Free tool · Cherry Grove Craft
Free QR codes that scan every time.
A lot of free generators make pretty codes with rounded “dots” and odd colours that scan badly — especially printed small, on a label, or burnt into a sign. This one makes clean, solid black-and-white squares with proper vector export, so your code stays sharp on a screen, on a menu, on a printed poster, or engraved into wood.
1 · Build your code
Making a Google review code? In your Google Business profile tap Ask for reviews → copy the short link → paste it here. A shorter link makes a simpler, bolder code that scans more easily.
Optional — see scans in your own website analytics.
Your code links to: —
Tracking lengthens the link, which adds squares to the code — keep names short.
How does scan tracking work?
A UTM tag is a short label added to the end of a web address. When someone scans your code and lands on your site, your analytics (like Google Analytics) can see they arrived from this code — so the visit shows up labelled, instead of as “direct”. That’s how you count scans and see what people did next.
What to put in each box:
Source — where the scan came from. For a physical sign, qr, or the sign type like table-sign.
Medium — the kind of channel: sign, print, menu, poster.
Campaign — the specific thing it’s for, e.g. spring-menu or reviews. Optional.
The catch: this only works when the code points to a website whose analytics you control — your own site or booking page. It can’t track a “Follow us on Instagram” code or a Google review link, because those land on someone else’s site.
Want the full version, with examples and FAQs? Read how to track QR code scans.
Guests point a camera at the code and join — no typing. Ideal for café, hotel and office WiFi.
Anything that isn’t a link. The shorter it is, the simpler and cleaner the code.
Standard (M) suits almost everything. Higher levels still scan even if the code gets scratched, smudged or partly covered — handy for signs and stickers that take some wear — but they pack in more squares, making a finer, busier grid. Lower keeps it simple and bold.
A QR code is a grid of small squares. The more a link holds, the more squares it needs — and the smaller each one becomes at a given size. Small squares are harder for a camera to read, and on wood they blur into the grain. A rough guide for engraving on wood is to keep each square at least 1 mm.
Type something to see the grid.
2 · Preview & download
See it on a material — preview only; your download is always plain black & white
SVG or PNG — which do I need?
For design software & large sizes
Maths, not pixels — so it stays razor-sharp at any size, from a business card to a shopfront banner. It opens in design apps like Illustrator and Inkscape, or laser software like LightBurn, as clean shapes with no blur and nothing to trace.
- Illustrator, Inkscape, Affinity
- Posters, banners, signage
- Laser / CNC: one solid path, ready to cut
For screens, email & everyday print
A standard high-resolution image that works everywhere a photo does. Drop it into a menu, a poster, a website, an email signature, or print it on an ordinary printer.
- Websites, social, email
- Word, Canva, table menus
- Pure black & white, no smoothing
Questions about QR codes
What size should a QR code be?
For screen and ordinary print, small is fine. For engraving or printing at a distance, the limiting factor is the size of each square: a rough guide is to keep every square at least 1 mm. Use the size checker above — type your finished width and it tells you whether each square is large enough to scan reliably.
Should I download SVG or PNG?
Use PNG for screens, email, menus and everyday printing. Use SVG for design software (Illustrator, Inkscape), large print, or laser and CNC machines, because it stays sharp at any size and imports as clean shapes.
Why won’t my QR code scan?
The usual causes are a code that is too small or too dense, low contrast, no white border (quiet zone), or stylised rounded “dots” that blur — especially when engraved. Solid black squares on a white background, kept a sensible size, scan most reliably.
Can I track how many people scan my QR code?
Yes, if the code points to a website you own. Turn on “Add scan tracking” above, or read the full guide on how to track QR code scans.
Is this QR code generator free?
Yes — it’s completely free, needs no account, and runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.
Want it engraved on oak or bamboo? Cherry Grove Craft makes review, WiFi and menu QR signs, made to order in North Wales.
See the QR signsCherry Grove Craft · made to order in North Wales · this tool runs entirely in your browser — nothing is sent or stored.