QR code with a logo: how to make one that scans the first time

To make a QR code with a logo you create a regular code, upload the logo image and raise the error correction level so that the covered part of the code does not get in the way of scanning. In a generator this takes a couple of minutes: the logo is placed in the center for you and the correction level goes up automatically. Below we look at which logo file works, how to choose colors and what to check before printing.

What you will need

You need two things: the content that goes into the code and a logo file. The code can hold a link, text, Wi-Fi details, a contact card, a phone number or an email address. A logo can sit on top of any of these types.

The logo file can be a PNG, JPG, WebP or SVG. A simple version of the mark works best: no small text and no thin lines, because the logo takes up little space inside the code.

Start with the content, not the styling. First make sure the code without a logo leads where it should and scans with a phone. Then add the logo and colors: that way it is easier to tell at which step something went wrong.

How to add a logo to a QR code step by step

Open the QR code generator and do the following.

1. Choose the code type and fill in the fields: the code appears at once.
2. In the "Logo in the center" field choose your logo file.
3. Look at the error correction level: from L or M it switches to H by itself.
4. Change the code and background colors if you need to.
5. Download a PNG at the size you need and test the code with a phone.

You can remove the logo with the "remove" link next to the upload field. The code is rebuilt without it, and the other settings stay as they were.

The order of steps is up to you: you can upload the logo first and enter the data afterwards. The code is rebuilt on every change, and the logo stays in place until you remove it or reload the page.

Which logo file works best

The logo is fitted into a square. If your mark is wide or tall, the picture is squeezed into a square and gets distorted. So prepare a square file in advance: put the logo in the middle of a square canvas and leave some space around it.

Use the symbol, not the full version with the name and tagline. Small letters in the center of a code turn into unreadable strokes. If the brand has no separate symbol, the first letter of the name or a simplified emblem will do.

The file does not need a high resolution, but a tiny picture is a bad choice too: when you download the code at 4096 pixels, the logo is stretched and turns blurry. A picture a few hundred pixels per side is usually enough, and an SVG stays sharp at any size.

Logos with a solid, compact shape work well: a circle, a shield, a letter, a simple pictogram. Delicate marks made of thin lines and logos in pale colors look worse, since they get lost on a small plate. If the mark has a version made for an app icon or a social media avatar, use that one.

Where the logo sits and how big it is

The logo always sits exactly in the center of the code. Its width is 22% of the width of the whole picture, margin included. Under the logo a plate with rounded corners is drawn, slightly larger than the mark itself: it separates the logo from the squares of the code.

The plate takes the background color of the code. If the background is transparent, the plate is white. You cannot resize the logo, move it to a corner or remove the plate in the tool: these values are chosen so that the code stays readable.

Why a logo does not break the code

Every QR code carries redundant data. It is there so that the code can be read even when part of the pattern is damaged, dirty or covered. For a scanner a logo is exactly this kind of "damage" in the middle: the squares under it are not visible, and the phone restores them from the reserve.

The reserve is not unlimited. It is set by the error correction level, and the larger the covered area, the higher the level has to be. That is why the tool sets the maximum level H when you upload a logo.

A picture or photo in the center of a QR code instead of a logo

You can put any picture in the center, not only a logo: a photo, an icon, a network symbol. The rules are the same: a square file, a simple subject, good contrast with the plate. A portrait or a product photo will be hard to make out at this size, so choose a close-up without fine detail.

What the tool does not do

To avoid false expectations, here are the limits.

• The logo appears only in the PNG. The SVG file does not include it.
• The squares of the code are square: there are no rounded dots, patterns or shaped corner markers.
• The code has one color, there are no gradients.
• There are no frames with a "scan me" caption and no ready-made design templates.

A frame, a caption and a branded background are easier to add later, in the layout, while the code itself stays simple and high in contrast.

If you need a more elaborate design, do not try to draw it over the squares in an editor. Any change to the squares themselves risks making the code unreadable, and you may only notice it after printing.

A QR code with a logo is free and never expires

A code with a logo is created in your browser, free of charge and without signing up, and there are no subscriptions. The code itself is static: it holds your data, not the address of an intermediate service, so it will not stop opening.

