Pick where the code goes and paste the link it opens, and the calculator gives the smallest size that still scans, in inches, centimeters and pixels. It uses the real density of your code, so a long link gets a bigger minimum. Then download the code at exactly that size for print, free and with no login.
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An example code. Paste your link to download yours at this size.
The PNG is 612 px wide: print it at 100% and 300 dpi and it comes out 5.2 cm (2.0 in) wide with its margin. These are minimums from a rule of thumb, not a guarantee: bigger is safer, and test it with two phones from where guests will be.
Make the code take the order
Put your menu on a free Menuthere ordering page with a QR code for every table. Guests scan, order and the order rings in your app. 0% commission.
A table card, a menu, the counter, a window or a wall poster. Each comes with an example scan distance, or type your own.
The calculator builds the code and counts its modules. Longer links and stronger error correction make denser codes that need more room.
Download the PNG sized for 300 dpi, or the SVG for any size. Print one, then scan it with two phones from where guests will be.
Minimum code width = scan distance ÷ 10 × (modules ÷ 25). The 10 is the usual rule of thumb that a code scans from about ten times its width. Bitly, which runs QR Code Generator, puts the distance-to-size ratio at about 10:1. In dim light, or when guests see the code at an angle, we use 9, as QRStuff suggests.
The second part is density. A QR code is a grid of small squares called modules. Denso Wave, which invented the QR code, says Version 1 is 21 × 21 modules and each version adds 4 a side, up to 177 × 177. The 10:1 rule fits a 25-module code, so the calculator scales it by your code's real module count. The result never goes below 2 cm (0.8 in), which Bitly gives as the smallest size most scanners read.
A rule of thumb, not a guarantee: Phone cameras, light and print quality vary. Treat the result as the floor, go bigger where you have room, and scan a printed test from the real spot before you print a stack.
Worked with the calculator for a short menu link, https://menuthere.com/your-restaurant (29 modules at standard error correction), in good light. The distances are examples: measure yours.
| Where | Example scan distance | Minimum code | With white margin | PNG at 300 dpi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menu, receipt or takeout bag | 25 cm (10 in) | 2.9 cm (1.1 in) | 3.7 cm (1.5 in) | 438 px |
| Table card or table tent | 35 cm (14 in) | 4.1 cm (1.6 in) | 5.2 cm (2.0 in) | 612 px |
| Counter or pickup shelf | 90 cm (35 in) | 10.4 cm (4.1 in) | 13.3 cm (5.2 in) | 1,574 px |
| Window or door sticker | 1.5 m (5 ft) | 17.4 cm (6.9 in) | 22.2 cm (8.7 in) | 2,623 px |
| Wall poster across the room | 3 m (10 ft) | 34.8 cm (13.7 in) | 44.4 cm (17.5 in) | 5,245 px |
A long link costs size. A Google Drive share link of 83 characters makes a 37-module code, so the table card minimum grows from 4.1 cm to 5.2 cm (2.0 in). Strongest error correction (H) on that long link makes 49 modules and a 6.9 cm (2.7 in) minimum. Shorter link, smaller code.
On a table, guests hold the phone close, so a 4 to 5 cm (1.6 to 2 in) code with its margin is usually enough for a short link. Make the table QR card at the size you need, or put the code into your own design. For a whole room of tables that take orders, each table needs its own code with its table number: see QR table ordering.
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Upload a photo or PDF of your menu and get your own ordering page, with a QR code for every table. Guests scan and order, and the order rings in your app. 0% commission.