QR Code and 2D Code Generator

This page is an online two dimensional code generator which is written in PHP. It can generate QR Code, Data Matrix, Aztec Code and Micro QR Code.

Using the form on this page, you can create two dimensional code images that trigger various actions on the scanner device. Don’t forget to install Qrafter or Qrafter Pro (why two versions?) to scan and generate QR Codes if you have an iPhone or iPad. So far, this page created 4,991,975 codes since I started counting in January, 2010.

Please be sure to read the Notes and FAQ sections below before requesting help in the comments if you encounter any problems with code generation (Especially for Micro QR Codes or backslash characters you may encounter on some codes!).

This page is very popular and because of that, it gets an incredible amount of comment spam. Sometimes legitimate comments can get caught as spam and I can miss them, so if your comment does not appear after some time, you can contact me from the email address on my contact page.

READ THIS FIRST:

I am getting many questions about scanning the codes created on this generator. Most of them are about some problem with the scanner not detecting the content of the code properly. This generator follows established standards strictly and most scanner apps except Qrafter and Qrafter Pro for iOS don’t follow those standards completely. So, if you somehow end up with an unexpected result after scanning a code, it is because that your scanner was developed lousily. If you are on iOS, use Qrafter or Qrafter Pro for guaranteed standards compatibility. For other platforms, please contact the developers of your scanner app to tell them to start following the standards that were established for a reason.

Select a Code Action:
Code Type: QR Code (recommended)
Data Matrix (only ASCII chars)
Aztec Code (only ASCII chars)
Micro QR Code (only ASCII chars)
Bookmark Title: *
Web Site URL: *
Phone Number: *
SMS Message:
Mail Recipient: *
Subject:
Body:
Escape Special Characters (like colon, semicolon or comma): Yes
No
IMPORTANT: Please check notes on escaping in Notes section.
Version: 2.1
3.0
vCard Type: Real Person
Company
First Name:
Middle Name:
Last Name:
Organization:
Title:
E-Mail Address:
Mobile Phone:
Video Call Phone:
Work Phone:
Work Fax:
Home Phone:
Work Address: Street:
City:
State:
ZIP Code:
Country:
Home Address: Street:
City:
State:
ZIP Code:
Country:
Address: Street:
City:
State:
ZIP Code:
Country:
Work Web Address:
Home Web Address:
Web Address:
Birthday:
Event Format: Fully Compliant to iCalendar Standard Compliant to ZXing Proposal
Event Summary: *
Event Description:
Full Day Event: Yes (Only uses start date and end date) No (Also uses start time and end time)
Start Date:
Start Time:
End Date:
End Time:
Text: *
NOTE: Google Maps will be used to select the coordinates, but the resulting url will be a Bing Maps URL.
Location Name:
 
Twitter User: *  
Prepend username before tweet
Twitter User: *
Text to Tweet: *
Search Type: Publisher Search Exact Package Name
Market Search: *
Package Name: *
Youtube Video ID: *  
Enter either only the YouTube video ID or full URL for the video.
iTunes App ID: *  
Enter either only the App ID or full URL for the app on iTunes.
Venue ID: *  
Enter either only the venue ID or full URL for the venue.
Facebook Status: *
BBM Pin: *
SSID: *
Password:
Network Type:
URL Shortening:
(will use full url in case of error)
Error Correction Level:
(only for QR Code)
Block Size in Pixels:
Margin Size in Blocks:
Output Type:
Foreground Color:     Transparent
Background Color:     Transparent
Qrafter Banner

Notes:

You can follow me or Qrafter on Twitter.

QR Code is far more widespread than Data Matrix, Aztec Code or Micro QR Code. Actually Micro QR Code is rarely used and is only given here as a technology preview. If you want to create a campaign for your products using a 2D Code, make sure that you are using QR Codes, not the other types.

Data Matrix and Aztec Code have significantly lower capacity (4096 alphanumeric characters for QR Code, 3067 for Aztec Code and 2335 for Data Matrix), so if you would like to encode a lot of text, select QR Code.

To create the best readable code for long URLs, use one of the URL shortening services so that the resulting code is as small as possible. I personally prefer bit.ly over the others.

Micro QR Code cannot hold more than 35 numeric and 21 uppercase alphanumeric characters, and it can hold even less characters when you use lowercase characters. When encoding a URL into a Micro QR Code, try using all uppercase characters for longer URLs. I don’t know of a scanner that supports Micro QR Code though.