The logo file is not uploaded anywhere, it is processed in the browser. When you click "Download PNG", a copy of the finished code is sent to the studio for codes with a link, text, phone number or email. For Wi-Fi and contact card codes no copy is sent.

The error correction level is the key setting for a code with a logo. It determines how many squares can be covered without losing readability and how dense the pattern becomes.

Levels L, M, Q and H: what they mean

A QR code has four error correction levels. Each one shows roughly what share of the data can be restored after damage.

The higher the level, the more service squares are added to the code. The amount of data stays the same, but the pattern gets denser.

The percentages are approximate and refer to the data of the code, not to the area of the picture. You cannot reason like this: level H will survive anything that covers less than 30% of the area. Service elements of the code, such as the three large squares in the corners, must never be covered at all, and the logo sits in the center precisely because none of them are there.

What happens when you upload a logo

If the level was L or M before the upload, the tool switches it to H by itself. If you had chosen Q beforehand, it stays: the tool does not change levels Q and H.

After the upload you can change the level by hand, including back to M. It is not a good idea: a 15% reserve may not be enough for a covered center, and the code will start scanning every other time or not at all.

The automatic switch happens only at the moment the logo is uploaded. If you later remove the logo, level H stays selected: for a code without a logo you can set it back to M by hand to make the pattern simpler.

Can you keep level Q

Yes, if the code still scans confidently. Level Q gives a less dense pattern than H, which helps when there is a lot of data and the code has to be printed small. But such a code needs stricter testing: with several phones, from a real printout, in poor light.

If in doubt, keep H. The safety margin comes in handy when a sticker gets worn or glare falls on a sign.

Why a code with a logo comes out denser

The size of a code in squares depends on two things: the amount of data and the correction level. The smallest QR code has 21 squares per side, the largest has 177, and every next step adds four squares per side.

Moving from M to H with the same data pushes the code up by several steps. There are more squares, and at the same picture size each square is smaller. Small squares are harder for a camera to tell apart, especially from a distance.

In practice you see it right away: after the logo is uploaded, the code in the preview becomes finer and denser. This is normal and not an error. Just keep it in mind when you choose the print size: a code that scanned on a small sticker without a logo may need a larger sticker with one.

How to make the code simpler: shorten the data

The most effective way to get large squares is to put fewer characters into the code. For a link this means removing everything that is not needed.

• Delete tracking tags and long parameters after the question mark from the address if they are not needed.
• Point to the short address of the page, not to a long address copied from search results.
• For a contact card fill in only the fields you need: every field adds squares.
• In a text code keep the essentials and move the details to a page behind a link.

This is covered in more detail in the article on how to make a QR code for a link: a short address helps even without a logo.

The effect is easy to check right in the tool: enter a long address, look at the pattern, then shorten the address and compare. The difference in density is visible at once, and it is the best argument for a short link.

What to do if there is too much data

If there is so much data that it does not fit into the code at the chosen level, the tool says so and suggests shortening the text or lowering the correction. For a code with a logo the right way is the first one: cut the data, not the reserve.

If the code was built but looks like fine ripples, that is a warning too. Such a code with a logo will be temperamental when scanned. Shorten the content or print the code noticeably larger.

How to tell that the reserve is enough

There is no reliable way to judge by eye, there is only testing. A code with a logo should scan instantly, without hunting for the right angle and distance. If the phone thinks for a second or two or reads every other time, the reserve is at its limit: in real life glare, wear and poor light will be added to the logo, and the code will fail.

Test the code with different phones, including an inexpensive one that is not new. Their cameras and recognition software differ, and what a flagship reads easily an old handset may not manage.

Do you need level H without a logo

Usually not. For a clean printout and a screen level M is enough, and it is the default. A high level without need only makes the pattern denser. The exception is codes that face a hard life: stickers on equipment, outdoor signs, packaging that gets crumpled.

A logo rarely comes alone: along with it you want to change the code color to match the brand. That is possible, but a scanner has its own requirements, and they are easier to break than it seems.

A dark code on a light background

A camera tells the squares apart by brightness, not by color. So the most dependable choice is a dark code on a light background: black, dark blue, dark green or burgundy on white or something very light. By default the tool uses an almost black code on a white background.

