How to Add a Logo to Your QR Code

March 21, 2026

A QR code with a logo in the center looks polished and professional. It's also one of the easiest ways to ruin a perfectly functional QR code if you do it wrong. The trick is understanding how QR codes handle damage -- because that's exactly what a logo is from the code's perspective.

Why this works at all: error correction

QR codes have built-in redundancy called error correction. The spec defines four levels:

• L (Low) -- recovers up to 7% damage
• M (Medium) -- recovers up to 15% damage
• Q (Quartile) -- recovers up to 25% damage
• H (High) -- recovers up to 30% damage

When you place a logo over the center of a QR code, you're covering up modules that contain data. The scanner relies on error correction to reconstruct the missing information. This is why error correction level H is essential for any QR code with a logo. At level H, the code can tolerate up to 30% of its data being obscured and still scan correctly. For a deeper dive into how all four levels work, see QR code error correction explained.

You can set this to H when you generate your QR code.

How to do it: the manual approach

The most reliable method is straightforward:

1. Generate a QR code at error correction level H. Use a large output size -- at least 1000x1000 pixels -- so you have room to work with.
2. Open the QR code in an image editor. Photoshop, GIMP, Figma, Canva -- anything that supports layers.
3. Place your logo in the center. The center is the safest area because it's the furthest from the three position detection patterns (the big squares in the corners) that scanners need to locate the code.
4. Size the logo to no more than 20-25% of the total QR code area. Even with level H allowing 30% damage tolerance, you want headroom for print quality imperfections and physical wear.
5. Add a small white border around the logo. A few pixels of white space between the logo and the surrounding QR modules helps scanners distinguish where the logo ends and the code begins.
6. Export as PNG at high resolution.

Tips for best results

• Keep the logo simple. A clean, recognizable icon works better than a detailed photograph. At small sizes, complex logos become visual noise.
• Use high contrast. The logo should be clearly distinct from the QR code pattern. A dark logo on the dark modules of a QR code is hard to read and confuses scanners. For color pairing advice, see custom QR code colors.
• Square or circular logos work best. They sit neatly in the center without awkward gaps or excessive coverage.
• Don't cover the finder patterns. Those three large squares in the corners are sacred. Covering any part of them will almost certainly break the code. Keep your logo away from the corners entirely.
• Keep the data short. A shorter URL produces a less dense QR code with larger modules, giving you more room for a logo. If your URL is long, consider a shorter redirect URL.

Test, test, test

This cannot be overstated. A QR code with a logo is operating at the edge of its error tolerance. What scans fine on your new iPhone might fail on someone's older Android in poor lighting. Test with multiple devices, at the intended print size, in realistic conditions. If any device struggles, make the logo smaller.

The golden rule: a working QR code with no logo is infinitely more useful than a branded QR code that won't scan. When in doubt, go smaller on the logo. Function beats aesthetics every time.