How to Create a QR Code
Encode the data you want a phone to read, download a file, scan it once yourself, then print or share that file.
The pattern is the data — it does not call a server later unless you encoded a URL that does.
What you are actually making
A QR code is a two-dimensional barcode. The dark and light modules store the exact characters you chose. A camera reconstructs those characters — it does not “look up” the code on MultiConvers or any other generator. Encode https://example.com/menu and the phone opens that page. Encode a sentence and the phone shows the sentence.
That is why a sloppy URL or a typo in the text becomes a permanent mistake in the file. Generate again if the data is wrong; do not try to edit the squares by hand.
Steps that work in any generator
- Decide what a successful scan should do: open a website, show a short note, or join a network. Wi-Fi codes use a different payload — see how to create a Wi-Fi QR code.
- Type the data exactly. For websites, include
https://so the phone treats the result as a link rather than plain text. - Keep contrast high: dark modules on a light, uncluttered background. Pale grey on cream is a common reason a “perfectly generated” code will not scan.
- Leave a quiet zone — an empty margin — around the square. Cropping flush to the modules is a frequent print error.
- Download the image and scan it with your own phone before you print a batch.
If you want a file in the browser without an account, use the MultiConvers QR code generator. The same steps apply if you use another local generator.
Size and printing
Scanners fail on cramped codes more often than on slightly large ones. These printed widths are a practical starting point, not a standard:
| Use | Minimum printed width |
|---|---|
| Business card | About 2 cm (0.8 in) |
| Flyer or table tent | About 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) |
| Poster read from a few metres | About 8–10 cm (3–4 in) or larger |
Stand where a stranger would stand and try the scan. If it fails, increase the print size or the margin before you change the URL.
Test before you commit
Open the Camera app, point it at the screen or a test print, and wait for the link banner. Try both a phone that already knows the site and one that does not. Outdoor stickers need more contrast and a larger quiet zone than a slide shown in a meeting room.
Choose PNG when you need a ready-made pixel image; choose SVG when the same code must stay sharp on a poster. That choice is PNG vs SVG, not a different kind of QR code.
After you download
The file is the code. Emailing the PNG is the same payload as printing it. You cannot rewrite the bits in the image later. If the destination page might move, encode a URL you control, or read static vs dynamic QR codes. The image itself does not expire.
FAQ
- Do I need a special app to scan the code?
Usually not. The Camera app on current iPhone and Android phones reads URL and text codes and offers to open them.
- Can I change the code after I print it?
Not the image. The modules already hold the characters you encoded. Point the code at a URL you control if the page might change, or create a new file.
Related guides
How to Create a Wi-Fi QR Code
A Wi-Fi QR code stores the network name, security type and password in a standard WIFI: payload. Scanning it lets a phone join without typing the password. It is a credential slip, not a live login to your router.
QR Code PNG vs SVG
Download PNG when you need a ready-made pixel image at a known size. Download SVG when the same code must stay sharp on a poster or in a design file. The format does not change what the code encodes.
Static vs Dynamic QR Codes
A static QR code stores the payload in the image. A dynamic QR code usually stores a short URL that redirects to the real destination so you can change the target later. MultiConvers only creates static codes.
Do QR Codes Expire?
A static QR code does not expire. The pattern still decodes to the same characters years later. What fails is whatever those characters point at — a taken-down page, a changed Wi-Fi password, or a short link whose host cancelled the redirect.
Related tools
See all guides.