A brand color can be used for the code if it is dark enough. Yellow, lime, light blue, light gray and pink do not work for the squares: on white they blend into the background. Keep such colors for the caption and the frame around the code.

The background can be colored too, but only very light: cream, light gray, pale blue. The darker the background, the smaller the difference from the squares and the more temperamental the code. A saturated brand color as a background is almost always a bad idea.

Can you make a light code on a dark background

The tool lets you choose any two colors, including a white code on a black background. But not every scanner reads inverted colors, and the behavior depends on the phone and the app. If the code is meant for the general public, do not take the risk: go with dark on light.

If the design calls for a dark panel, put a white rectangle on it and place a regular code inside. The layout keeps its style, and the code stays readable.

With a transparent background the inverted scheme can happen unnoticed: you downloaded a dark code without a background and then placed it on a dark panel. It may be visible on the editor screen, but a camera will no longer pick it up. Test the code after it has been placed in the layout.

How to check contrast

A simple check: convert the picture to black and white or look at it with your eyes half closed. If the squares still stand out clearly from the background, there is enough contrast. If the code has turned into an even gray patch, the colors are too close in brightness.

The second check is practical: scan the code in a dim room and from a screen at minimum brightness. A good code scans there as well.

Take the printing method into account too. Colors are bright on a screen, but on paper, especially kraft or colored cardboard, they fade and the contrast drops. A code that scanned confidently from a monitor may turn out too pale on a brown box.

Transparent background: when it helps

A transparent background is useful when the code goes onto a colored panel in a layout and a white square around it gets in the way. Tick "Transparent background", and the PNG keeps only the squares and the logo on a white plate.

Remember that the code will have a background anyway: it will be whatever you place it on. If you put a transparent code on a photo, a busy pattern or a dark fill, it stops scanning. A transparent code needs an even light surface under it.

Logo color and the plate

The logo can be any color: the scanner does not read it, it skips it. All that matters is that it stays within the plate and does not look like a continuation of the squares. A plate in the background color takes care of that.

If the logo file has a colored background of its own, you get a colored square inside the plate. It does not hurt scanning, but it looks crude. A logo on a transparent background looks neater: you can make such a file with the Remove Background tool, where processing and the preview are free and the clean full-size file is paid.

If the code is on a white background and the logo is drawn on white, there is no need to remove the background: white on a white plate blends in by itself.

There is the opposite extreme as well: a logo of almost the same color as the plate, for example a white mark on a white background. The code will not suffer, but an empty square is left in the center and the logo loses its point. In that case use a colored version of the mark.

The margin around the code

An empty area in the background color must remain around the code. The QR standard calls for a margin four modules wide, that is four squares, on every side. It tells the scanner where the code begins and ends.

In the tool the margin is set with a slider from 0 to 8 modules, and the default is 4. Reduce it only when you know for sure that the layout leaves a clean light area around the code anyway. Zero with a frame or text right against the code leads to failed scans.

What is better avoided

A few choices that look good in a layout and work badly in real life.

• A code over a photo or a pattern.
• Squares and background in two colors of similar brightness.
• Cropping the margin to save space.
• Stretching the code out of proportion: it has to stay square.
• Heavy JPG compression that blurs the edges of the squares.

All these mistakes have one thing in common: the code stops being a simple two-tone pattern with crisp edges. The closer the result is to that ideal, the fewer surprises. Brand style is better expressed with a logo in the center, a dark color for the squares and the design around the code.

A code with a logo is most often made for print: packaging, a business card, a flyer, a sign. Here the file format, the size and a final test matter.

PNG or SVG for printing

The logo appears only in the PNG. So for printing a code with a logo, download the PNG at the largest size, 4096 pixels: it stays sharp in print even on a poster.

The SVG holds only the code itself, without the logo. It is useful when a designer builds the layout: they place the vector code and put the logo on top in their own software. In that case choose level H by hand before downloading the SVG, because without an uploaded logo the level does not rise by itself.

The PNG size in the list is approximate. The tool draws every square with a whole number of pixels to keep the edges sharp, so the side of the file may differ slightly from the number you chose.

For a website, an email or a presentation you need a smaller size: 512 or 1024 pixels. An oversized file on a page only slows loading and adds no sharpness.

