What size should a QR Code be?
The size of a QR code depends on several factors with the most important being the distance between the QR code and the mobile phone camers. Other factors influencing the size and readability are: the amount of data in the QR code, the lighting conditions, the quality of the mobile phone camera and the reader software used to scan the QR code.
Recommended QR code size use for a type4 QR code
| Surface |
Distance |
Size |
| A4 type=Magazine |
Distance 20 cm |
20mm x 20mm |
| A3 type=Poster |
Distance 1.5m |
95mm x 95mm |
| 3x4m type=Billboard |
Distance 10m |
380mm x 380mm |
Relative size differences of QR code types
| Type 1 |
Type 4 |
Type 7 |
Type 10 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Max Data 25 |
Max Data 114 |
Max Data 224 |
Max Data 395 |
As can be seen above, the more data that is encoded in the QR code the bigger it gets. This can also have a big impact on the space required to display the QR code depending on the display medium used.
For an accurate overview of QR code sizes in relation to the data they contain, see: QR Code Data Capasities.
What size QR code for a business card ?
The answer is not as easy as it seems, but in general, the bigger the better. The reason the size is not so obvious depends on several factors.
The QR code print impression should be big enough for a mobile phone camera to be able to clearly focus on. Assuming you want the QR code to be printed as small as possible on your business card without taking up too much real estate and still work, consider the following:
QR codes on business cards can be used in two ways:
1. Direct QR Codes
This is where all the information you want to hand over to an application that scans the code is encioded directly into the QR code. Little information like just a telephone number or e-mail address will produce a small QR code. However if you want to include you full name, address, websites and more in a typical vCard QR code, then it can become a much larger QR code that requires more space to be printed, Typically these kinds of QR codes are hell for printers and publishers as they often do not know the format of the QR code beforehand, and unless they actually have the QR code they will not be able to tell you how big it should be for your business card.
2. Indirect QR Codes
Here a fixed format QR code refers to web address that can supply the vCard information and potentially lots more, like a personal image, social media links, links to music and video and all from within a single small foorprint QR code. With these types of QR codes organizations can easily role out the use of QR codes on all business cards without the problem of variable information (variable QR code size). Making it easy and reliable to create and print business cards with QR codes that you know will work. An additional advantage to this QR code system is that even if the company moves to a new address or people are promoted, the information behind the QR code is updateable. Even if the information on the business card is out of date, the QR code is actual and up to date.
For more information on fixed size dynamic QR codes and services, please contact us.