Image QR Code Generator
An image QR code opens a hosted picture when someone scans it. Worth separating from a related question people often mean instead: putting a logo inside the code. Both are covered below.
Link to a hosted image.
Error correction M — good for print and screen
When to use a image QR code
- Size charts, diagrams and instructions that will not fit on packaging
- Before and after photos for trades and salons
- Portfolio and gallery previews on a card
- Floor plans on an estate agent's board
- Artwork details beside a piece in a gallery
Before you print
Check it on a phone before printing
A wide diagram made for print usually needs pinching and dragging on a phone, which people will not bother with. Crop or redraw for a narrow screen — the scan is wasted if the image is unreadable when it opens.
Compress it first
A photo straight from a camera is several megabytes. On mobile data that is a long wait, and most people give up before it loads. Under 500KB is a good target.
Host it somewhere permanent
The code holds a link, so the image must stay at that address for as long as the printed code exists. A temporary file-sharing link will break it.
For a logo inside the code, keep it under 20 per cent
That is a different thing from this generator — it is a styling option. Error correction lets a scanner rebuild covered modules, but a logo over about 20 per cent of the area leaves no tolerance for a scuff or bad lighting.
Common questions
Can a QR code contain an image?
Not the image itself — QR codes hold text only, nowhere near enough for a picture. The code stores a link to where the image is hosted, and scanning opens it.
How do I put a picture inside a QR code?
That is a design option rather than a code type: a logo is drawn over the middle of the pattern, and error correction lets scanners rebuild what it covers. Keep it under about 20 per cent of the area, centred, and never over the three corner squares.
What image formats work?
Any format a browser opens — JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF. The code just holds the address, so whatever the browser can display will work.
Can I change the image later without reprinting?
With a dynamic code, yes. It points at a short link you control, so you can repoint it at a new image at any time. A static code encodes the address permanently.