decoding libraries reject the
non-standard geometry. There is no free, open FrameQR generator to recommend.

For most purposes the open route gets close enough: a standard code at level H with a centre
logo under **~20% coverage** is supported by every reader on earth. The trade-offs are laid
out in [how logos work without breaking a code](/docs/spec/how-logos-work-without-breaking-a-code)
and [logo best practices](/docs/design/qr-code-with-logo-best-practices) — and whichever
route you take, [decode the finished artwork](/validate) before printing.

## FAQ

### What is the difference between FrameQR and a QR code with a logo?
A logo overlay consumes error-correction capacity — the reader repairs the hidden modules as if damaged. FrameQR reserves the image area at the format level, spending nothing, but requires Denso Wave's proprietary tooling to generate.

### Can any phone scan a FrameQR code?
Most mainstream camera apps read them, but support is less universal than for standard QR codes and some libraries fail on them. A standard code with a modest logo is the safer choice for a broad audience.

## Try it

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