How to Use qrmake.dev

Everything you need to know about generating, customizing, and sharing QR codes.

Getting Started

Type or paste any URL or text into the input field. Your QR code generates instantly as you type—no buttons to click, no waiting. The preview updates in real time so you can see exactly what you're getting.

Customizing Colors

Use the Foreground and Background color pickers to change how your QR code looks. You can click the color swatch to open the system color picker, or type a hex value directly into the text field (e.g., 4A90D9 for a blue foreground).

For best results, keep high contrast between foreground and background. A dark foreground on a light background works most reliably across scanners. Avoid low-contrast combinations like light gray on white—many phone cameras won't pick them up.

Transparent Backgrounds

Check the Transparent checkbox to remove the background color entirely. This is useful when placing a QR code on top of a colored surface in a design tool. When transparency is on, the background color picker is disabled since it has no effect.

Note: transparent backgrounds only apply to PNG downloads. SVGs always use the background color you've set (or white by default).

Error Correction Levels

QR codes have four error correction levels that determine how much of the code can be damaged or obscured while still scanning correctly:

• L (Low) — recovers up to 7% damage. Produces the smallest, simplest QR code. Best for digital displays and clean environments where the code won't be damaged.
• M (Medium) — recovers up to 15% damage. The default and a good all-around choice for most use cases.
• Q (Quartile) — recovers up to 25% damage. Use this if the QR code will be printed on materials that might get scuffed, folded, or partially covered.
• H (High) — recovers up to 30% damage. Best if you plan to overlay a logo on the QR code or expect significant wear. The code will be denser with more modules.

Higher error correction means more data in the QR code, which means more modules (the little squares). If your data is long, a higher level might push the QR code to a larger version, making individual modules smaller and harder to scan at small sizes. For short URLs, this usually doesn't matter.

Download Size

The Size slider controls the pixel dimensions of your PNG download, from 256px to 2048px. The preview always shows the same size—this only affects the downloaded file.

• 256–512px — Fine for web use, emails, chat messages, and social media posts.
• 512–1024px — Good for presentations, documents, and small print materials like business cards.
• 1024–2048px — Use this for large print: posters, banners, signage. Gives you plenty of resolution to scale up without pixelation.

If you need truly unlimited resolution, download as SVG instead—it scales to any size with perfect sharpness.

Margin

The Margin slider adds quiet zone padding around your QR code (0 to 10 modules). The QR specification recommends at least 4 modules of margin for reliable scanning. If you're placing the QR code on a white background in a design, you can reduce the margin and let your layout handle the spacing.

Downloading: PNG vs SVG

Two download formats are available:

• PNG — A raster image at the pixel size you've selected. Works everywhere: websites, documents, emails, social media. This is what most people need.
• SVG — A vector image that scales to any size without losing quality. Ideal for print design, large-format printing, and anywhere you need to resize the QR code later. Opens in any design tool (Figma, Illustrator, Inkscape, etc.).

Keyboard Shortcuts

When the input field is focused:

• Enter — Download as PNG
• Shift + Enter — Download as SVG

These shortcuts make it fast to generate and download without reaching for the mouse. Type your data, hit Enter, done.

History

Every QR code you generate is saved to your browser's local storage. The history bar appears below the input field, showing your recent codes as clickable pills. Click any item to reload that QR code with all its settings.

History is completely private—it's stored only in your browser and never sent to any server. Use the Clear button to wipe it at any time. Clearing your browser data also removes it.

Sharing

When you click Copy share link, qrmake generates a URL that includes all your current settings—data, colors, error correction, size, and margin. Send that link to anyone: when they open it, they'll see the exact same QR code, ready to download.

This is handy when a colleague asks you to make them a QR code. Create it, click share, send the link. They can tweak the settings or download directly.