If your input cannot be encoded, the generator will give a warning. In that case, lower the character count in your input and try again.

If your device cannot interpret the encoded 2D Code properly, it probably means your scanner program is written poorly or does not have the capability of decoding that particular code format; or your device does not accept that action, because all codes created by this script and the content within them are compliant to all necessary published standards (vCard standards, URL encoding schemes, NTT DoCoMo standards, etc.).

While we are talking on standards, let me open the topic up a little bit more. Sadly most scanners out there do not follow special character escaping standards. Characters like “:” or “;” are special characters in vCard, meCard or vEvent specifications, and they should be properly escaped for the input to be interpreted correctly. This generator follows these standards correctly, and so a URL field like “http://example.com” becomes “http\://example.com” after escaping. The problem is, some scanners do not know how to handle this escaped character and break altogether. If you encounter such problem, select No for Escape Special Characters in vCard, meCard or vEvent creation. But while you will be able to read those QR Codes in broken scanners, be aware that, your 2D Code will not be standards compliant and you may not be able to add a URL that includes a second colon (for example as a port number separator) or semicolon when you do that. If you are on iPhone or iPad, I strongly suggest that you ditch your broken scanner and download Qrafter or Qrafter Pro. They are fully compliant to said standards. This way, I hope that developers will be forced to create scanners that obey standards that were established for a reason.

Data Matrix, Aztec Code and Micro QR Code do not support characters other than ASCII because of their spec, so if your input has international characters, always use QR Code. Another caveat of Micro QR Code is that, it is not supported by most of the scanner programs out there. As for Kanji and Cyrillic characters, again, only QR Code should support them.

Always use dark colors for foreground color and light colors for background color. If there is not enough contrast between foreground and background colors, your device will most probably fail to decode the code. Another warning: The EPS version I had to use does not support transparency, so you should use another format if you are going to have transparent foreground or background in your codes.

Twitter Profile Image Overlay option overlays your Twitter profile image onto a code that includes your Twitter profile URL. Images created with this option will behave very oddly with vector image formats. You have been warned! 🙂

Currently you can do the following actions with 2D codes generated with this form:

  • You can browse to a website.
  • You can bookmark a website.
  • You can make a phone call.
  • You can send a short message.
  • You can send an e-mail.
  • You can create a vCard (v2.1 or v3.0) with coordinates to add a contact to your device.
  • You can create a meCard to add a contact to your device.
  • You can create a vCalendar event to add to your calendar.
  • You can create iTunes app and review URLs for iOS devices.
  • You can create market:// URLs for searching for publishers or packages on Market app for Android.
  • You can create Foursquare venue URLs.
  • You can create special youtube:// URLs for YouTube app on iOS.
  • You can fetch and encode the latest tweet of a Twitter user.
  • You can overlay a Twitter profile image over the code.
  • You can create a mobile URL to tweet on Twitter.
  • You can connect to a WIFI network on Android devices.
  • You can read plain or free formatted text on your device.

You can change the block size of the generated image to make it bigger or smaller. Also, you can change the margin size of the image to add more quiet zone if your decoder cannot decode it (Especially Data Matrix seems to need bigger margin sizes). Error correction level for QR Code (ignored for other code types) can be set to 4 different values and higher values may cause the image to be decoded slightly slower. The 4 values can be explained like this:

  • Low (L): Up to 7% of errors can be corrected.
  • Medium-Low (M): Up to 15% of errors can be corrected.
  • Medium-High (Q): Up to 25% of errors can be corrected.
  • High (H): Up to 30% of errors can be corrected.

You can choose PNG, PDF, SVG or EPS outputs. SVG will output a vector image XML file, and you can edit it in applications like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape.

Please be aware that while I make checks for illegal characters to protect my server, I do not check your input for a meaningful value.

The image generation is done using third party encoders. I have only written a handy PHP front end that formats your input and passes it to these encoders.

A note about printing from Roy, a fellow user of this generator: When codes are generated, they are created in RGB (my note: yes even if they are black and white, they are in RGB colorspace) and if they are used in printing, they should be converted to grayscale or CMYK so that, when printed, only the black plate is used. This ensures the highest edge resolution, particularly in smaller sizes.

