Which file format to send your printer
Site Admin · · 4 min read
Every QR code is a grid of squares, which means it is fundamentally a vector shape. Save it as pixels and you have thrown that away; every enlargement after that guesses at edges the original never had.
The short version
- SVG — anything going to a printer. Infinitely scalable, small file, opens in Illustrator and CorelDRAW
- EPS — when the printer specifically asks for it, common with older presses and screen printing
- PDF — a ready-to-hand-over sheet, already sized with a caption
- PNG — screens, slide decks, emails, documents
- JPG — avoid. Its compression softens the exact edges a scanner reads
- WEBP — web pages where file size matters
Why JPG is the one to avoid
JPG compresses by discarding fine detail at hard edges, which is precisely what a QR code is made of. At small sizes the module boundaries blur and the error correction has to work harder than it should. On a screen you may never notice; printed at 2 cm on a label, it is the difference between a first-try scan and a customer giving up.
Quiet zone
The white margin around the code is part of the code. Scanners use it to find where the pattern begins. The specification asks for four modules of clear space; designers trim it constantly, and it is the single most common reason a beautifully printed code will not scan.
Minimum sizes worth remembering
- Business card or label held in the hand — 2 cm
- Table tent or menu — 2.5 to 3 cm
- Poster read from two metres — 10 cm
- Hoarding or shop shutter — roughly a tenth of the reading distance
Put this into practice
Every feature described here is free on QRScanner.in — no plan, no card, no watermark.