What size to print the code

There is no single minimum size. The size is worked out from the square: the width of the code equals the number of squares including the margin, multiplied by the size of one square. For example, a code of 33 squares with a margin of 4 squares on each side is 41 squares wide. If a square is printed half a millimeter wide, the code takes up about two centimeters.

The more squares a code has, the larger it has to be printed for each square to stay distinguishable. A code with a logo at level H is denser than a regular one, so allow extra size. And the farther away a person stands, the larger the code has to be: a business card in the hand and a poster on a wall call for different sizes.

Only a trial gives the exact figure. Print the code at the planned size on the same printer, or ask the print shop for a proof, and scan it.

It helps to work backwards. First decide how much room the layout has for the code. Then look at how many squares your code has and estimate how large one square will be. If it comes out tiny, reduce the amount of data, not the margin: that is the only way to get larger squares in the same space.

A code with a logo on a business card

A business card is small and a code with a logo is dense, so cutting the data matters here more than anywhere. Instead of a full contact card with five fields, it often makes more sense to put a short link to a page with your contacts into the code.

If you need a simple code without a logo, the business card maker can place one itself: it has a field for a QR code and room for the company logo on the card. The logo then sits next to the code, not inside it, and the code stays light.

The back of a card suits a large code well: there is no other text there, and the code can be made almost as tall as the card. Do not put it right at the edge: when the print run is cut, the edge may shift and eat into the margin.

A code on packaging, a sticker and a sign

On packaging the code goes on a flat face, not on a fold or a seam. On bottles and jars it is made narrower so that the curve does not distort the pattern. On glossy film watch out for glare.

For a sign or a shop window keep distance and glass in mind: a code behind glass glares in daylight. A Wi-Fi code for guests can carry the venue logo too, and setting one up is covered in a separate article on the WiFi QR code.

On fabric, wood, metal and other textured materials small squares blur or get lost in the surface pattern. For such materials make the code as simple and large as you can and put the logo next to it, not inside.

How to test the code before the print run

Test a trial print at the real size, not the picture on the screen.

1. Scan the code with the built-in camera of an iPhone and of an Android phone.
2. Test from the distance people will scan from.
3. Repeat in dim light and at an angle.
4. Make sure it opens exactly the address or data you intended.
5. If the code does not scan at once, enlarge it or shorten the data and try again.

Save the tested file and do not re-save it again. Every extra round of compression or resizing in an editor can blur the edges of the squares. Send the print shop the very file you downloaded and tested.

Common mistakes in a code with a logo

The first mistake: the logo is pasted into a finished code in a graphics editor and made too large. A code built in the generator takes the covered area into account, while a homemade insert easily covers more than the reserve can take.

The second mistake: the correction level is lowered again for the sake of a less dense pattern. The third: the code is printed small although it has many squares. The fourth: the code holds a long link with tracking tags that could have been cut in half.

And the last one: the code was not tested after the layout was done. The designer may have trimmed the margin, changed the color or compressed the picture, and what needs testing is what went to print.

How do I make a QR code with a logo for free? Open the QR code generator, fill in the data, choose a file in the "Logo in the center" field and download the PNG. The code is created in your browser, free of charge and without signing up.

Which error correction level does a QR code with a logo need? Level H, which restores about 30% of the data. The tool turns it on by itself if the level was L or M before the logo was uploaded.

Why does my QR code with a logo not scan? Most often the code is printed too small, the colors lack contrast, the margin is cropped or the correction level was lowered by hand. Shorten the data and go back to a dark code on a light background and level H.

What format should the logo be in? PNG, JPG, WebP or SVG will work. It is best to make the file square: the logo is fitted into a square, and a wide or tall picture gets distorted.

Can I download a QR code with a logo as SVG? No. The SVG stores only the code itself, the logo appears only in the PNG. For print take the PNG at 4096 pixels.

Can I change the size of the logo in the code? No. The logo always sits in the center and takes up 22% of the picture width. This value is chosen so that the code stays readable.

Can I make a colored QR code? Yes, you can choose the code and background colors, and the background can be transparent. The squares must be clearly darker than the background, otherwise a scanner cannot tell them apart.

Will a QR code with a logo stop working over time? No. The code is static and not tied to a service: it holds your data. It works as long as the page or network it leads to exists.