QR Code Scanners:

The best scanner apps for iPhone and iPad are Qrafter and Qrafter Pro. They are available on the App Store. They are designed for both iPhone and iPad and Qrafter is free with advertisements, while Qrafter Pro is paid with no advertisements. They are able to understand all actions on this generator (and more) and are the most advanced scanners for QR Codes on iPhone and iPad.

For Android, the best option seems to be the Barcode Scanner app from ZXing.

For Nokia Maemo/Meego, you can use Mbarcode according to Ryks, another commenter.

For other devices, you may find one, suitable for your device from Kaywa or QuickMark.

QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED in the United States and other countries.

Qrafter is a registered trademark of Kerem Erkan in the United States, European Union and other countries.

FAQ:

Here is an updating list of frequently asked questions.

Q: Can I change the content of a code I created if I find a mistake?
A: The codes generated on this generator are standalone, which means they have no connection to this generator after being generated. This also means they include the content directly inside them, and if the content needs to change, the generated code image will change. Please test your code images with as many devices and scanner apps as possible to avoid any problems after printing the codes.

Q: Why do I get unwanted characters like a backslash (\) or semicolon (;) in the result when I scan a QR Code?
A: You are using a QR Code reader that cannot parse the contents of QR Codes correctly. Many readers are especially weak at parsing vCards. Use a proper app from the QR Code Scanners list on this page.

Q: Do you harvest the information I enter into this form?
A: No, I don’t use the information you enter to this form in any means. After you create your 2D Code, the information is removed from my server.

Q: Can I track the scan information for the 2D Codes I create on this generator?
A: You can’t track the 2D Codes you create on this generator unless you create your own trackable URL (for example a bit.ly URL) and then enter that URL to generate a QR Code for it on this page.

Q: Do the 2D codes that were created on this generator have an expiration date?
A: No, all codes generated on this generator can be used as long as you want.

Q: Can I use the codes I create on this generator commercially? Do I need to pay any fees?
A: You can use the codes created on this generator both commercially and personally. There are no fees to pay. The only favor I ask back is the promotion of Qrafter or Qrafter Pro on your site as your recommended reader app for iOS devices. But it is only a request, you are not obliged to do that. 🙂

Q: What is the minimum size for a QR Code so that it can be scanned with all devices?
A: The answer to this question cannot be given with exact proportions. New devices with autofocus cameras can scan very small QR Codes, but old devices that don’t have autofocus cameras will have problems with scanning codes smaller than one or two inches. Also it depends on the size of the information that you put into the QR Code. You need to test your QR Code with many devices, old and new to find the best compromise.

Q: Can I overlay an image on top of the QR Code like the one in “Twitter Profile Image Overlay” action of this generator?
A: Yes you can. Create a QR Code with highest error correction and select a vector output. This way, using your preferred image editor, you can overlay an image that’s up to 30% of the QR Code. Be careful not to overlay the image on top of the 3 alignment squares though.

1,121 thoughts on “QR Code and 2D Code Generator”

  1. MIIDupre

    OK, that is fast.
    Like this as you said the barcode scanner ignores it.
    What I actually ment was just an extra text field with the name lcation.
    Google calender has a specific field for location. The good thing is that, looking in ones agenda on the mobile device, you can click on the location and it takes you to google maps automaically, or any other navigator that you have on board.
    I think to not confuse people, the google map you added can better be taken away again.
    Hope you find my comments usefull.

    Reply
    1. Kerem

      Maybe in the future, they can add the geographical locations to their reader program, so I will leave it as is now.

      I understood what you mean. You only need a Location field added like the Summary field. It seems like Android’s calendar application searches for what you have written in there in the Maps application.

      Reply
  2. MIIDupre

    Thanks again, I will try to put it in
    Google Agenda on the HTC magic running on Android 1.6 with the use of ‘barcode scanner’ from Android market.

    Reply
    1. Kerem

      It is in the spec sheet for vCalendar, and you are the first person to ask about this. I will add it to the generator, but I think most reader applications will ignore it.

      Reply
  4. MIIDupre

    Hi, This is absolutely great!! Thanks a lot.
    Specialy interested in the vCalendar event.
    I tested it and it works perfect on android in combination with the bar-code scanner.
    I can now publish vcalendar events on my website and visitors only have to scan the code and my event is in their Agenda.

    Reply
  5. Rik

    Great site, thanks! I see references to the sourcecode, but I can’t find it on your site, is it no longer available ?

    Reply
  7. Mathh

    Thank you! This is the only qrcode generator that allowed exact pinpointing the map location. (Google map has an error with house numbering in some streets).

