Create a QR code for plain text

When plain text belongs in a QR code

A text QR code shines when the scan itself should deliver the information, with no website in between. Keep the message short. Very long text makes the QR denser and harder to print at small sizes.

Write text people can use

Plain text codes are best for short notes, labels and offline details.

• Keep the message short enough to read on a phone screen.
• Do not put private secrets into a code that may be shared.
• Print a written version nearby when the information is important.

If the text keeps growing, a web page will scan more reliably.

Create a text QR code

1. Write the exact text you want someone to see after scanning.
2. Keep it short if the QR code will be printed small, because long text makes the code denser.
3. Generate the QR code and check the preview for visual density.
4. Download PNG, SVG or PDF depending on whether the code is for a label, document or print layout.
5. Scan it on a phone and confirm the text is readable without extra context.

Where text QR codes help

• Equipment notes
• Short instructions
• Offline IDs

Text length checks

• Text QR codes are good for offline notes, equipment IDs, short instructions, classroom labels and simple handoff messages.
• If the text is long or likely to change, a webpage may be better than encoding all of it directly.
• Avoid private secrets. Anyone who scans or photographs the QR code can read the text.

Text QR mistakes to avoid

• Putting a long paragraph into a QR code that will be printed as a small label.
• Encoding confidential information because the QR code looks like a private pattern.
• Forgetting to scan the final exported file, especially after resizing it in another app.

Text QR code questions