Displaying a QR code of the wrong size can impact its scannability, and make it unreadable for consumers. Such an inefficient code will not help your business or brand in any way. That is why you need to carefully determine the right size of your QR code before you get it designed or printed.
In this article, we have explained how to select the right QR code size.
Minimum and Maximum Possible Size of a QR code
There is no fixed minimum and maximum QR code size. But when it comes to the minimum possible size, experts believe 1 cm x 1 cm is the smallest size to that will work. In pixels, the same size will have a resolution of 38 x 38 pixels. This size is scannable and occupies a small space. When you select a QR code with a small size such as this, first test it with your phone camera to see whether the camera detects it or not, and then get it printed.
When it comes to the maximum QR code size, it is better to determine size according to the scanning distance. If you plan to display the QR code on a billboard, it should be large enough to let people scan it from a long distance.
It is usually recommended that you use a 10:1 ratio. If the scanning distance is 10 feet, the size of the QR code should be at least 1 foot, according to Create QR Code.
Relationship Between QR Code Size and QR Code Module
The dots of a QR code are called modules, according to Britannica. Phone cameras should be able to differentiate between all modules of a code in order to scan it.
A QR code with a large amount of data stored in it will have more modules than a code with small amount of data stored in it. So when there are more modules in a code, make sure your code is large enough, and modules do not merge together.
Resizing Your QR Code
Different marketing campaigns require QR codes of different sizes. If you have designed a QR code for a magazine, and now you want to use the same code on signage, you will have to resize the QR code according to the new scanning distance. For this, it is better to save your QR code in a Scalar-Vector-Graphics (SVG) format.
The SVG format is scalable. You can change the size of an SVG code whenever you want without compromising the quality.
Quiet Zone Around a QR code
This is the blank white space around a QR code. It is used to help the camera differentiate between code and other elements that are in its surroundings. A quiet zone that is 4 times larger than the module size is considered good for easy scannability (more info here).
Size of the QR Code URL
When you store a large URL in a QR code, the number of modules increases and the code looks denser and congested. As a result, its readability gets compromised. To avoid this issue, you should reduce the size of your URL to make your QR code more user-friendly.
