Which QR code generator can you trust?
Seven questions, each with a 30-second test. Use them to check any generator yourself before a code goes to print.
Guide
QR codes that work in everyday use
How big a code needs to be, why some free codes lead nowhere after the trial period and how to spot a fake one. This is what we learnt while building qrmacher.de. There is no sales pitch, because there is nothing to buy here.
Last updated:
Articles
How big does a QR code need to be?
The 1:10 rule of thumb is right, but only for short content. How reading distance, content and quiet zone fit together — with a calculator to try it out.
Dynamic QR codes: when the free code needs a subscription
Why some free codes lead nowhere after the trial period, how to spot that before printing and how to keep the destination changeable anyway.
Quishing: how to spot fake QR codes
Parking meters with codes stuck over them, fake parking tickets, letters from your supposed bank. How the scam works and how to check a code before you open it.
QR code not scanning: finding and fixing the cause
Not scanning at all, only on some phones, or just showing text? Three questions help you find the cause, usually within a few minutes.
Error correction L, M, Q, H: which level for what?
What the four levels mean, how much space they cost and why a logo in the middle is less harmless than it looks.
Free download · in German
The handbook: QR codes done right
Everything this site covers, in one handbook to look things up, print and pass on, with a checklist for the moment before your print run. The handbook is available in German only.
- Ten code types
- Size
- Printing
- Error correction
- Subscription trap
- Quishing
- Troubleshooting
- Use cases
- Checklist
Download the handbook (German)
PDF in German, 26 pages, 3.7 MB. No sign-up, no email address.
By kind of code
Seven kinds have a page of their own with a generator, instructions and the questions that come up most often.
-
Link QR code
Menu, review page, appointment booking: any web address, direct and without a redirect.
-
vCard QR code
Name, phone and email in one code. The phone turns it into a contact.
-
Location QR code
Opens the maps app at the right spot, with a street address or accurate to the metre.
-
Wi-Fi QR code
Guests scan and they are online, without typing out a password.
-
QR code for bank transfers
For invoices and donation appeals: the banking app takes over payee, IBAN and amount.
-
PayPal QR code
Your PayPal.Me link as a code, with a fixed amount if you like: for flea markets, bake sales and club funds.
-
WhatsApp QR code
Straight into a chat with you, with a pre-filled message if you like. Works for a group’s invite link too.
Which kind suits which purpose is set out in the overview on the home page: Which code for what
Out and about with your iPhone? The free app makes the same codes, no account needed, offline too: qrmacher for iPhone