How the qr code generator works
Last updated 10 November 2026
A QR code is a square barcode that a phone camera reads. It can hold a web address, plain text or contact details.
How it works
- Your text is turned into bytes and arranged in a grid of squares with error correction added.
- Higher error correction allows more damage but needs a bigger code for the same text.
- Download as SVG for printing at any size, or PNG for screens.
What the settings do
- What the code should contain: the text or web address that a phone shows or opens when it scans the code.
- Error correction: how much of the code can be damaged or covered and still scan. The options are low, medium, quartile and high.
- Quiet border: the empty margin around the code, counted in squares. Scanners need it to find the edges.
- PNG size: the width and height in pixels of the image you download.
Error correction and size
Higher error correction adds extra data to the code, so the code needs more squares to hold the same text. A code with more squares has smaller squares at the same printed size, which can make it harder to scan at a distance.
Lower error correction gives a simpler code. Higher error correction gives a code that can survive more damage, such as a scuff or a fold. The result shows how many squares across the code is, so you can compare the settings.
SVG or PNG
You can download the code two ways. An SVG is made of shapes, so it stays sharp at any size, which suits printing. A PNG is a fixed grid of pixels, which suits screens and documents. If you need a PNG for printing, choose a larger size.
Before you print
- Scan the code with a phone, and with more than one phone or app if you can.
- Print it large enough to scan from where people will stand.
- Keep dark squares on a light background, with the border left clear.
- Check the text or address once more. A typo in the web address leads to the wrong page.
What this does not cover
The tool makes a static code. It cannot be changed after you print it, and it does not count scans. Because the text is built into the squares, anyone with the code can read what it holds, so do not put secrets in it.
What can go in a code
The box takes any text, up to a length limit. Most people use a web address, but plain text works as well. The phone decides what to do with the text. A web address usually opens in the browser, and other text is shown as it is.
If the text is too long to fit at the error correction you chose, the tool shows a message. Shorten the text or lower the error correction. A shorter web address also makes a simpler code.
Things to watch
- Test the code with a phone before you print it.
- Keep dark squares on a light background and leave the quiet border.
- Short web addresses make simpler codes that scan more easily.
Made with the qrcode-generator library (MIT licence), included with this site. Like every tool on MoneyMzansi, this one runs entirely in your browser. There is no account, no upload and no sign-up. Your files are read and processed on your own device, and nothing is kept once you close the page.