QR Code Tester for Print
Load a photo or the file of your QR code. The tool reads it and measures what a printer cannot fix later: the quiet zone, the contrast, the module size and the smallest size it can be printed at for your scanning distance.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Runs in your browser
Someone shared this result with you. It was made with QR Code Print Tester, free on VISU, no sign-up.
PNG, JPG, WebP or SVG. You can also paste a screenshot with Ctrl+V. The image stays in this browser: nothing is uploaded.
Example: a code for an example.com link, drawn inside a frame with only 2 modules of margin.
Check result
Load an image of your QR code to see the measurements.
Measurements
Quiet zone (clear margin), in modules
- Top
- –
- Right
- –
- Bottom
- –
- Left
- –
Reference 4 modules or more on every side. 2 to 4 is tight.
Source ISO/IEC 18004 asks for 4 modules on all four sides. The 2-module line is a mark of this tool for tight layouts, the same one our QR size calculator uses.
Contrast between dark and light modules
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Reference 4.5:1 or more. Under 3:1 is below the reference.
Source A rule of thumb of this tool, not a QR standard: the WCAG 2 contrast ratio, with its 3:1 and 4.5:1 marks borrowed as reference lines (our QR generator warns under 3:1). ISO/IEC 15415 grades contrast by reflectance measured on the print, which a picture cannot give.
Module size in the image
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Reference 4 px per module or more. Under 3 px the image is too coarse to judge.
Source A limit of this measurement: an edge is located to about one pixel, so with small modules the margin figure loses precision.
Colours
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Reference Dark modules on a light background.
Source ISO/IEC 18004 allows light on dark since its 2006 edition. Observed, not a standard: some scanner apps do not read inverted codes.
Smallest print size at this distance
- With the 4-module quiet zone
- One module
The size appears once a code has been read.
Same rules as our QR size calculator. The one tenth of the distance is a rule of thumb, calibrated on a 25-module code. Results are rounded up.
This check measures the image you loaded. It does not certify that a print will scan: paper, ink, glare, curved surfaces and the phone all count. Print one copy and test it with two different phones at the real distance.
A dynamic VISU QR holds a short visu.to link, so the code has fewer modules and each one prints larger in the same space. You can change the destination later without reprinting, and VISU shows how many times it was scanned.
Create a free VISU accountNeeds a free VISU account. Dynamic QR codes count toward your plan's limit.
What is measured, and against what
- Quiet zone: from each side of the code we walk outward over the image until the first dark pixel. ISO/IEC 18004 asks for 4 modules of clear space on all four sides. When the image ends before that, the result says "at least" instead of guessing.
- Contrast: we average the colour of the dark and the light squares of the three corner patterns and compute the WCAG 2 contrast ratio. The 3:1 and 4.5:1 lines are a rule of thumb of this tool, not a QR standard. ISO/IEC 15415 grades contrast by reflectance, measured on the printed piece with a verifier.
- Module size: the distance between the corners of the code divided by its number of modules. Under about 3 to 4 px per module a picture is too coarse to judge margins.
- Colours: light modules on a dark background are allowed by ISO/IEC 18004 since its 2006 edition, but some scanner apps do not read them. That is an observation, not a rule from the standard.
- Print size: code side of about one tenth of the scanning distance for a 25-module code (a rule of thumb), each module at least 0.5 mm on a standard printer or 0.33 mm at a high quality print shop, and the whole code never under 20 mm.
- Photos: a rotated or tilted picture is measured through the four corners of the code, and its numbers are marked as approximate.
Still choosing the content or the size?
The QR size calculator works from what you type: the link, the scanning distance and the printer.
Open the QR size calculatorHow to use it
- Load the file you will send to print (PNG, JPG, WebP or SVG), or a photo of a printed proof. You can also paste a screenshot.
- Read what the code contains and check that it is the link or text you expect.
- Go through the measurements: quiet zone on each side, contrast, module size and colours, each with its reference and its source.
- Type the scanning distance to see the smallest print size, then print one copy and test it with two phones.
Examples
Sticker or label artwork
The designer placed a frame close to the code. The check shows the margin on each side, in modules, against the 4 the standard asks for.
Coloured code on a menu
A golden code on a cream background looks good on screen. The contrast ratio tells you whether it is under the 3:1 line before the print run.
Photo of a printed proof
You photograph the proof on the table. The numbers are marked approximate, and still show whether the margin survived the trim.
Poster read from across the room
Type 3 m as the scanning distance and see the smallest size this exact code can be printed at.
Add this tool to your site
Put this tool on your blog, store or club site. It runs inside your page, free, with no account, and a small "by VISU" credit line under it.
Questions
What is the quiet zone of a QR code?
It is the empty margin around the code, in the same light colour as its background. ISO/IEC 18004 asks for 4 modules (four of the small squares) on all four sides. Text, a frame, a photo or the edge of a sticker inside that margin can stop a phone from finding the code. This tool measures the margin on each side of your image.
How much contrast does a QR code need?
The QR standards give no figure that a picture can be checked against: ISO/IEC 15415 grades contrast by reflectance, measured on the printed piece with a verifier. As a rule of thumb, this tool computes the WCAG contrast ratio between the dark and the light modules, treats 4.5:1 or more as comfortable and flags anything under 3:1, the line where our QR generator also warns. Black on white is 21:1.
Can I print an inverted QR code, light on dark?
ISO/IEC 18004 has allowed light modules on a dark background since its 2006 edition. Readers built before that, and some scanner apps today, do not read them. That is an observation, not a rule from the standard, and it makes an inverted code a risk on a piece you cannot change. If the design needs a dark area, keep the code dark on a light box with its 4-module margin.
What is the minimum print size for my QR code?
It depends on the scanning distance and on how many modules the code has. A common rule of thumb is a code side of about one tenth of the distance for a 25-module code, more for denser ones, never under 2 cm, with each module at least 0.5 mm on a standard printer. Type your distance and the tool applies these rules to the code it read.
Why is a photo less exact than the original file?
A photo adds blur, perspective, uneven light and compression noise, and the corners of the code have to be estimated. The tool maps the grid through the four corners and marks the numbers as approximate. For exact numbers, load the PNG or SVG that goes to the printer.
Does a good result mean my printed code will scan?
No. The tool measures an image. It cannot see the paper, the ink, glare, a curved bottle, a logo covering the centre, how much error correction is left or whether the link behind the code works. Print one copy and test it with two different phones at the real distance.
Is my image uploaded?
No. The image is opened and measured inside your browser, and what the code contains is not sent to VISU or to anyone else.