QR Code Generator PNG
PNG is the QR code file that opens everywhere: Word, Google Docs, PowerPoint, Canva, email signatures and any upload form. This page starts on PNG at 1000 px; choose the pixel size that matches where the code will appear and it stays crisp.
QR Code Generator
Link is required.
Nothing is uploaded; the code is generated for you to download.
Width and height of the PNG in pixels. 1000 px prints sharply up to about 8 cm; vector formats ignore this.
Blank border around the code, counted in modules (the small squares). Scanners need at least 4 on a busy background.
Higher levels still scan when part of the code is dirty or covered by a logo, but the pattern becomes denser.
Keep it dark. Light codes on dark backgrounds fail on many older phone cameras.
Needs strong contrast with the code color; white is the safest choice.
How to use this tool
- 1
Enter what the code should open
Paste a link into Link, or switch QR code type to Wi-Fi, contact, email, location or another type. Download as is already PNG.
- 2
Pick the pixel size
Under Advanced settings, set Image size between 100 and 4000 px using the table on this page. Tick Transparent background if the code sits on a colored slide or banner.
- 3
Generate and insert
Press Generate, download the PNG and insert it at its own size or smaller. Scan it on screen once before you send the document.
Most QR codes never see a print shop. They end up in a slide deck, a PDF invoice, a product page or the footer of an email, and for all of those a PNG at the right pixel size is the simplest file you can hand over.
A PNG QR code for documents, slides and websites
PNG became a W3C Recommendation in 1996 and an ISO/IEC standard (15948) in 2003, created as a patent-free replacement for GIF. Its lossless compression suits a QR code perfectly: a pattern of two flat colors shrinks to a small file with every edge intact. Office apps, browsers and phone galleries open it without a second thought, which is not true of SVG in older versions of Word or many web forms.
The one thing a PNG cannot do is grow. Its pixels are fixed when you press Generate, and stretching it later blurs the edges between modules. That is why the size you choose here matters more than any other setting.
PNG QR code size in pixels for a printed width
| cm | Pixels at | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 72 DPI | 150 DPI | 300 DPI | |
| 2 | 57 | 118 | 236 |
| 3 | 85 | 177 | 354 |
| 5 | 142 | 295 | 591 |
| 8.5 | 241 | 502 | 1004 |
| 10 | 283 | 591 | 1181 |
| 20 | 567 | 1181 | 2362 |
| 33 | 935 | 1949 | 3898 |
Read the row for the printed width and choose a column. 300 DPI is the safe default for anything printed; because a QR module is a large flat square rather than photo detail, 150 DPI usually scans just as well on posters seen from a distance. The 72 DPI column is only a guide for screens. Anything wider than about 33 cm needs more than the 4000 px maximum at 300 DPI, so switch to the SVG QR code generator for banners and signage.
Fixing a blurry or jagged PNG QR code
Soft, gray module edges in a document
The image was enlarged after insertion. Generate a bigger Image size and scale it down instead of up.
Gray blocks around the modules
Someone saved the PNG as a JPG along the way. Insert the original PNG again.
The code vanishes on a dark slide
A transparent code on a dark background loses contrast. Turn off Transparent background so the code keeps its white quiet zone.
The code was screenshotted from a web page
Screenshots carry screen resolution and compression. Generate the code fresh from its content instead.
PNG QR code questions
Why is a QR code saved as PNG rather than JPG?
PNG is lossless, so the hard edge between a black module and the white background stays perfectly clean. JPG compression smears that edge into gray blocks, which costs contrast and adds file size for no gain. The JPG vs PNG guide explains the difference in more detail.
What PNG size should a QR code in an email signature be?
Signature images are usually shown at about 100 to 150 px wide. Generate around 300 px so the code is sharp on high-density phone and laptop screens, then set the display width in your mail app's signature editor. Very large images in signatures get scaled or stripped by some mail clients.
Can a PNG QR code have a transparent background?
Yes. Tick Transparent background and only the dark modules are drawn. Whatever sits behind the code then becomes its background, so it must be light and plain, or the scanner loses the contrast it needs.
My form says the QR image must be under 100 KB. Will it fit?
Almost always. A two-color PNG compresses very well, and a 1000 px code is typically far below 100 KB. If a portal demands an even smaller file, lower Image size first; the guide to reducing image size in KB covers stricter limits.
Is a 1000 px PNG enough for a poster?
Only for a small one. At 300 DPI, 1000 px covers about 8.5 cm, and even at 150 DPI it reaches only about 17 cm. For a large poster or a banner, generate 4000 px or download a vector file instead.
