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 4,998,637 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”

  2. Dave

    Do you have an option, (paid or otherwise) to generate dynamic QR codes. If so, what are the terms and conditions?
    Thanks,
    Great information here!

    Reply
  5. Gauthier

    Thanks Kerem. for your answer.
    Well it looks clear with your test that my reader Windows Mobile reader is not correctI with international call numbering . I will need to change my reader, although readers for Windows Mobile are rare and therefore do not know what reader to choose . Or changing mobile handset … ;+(

    Reply
  6. Gauthier

    HI Kerem,
    Many thanks for your smart and useful encoder.
    I have an issue when considering phone number, being used in international format upon QRcode generation.
    * When requiring an SMS action, input of +44xxxxxxyz phone number , using the international “+” sign for international phone access, is coded and decoded well.
    * But when requiring a phone CALL action,, input of +44xxxxxxyz phone number , using the international “+” sign for international phone access, is decoded as a CALL to 44xxxxxxyz phone number , without “+” , which of course is not correct.
    Do you know this on your side or is it my decoder which works not correctly ?
    There are not too many choices for Windows mobile qrcode reader, so may be you can recommand one which works properly if it seems it comes from my decoder?Many thanks !

    Reply
    1. Kerem

      Hi Gauthier,

      Just double checked the source code and tested the generator with Qrafter on my iPhone and the generator creates a correct code. Looks like your reader app has some bug. I don’t have any first hand experience with Windows Mobile, so I will not be able to help on recommending a reader.

      Reply
    1. Kerem

      The content of the code does not change. So the only explanation would be that you created the code, tested it but did not download it to your computer for prints before your session expires. I had corrected this issue so the generator would show the error instead of including it in the QR code but I’ll check it again.

      Reply
  9. Jarret

    I am receiving this error while scanning a QR Code I made from your Generator: your generator session seems to have expired. Please refresh the page

    Do you know how to fix this?

    Reply
  12. Axelray

    The MECARD codes generated by NTT Docomo’s reference implementation “QR-Factory” do not include the leading commas for empty address fields.

    Reply
  13. Axelray

    Awesome site.

    Generating a code in MECARD format, I see extra commas appearing in the address field when I decode it.

    If I enter
    Street: 1 Main Street
    City: Mytown
    State: CA
    Zip: 33333
    Country: USA

    The code decodes as
    ,,1 Main Street,Mytown,CA,33333,USA

    Note the two leading commas and commas between State Zip and Country

    Different scanner apps do different things, some change commas into a newline so the address starts with 2 blank lines.

    Aren’t the two leading commas wrong? Perhaps the others as well?

    Reply
    2. Martin

      The only way to do that is if you have control of the domain where the QR is pointing to. For example, if you own http://www.example.com, and your QR code points to http://www.example.com/randompage, but you no longer have content at that URL, you can create a permanent 301 redirect to a different location. I often use a redirect URL to begin with so that the destination remains flexible.

      Similarly, if you are using WordPress, there is a very easy-to-use plugin called “Page Links To” which can provide similar functionality, although Google Analytics/Webmaster Tools might not be super happy with you. Check out http://bit.ly/RgHi5J for more information on the subject.

      Reply
  15. jbraen

    I have a website where I have a YouTube video on. I have generated a QR code linking to the website. The QR-code to the website is working fine, but I am not able to play the YouTube video. Does anyone know why the YouTube video doesn’t work?

    thanks in advance.

    Reply
  16. Nils Mielke

    Hi Kerem,
    thanks for Qrafter Pro. Great stuff.
    We consider using it “productively” for generating QR codes for business cards for a client. When generating a new code I have to reenter all details, although only a few parameters change from code to code (and I do not want to create contacts in my address book for all the clients employees).
    Would it be possible to implement the possibility to clone the information from a code in the app history, change the relevant parameters and generate a new code from that.
    That would be a fantastic addition to your already very useful app.
    Cheers, Nils.

    Reply
  18. Gerhard

    Hello Kerem,
    thank you for the good software QRafter Pro. However, I have some questons and requests on creating QRCs using QRafter Pro 😉
    • Location: Can you please add the possibility to simply enter geo coordinates manually, like e.g. «N 23.45678, E 12.98765»? My GPS device gives me the coordinates and other software and even paper maps, too. So why use Google? Most of the time, my iPad has no Internet access, by the way…
    • SMS: when I enter the target telephone number as «+49-123-4567 8901», then a comma will be inserted after the digit «7» by QRafter. This may be a bug…
    • Pixel size: the software offers fixed sizes, like 200×200 pixels, 300×300, etc. But that leads to non square QR-pixels and to other effects with large QRCs. Why not just use 1 PNG pixel for 1 QRC pixel? Or 2×2, 4×4, or so? When using the result picture in a text layout software like e.g. OpenOffice, it is no problem to resize (enlarge) the QRC picture, therefore I don’t understand the reason for this presetings, but I am curious — can you explain them to me, please?
    • QRC picture export: can you please add the possibility to export the QRC picture to iTunes? I don’t use iPhoto for some reasons…

    Reply
    1. Kerem

      Thanks for the feedback Gerhard,

      1. I’ll see what I can do about location data.

      2. The SMS comma is not a bug, it separates number from SMS body. Even if you don’t have an SMS body, there must be a comma there. It is a problem with other readers.

      3. General userbase wants to resize the image inside the app, therefore the sizes are present there. For an untouched image, you should use the vector output of the app.

      4. I’ll see what I can do about this either. I already added Dropbox support to v5.5, that may suit your needs.

      Thanks again!

      Reply

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