How to Make a Professional QR Code With Your Logo

A practical guide to elegant QR codes that actually scan — error-correction levels and the mistakes that break them.

A QR code bridges print and digital: business cards, menus, posters, packaging. Yet many beautifully designed codes fail to scan. Here's how to make one that is both attractive and reliable.

How does a QR code work?

It is a grid of black and white squares representing binary data. The large squares in three corners are "position patterns" — they tell the camera the code's orientation even if it is tilted or upside down.

Error correction: the setting most people miss

A QR code carries redundant data so it still reads when partly damaged. There are four levels:

• L — tolerates 7% damage
• M — 15%
• Q — 25%
• H — 30% ✅ choose this when adding a logo

Why? Because placing a logo in the middle covers real data. Level H provides enough redundancy to compensate, so the code still scans.

Rules for a centre logo

• Never exceed 25% of the code's width. Around 20% is safest.
• Put a solid backing behind the logo (in the code's background colour) to separate it cleanly.
• Never cover the three corners — doing so breaks scanning entirely.

Colour: one decisive rule

Cameras read contrast, not colour. So:

• ✅ Dark code on a light background — this is the norm.
• ⚠️ Inverted (light on dark) works on most modern phones but not all. Test it.
• ❌ Two colours of similar brightness (yellow on white) will almost certainly fail.
• ❌ Complex gradients confuse readers.

Size and printing

Rule of thumb: code width ≥ one tenth of the scanning distance. To scan from one metre, make it at least 10cm. For print, export at high resolution (1024px or more) or use SVG — being vector, it prints at any size without pixelation.

Common mistakes

• Not testing: test with two different phones before printing. Print mistakes are expensive.
• Removing the margin: the code needs empty quiet space around it.
• Very long URLs: they make the squares tiny and hard to read. Shorten the link.
• Not checking the link: make sure the page works and is mobile-friendly.