    Reply
  8. John

    Hi,

    Love your additions for Facebook and vCalendar.

    I sent you an email about making a donation for your script.

    regards,

    John

    Reply
  10. Phil Cooper

    I just entered some test plain text… shall I email you screen grabs…? Please drop me a mail and I will send them over…

    Reply
  12. Dana

    Thanks this is awesome. How much text can be embedded with PHP QR Code Generator? Wiki says you can have Alphanumeric Max. 4,296 characters.

    Thanks again lots of fun!

    Reply
    1. Kerem

      Hi Dana,

      libqrencode library I use for QR Codes is ISO/IEC 18004:2006 compliant, so yes, you are bound to 4296 characters for alphanumeric. And that is for ASCII only, if you enter any international characters, because of 8-bit encoding, the maximum number is lowered further down to 2953 bytes. And with Data Matrix, you are limited to 2335 characters or 8-bit 1556 bytes.

      Reply
  14. Chris Martyniuk

    Thanks for sharing the code, very useful!

    A note, the margin seems to be a necessary part for QR code scans… I think the spec requires 4 modules worth of margin for clean scans…

    We were having a problem with reliable scans until we set m to 4! I think the m parameter is actually not for pixels but for modules (blocks), too.

    Thanks again!

    Chris .\\

    Reply
    1. Kerem

      That’s strange Chris,

      I can read any codes with any block size and margin on my reader.

      But your feedback will be useful for anyone who has problems. Thanks, it’s much appreciated.

      Reply
      1. Chris Martyniuk

        We are using the beetagg scanner on the iphone, because it finds the codes without having to click the shutter… it wasn’t working reliably until we added the margins, now we can reliably do 360 degree scans and even with lots of shakes…

        Reply
        1. Kerem

          Try Semacode. I am using that on iPhone, and it also does not need the shutter. It reliably reads every code, so probably your reader program has some issues.

          Reply
  15. SiM

    Hi Kerem! I’m interested about implementing the generator to my website, could you give me some information about this possibility?

    Thanks in advance,

    SiM.

    Reply
  16. ruby p. sidik

    hello sir,
    I have some idea for this qr code, i wonder if you can help me how to qr code can browse or open the files contained in the mobile

    Reply
    1. Kerem

      Hi Ruby,

      I think that’s not doable unless you also write the client that will interpret the code on the mobile device. So you have to write a custom reader for your device first, after that you can set it to read any code and do the actions as you like.

      Reply
  17. gilles

    Hi,
    In first time, thank’s a lot for explanation. It’s very interesting.

    I tried to install (on redhat 7.2) but … the library don’t want to run make and make install… an idea ?

    Thank’s a lot
    have a good day
    Gilles
    (an hello from france…)

    Reply
    1. Kerem

      Hi Gilles,

      Probably the library depends on a package that is not installed on your system. E-mail the error details to me and we can find out the problem. You can find my e-mail at my contact page.

      Reply
  18. Charlie

    Newbie here. Can anyone link me to any tutorials on how to install the script. I’m using bluehost and can’t find the command prompt. Thanks.

    Reply
      1. Kerem

        Hi Charlie,

        That may be a little hard for you if you don’t have any Linux command line experience. It should be better if you got help from someone with experience.

        Reply
  19. Sam

    Hi,

    first I have to thank you for posting your php-Code. It’s pretty hard to find some open source code for creating QR-images.

    I am running ubuntu and compiled and installed the QR library successfully. I changed the path according to my system. But somehow I can’t display the image?

    Everytime I try to open qrcode.php there is this error:

    “The image can’t be shown because it contains errors” (free translated from German)

    Any idea why this is happening?

    Mfg Sam

    Reply
    1. Kerem

      Hi Sam,

      It seems like qrcode.php cannot output the image. You should check your server error logs to see what causes the problem, most probably, PHP will output the error to the server logs.

      Reply
  20. nico

    getting errors on compiling..

    after running ./configure on cygwin, i get these errors

    ./configure: line 182: sed: command not found
./configure: line 182: sed: command not found
./configure: line 446: expr: command not found

.
.
.
: error: cannot create .lineno; rerun with POSIX shell
    Reply
    1. Kerem

      Nico,

      sed, expr are unix programs. It seems like you have not installed them on Cygwin. You should install them using Cygwin setup before configuring the library.

      Reply

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