QR codes have made a full comeback — from restaurant menus to product packaging, business cards to event tickets. A QR code can encode a URL, contact card, email address, phone number, or plain text, and any smartphone can scan it instantly without an app. Here is how to generate one for free with custom colours, logo, and size.
What can a QR code contain?
QR (Quick Response) codes can encode a surprisingly wide range of data:
- Website URLs — The most common use. Scan to open a website, landing page, menu, or product page. Ideal for print marketing where clicking a link is not possible.
- Contact information (vCard) — Encode a full contact card with name, phone, email, and address. Scanning adds the contact directly to the phone's address book — far faster than typing.
- WiFi credentials — Encode a network SSID and password so guests can connect to your WiFi by scanning, no typing required.
- Phone numbers and SMS — Scanning dials the number or opens an SMS compose window with a pre-filled message.
- Email addresses — Opens an email compose window addressed to a specific recipient.
- Plain text — Display a message, instruction, or information when scanned.
- App store links — Deep links to iOS App Store or Google Play listings for specific apps.
- Cryptocurrency wallet addresses — Encode wallet addresses and payment amounts for crypto transactions.
Step-by-step: generating a QR code with ToolsGravity
- Open the QR Code Generator and select the data type (URL, text, contact, WiFi, etc.).
- Enter the content you want to encode. For URLs, paste the full address including
https://. - Customise the appearance:
- Foreground colour — Match your brand colours
- Background colour — White is standard; transparent is possible for some use cases
- Error correction level — Higher levels allow more of the QR code to be obscured while remaining scannable (needed if adding a logo)
- Logo/image overlay — Add your brand logo to the centre
- Choose the output size and format (PNG for screen and digital use; SVG for print at any size without quality loss).
- Test the QR code by scanning it with your phone before distributing. Always test before printing.
- Download and use in your print materials, website, presentations, or email signatures.
QR code error correction levels
| Level | Recovery capacity | Code size | Best for |
|---|
| L (Low) | ~7% damage recovery | Smallest | Clean digital display, no logo overlay |
| M (Medium) | ~15% damage recovery | Small | General use, clean print environments |
| Q (Quartile) | ~25% damage recovery | Medium | Industrial use, outdoor environments |
| H (High) | ~30% damage recovery | Larger / denser | Logo overlay, potentially damaged or dirty surfaces |
Design tips for scannable QR codes
- Maintain sufficient contrast. The QR code modules (dark squares) must have high contrast against the background. Dark on light always works; light on dark works but scan less reliably. Never use similar shades.
- Leave a quiet zone. QR codes require a margin of white space (at least 4 modules wide) around all edges. Without this quiet zone, scanners may fail to detect the code.
- Use H-level error correction for logo overlays. A logo covers some modules. High error correction ensures the code remains scannable with up to 30% of the data obscured.
- Test at minimum print size. The minimum practical print size for most codes is around 2 × 2 cm for close-range scanning. Test at the actual print size, not just on screen.
- Use SVG for print. SVG is resolution-independent and will print crisply at any size. PNG can look blurry if printed larger than it was generated.
Summary
QR codes are one of the most practical bridges between physical and digital media. The ToolsGravity QR Code Generator creates customised QR codes for any data type — URL, contact, WiFi, and more — with brand colour customisation and logo support. Always use high error correction when adding a logo, output as SVG for print, and test by scanning before distributing.