How to make a QR code for a link, Wi-Fi or menu
A QR code is a link people can open by pointing their phone camera at it. Making one is free and takes about ten seconds. The important choices are what you put inside it and how large you print it.
Make a QR code for a link
- Copy the full web address, including https://.
- Open the QR Code Generator and paste the address.
- Choose a size: 512 px is fine for screens, and 1024 px is better for printing.
- Download the image and test it with your own phone before you share it.
Static and dynamic codes: why some QR codes expire
A static QR code holds your link directly inside the pattern. It works for as long as the link itself works, with no account and no fee. The codes made here are static.
A dynamic QR code holds a short link owned by the QR company, which then forwards to your page. Those let you change the destination later and count scans, but they stop working if you stop paying or the company closes. If you only need a permanent link, a static code is the safer choice.
Make a QR code for Wi-Fi
Guests can join your Wi-Fi by scanning a code instead of typing the password. Type this text into the generator, replacing the name and password with your own:
WIFI:T:WPA;S:YourNetworkName;P:YourPassword;;
Keep the capital letters and the punctuation exactly as shown. Anyone who can see the code can read the password, so place it where only guests will see it.
Make a QR code for a restaurant menu
- Put the menu on a web page or upload the PDF to your website or a cloud drive with public viewing turned on.
- Create the QR code from that link.
- Keep the same link when you update prices. Replace the file behind the link, and the printed codes keep working.
Printing so it scans every time
- Size: at least 0.8 inch (2 cm) wide for a business card. For posters, make the code about one tenth of the distance people will scan from.
- Contrast: dark code on a light background. Light codes on dark backgrounds often fail.
- Quiet zone: leave a blank margin around the code, about four small squares wide.
- Shorter links make simpler codes that scan faster, so trim tracking text from the address if you can.
Always print one copy and scan it with two different phones before printing a hundred.