QR Code Size & Printing Guide
The definitive engineering resource for graphic designers, prepress operators, and print buyers. Calculate scan distances, module dimensions, and quiet zones accurately.
The 10:1 Scanning Distance to Size Ratio
The most reliable industry rule of thumb for commercial print production is the 10:1 ratio:
Example: If a customer scans from 50 cm away, the QR code must be at least 5 cm wide.
Standard Dimensions by Media Format
| Medium | Typical Scan Distance | Recommended Width | Minimum Absolute Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Card | 20 - 30 cm (8 - 12 in) | 25 x 25 mm (1.0 in) | 20 x 20 mm (0.8 in) |
| Restaurant Table Tent | 35 - 50 cm (14 - 20 in) | 40 x 40 mm (1.6 in) | 30 x 30 mm (1.2 in) |
| Flyer or Magazine | 30 - 45 cm (12 - 18 in) | 35 x 35 mm (1.4 in) | 25 x 25 mm (1.0 in) |
| Window Storefront Sign | 1 - 1.5 meters (3.3 - 5 ft) | 120 x 120 mm (4.7 in) | 100 x 100 mm (4.0 in) |
| Trade Show Banner | 2 - 3 meters (6.6 - 10 ft) | 250 x 250 mm (10 in) | 200 x 200 mm (8 in) |
| Highway Billboard | 15 - 25 meters (50 - 80 ft) | 1.8 - 2.5 meters (6 - 8 ft) | 1.5 meters (5 ft) |
DPI vs. Vector SVG: Prepress Best Practices
Raster files (PNG, JPG) are bound to fixed pixel grids. If you scale a 500px PNG up on an in-store poster, individual pixels blur and anti-aliasing destroys the crisp edges between modules.
- Vector SVG (Lossless): Contains pure XML geometric paths. Scale infinitely from business card to building wrap without any degradation.
- 300 DPI Rule for Raster: If submitting PNGs to a commercial offset printer, ensure resolution is at least 300 dots per inch at 100% final output scale.
The Quiet Zone Margin Requirement
ISO/IEC 18004 specifies a mandatory blank border of at least 4 modules width on all four sides. If graphic elements, background textures, or paper edges intrude on this quiet zone, optical edge-detection filters fail to identify the orientation of the barcode.
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