QR code for a business card
A QR code for your business card that scans every time.
Choose what the code opens, check the scan score and download a free PNG or SVG for your printer. A card is small, so size and link length matter more than on a poster.
By Wyatt, founder ·
Make a QR code that looks like you and scans every time.
Free to make. No account. We never put ads between a scanner and your link.
Link, Wi-Fi, Contact, Text, Email and SMS codes are static: what they hold lives inside the picture, not on our servers, and we never see who scans. Poll codes go through qrpolls.com, which counts scans, and work as long as the poll exists.
Every style is free to download: colours, shapes, logo and frame.
Advanced
PNG, JPEG or WebP, up to 2 MB. It stays in your browser.
We pick it for you: stronger when there is a logo, lighter for plain codes so the dots stay big. (M)
Example
Fill in the details above and we will test the code the way a phone would.
PNG and SVG are free: no watermark, no ads, and the code never expires.
Decide what the code should open
- Your contact details. A contact (vCard) code saves your name, phone and email straight into the phone's address book with no web page in between. It makes a denser code, so it needs more room.
- Your website, booking page or portfolio. A short web address makes the simplest code, which prints smaller and scans faster.
- Your LinkedIn or Instagram profile, if that is where you want conversations to start.
- Pick one. A card with a code and no instruction gets ignored; add four words, such as "Save my contact" or "Book a visit".
How big to print it on a card
A card is read at arm's length, about 25 cm. By the common 10:1 rule of thumb from QR vendors (not a standard), a short-link code needs to be about 2.5 cm wide, plus a blank margin of 4 modules on every side. A typical web address needs a little more, and a contact code more again.
By the same rule a typical web address needs about 3.3 cm, and a contact code about 4.5 cm (5.3 cm with its margin). A standard card is 8.9 cm by 5.1 cm, so a link code fits easily, while a contact code is about the full height of the card: put it on the back, or link a short web page instead. If a code looks crowded, shorten the link before you shrink the code.
Work out the exact sizePrint it so it scans
- Dark dots on a light background. Light dots on a dark card fail on many phone apps.
- Keep the white margin around the code. Do not crop it, and do not put text or a border touching it.
- Matte stock scans better than gloss under shop lights.
- Use the SVG for the printer's design file so the dots stay sharp at any size.
- Print one card, then scan it from arm's length with two different phones before you order a thousand.
If your link might change
Cards are printed in batches and last for months. A plain code holds the address itself, so if your site moves, every card points at the old one.
An editable code goes through a short qrpolls.link address, so you can point it at the new page and the printed cards keep working. 3 editable codes are free with an email. After that, $3 CAD once per code.
Editable QR codesQuestions
How big should a QR code be on a business card?
About 2.5 cm (1 inch) wide for a short link at arm's length, 3.3 cm for a typical web address and 4.5 cm for a contact code, before the blank margin. The size calculator gives the exact figure for your link.
Should I use a contact code or a website link?
Use a contact code if you want people to save your details in one tap. Use a website link if you want them to see your work or book you. A website link makes the smaller, easier code.
Is it free?
Yes. PNG and SVG downloads are free, with no account, no watermark and no ads, and the code does not expire.
Will the code stop working?
A plain code cannot expire: the address is inside the picture. It stops being useful if the page it points to moves. An editable code lets you point it at a new page.