Print your code at multiple sizes and find what scans at distance.
One code is generated and repeated at every size — use the real link you plan to print.
Print at 100% scale — turn off “fit to page”. The PDF places each code at its exact physical size on an A4 page.
A QR code that scans perfectly on your screen can still fail on paper. Ink spread, matte versus glossy stock, the printer’s real resolution, and the distance people actually stand at all change the outcome — and you only discover the problem after the run is printed. This sheet prints your real code at five true sizes so you can test before committing.
The rule of thumb is roughly ten to one: a code scans comfortably from about ten times its own width. A 2 cm code is happy at around 20 cm — a menu in the hand — while a 5 cm code reaches half a metre. The labels under each size on the sheet show that estimate so you can walk back and check it in your own light.
Once you know your smallest reliable size, turn that into a full print spec: use the QR size calculator to work back from your real scan distance, and the margin checker to confirm the clear space around it is enough.
Held about a hand’s length away — 2 cm is usually enough. Keep the URL short so the modules stay large.
Scanned from roughly half a metre — 4 to 5 cm is the safe range, with room for glare from café and store lighting.
Read from a couple of metres or more — go 8 cm and up. The 8 cm sample on the sheet is your starting point for large-format work.
Glossy paper and shiny lamination reflect light straight back into the camera, and that glare washes out the contrast between the dark and light modules the scanner needs. Matte or semi-matte finishes scatter light instead, so the code stays readable under spotlights and sunlight. If glossy is unavoidable, keep the code away from direct light sources and test it in the real spot.
Yes, but less than people fear. The print standard is 300 DPI: a 2 cm code needs about 237 pixels at that resolution, and an 8 cm code about 945. Almost every modern office or home printer clears that bar easily — blurry codes usually come from upscaling a low-resolution export, not from the printer itself. Our PDF places the code at exact physical sizes, so what you print is what you test.
No — a screen is backlit, so it emits its own light and gives the camera far better contrast than paper ever will. Print reflects ambient light and adds paper texture, ink spread, and glare, which is exactly what you need to test. A code that scans from a metre on your monitor can still fail at 40 cm on paper, so only a physical print gives a trustworthy answer.
First confirm the sheet printed at 100% scale — “fit to page” shrinks every size and invalidates the labels. Then check the basics: dark ink on a light background, a clean camera lens, decent lighting, and an untrimmed white margin around each code. If it still fails, your link may be very long — a denser code needs a larger print, so try a shorter link and print the sheet again.
Take the smallest size that scans quickly and comfortably — not just barely — from your real-world distance, then go one size up as a safety margin. Real conditions are worse than a test: dimmer light, older phones, hurried customers. If 3 cm scans easily from a table, print 4 cm on the actual menu and it will work for everyone.
Yes — the more characters a QR code carries, the more and smaller its modules become, and small modules are the first thing to fail at a distance or on a rough print. Always test with the exact link you plan to print, not a placeholder. A short link — for example a dynamic QR code with a compact redirect address — keeps the modules large and the minimum print size small.
Dynamic QR codes let you change the destination anytime — no reprinting — and show you every scan: when, where, and on which device. Try the full QRA studio free for 14 days.