# QR code size by scanning distance

> Printed width should be at least the scanning distance divided by ten. This table applies that rule across the distances that occur in practice, from a business card at 25 cm to large-format signage at 30 m.

Source: https://useqr.app/docs/reference/qr-code-size-by-distance-table · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, MIT licensed, no signup.

---

## The table

| Scanning distance | Minimum code width |
|---|---|
| 10 cm | 1.0 cm |
| 20 cm | 2.0 cm |
| 25 cm | 2.5 cm |
| 30 cm | 3.0 cm |
| 40 cm | 4.0 cm |
| 50 cm | 5.0 cm |
| 75 cm | 7.5 cm |
| 100 cm | 10.0 cm |
| 150 cm | 15.0 cm |
| 200 cm | 20.0 cm |
| 300 cm | 30.0 cm |
| 500 cm | 50.0 cm |
| 1000 cm | 100.0 cm |
| 2000 cm | 200.0 cm |
| 3000 cm | 300.0 cm |

That is the **code**, excluding the four-module quiet zone, the frame and any caption.

## Where each distance occurs

| Distance | Context |
|---|---|
| 20–30 cm | Business card, flyer, invitation, book page |
| 30–40 cm | Restaurant table tent, invoice, desk card |
| 40–60 cm | Shop counter, shelf-edge label, product label |
| 1 m | Corridor poster, lift lobby, door sign |
| 2 m | Wall poster at eye level, shop window from the pavement |
| 3 m | Sign across a lobby, exhibition panel |
| 5–10 m | Large indoor signage, stadium concourse |
| 10 m+ | Out-of-home. Usually impractical — see below |

## The rule assumes a moderate payload

It is a proxy for angular size, calibrated for a typical phone camera and a code of around
30–45 modules. A denser code needs more than the rule suggests.

The complete check is:

```
module size = printed width ÷ module count ≥ the floor for your medium
```

| Medium | Minimum module |
|---|---|
| Offset, coated stock | 0.4 mm |
| Uncoated stock | 0.5 mm |
| Thermal transfer, 203 dpi | 0.5 mm |
| Thermal transfer, 300 dpi | 0.34 mm |
| Laser-marked metal | 0.5 mm |
| Screen print on fabric | 1.0 mm |
| Laser-engraved wood | 1.0 mm |
| 3D print | 1.5 mm |
| Embroidery | 2.0 mm |

## Beyond about 5 metres

The arithmetic stops being the constraint and the situation does. Nobody scans a code they
cannot approach, and nobody scans while moving. A 3 m code on a roadside billboard is both
impractical to print and useless to a driver.

Out-of-home QR codes work where the audience is **stationary**: bus shelters, platform
posters, lift lobbies, queue barriers. There the distance drops to 1–3 m and the rule becomes
easy to satisfy.

## FAQ

### How far away can a QR code be scanned?
Roughly ten times its printed width, with a typical phone camera and a moderate payload. A 10 cm code is readable from about a metre.

### What size QR code do I need for a poster?
Ten to thirty centimetres, depending on whether it is read from one metre or three. Most posters carry codes far smaller than this.

### Does the quiet zone count toward the width?
No. The rule applies to the code itself; the four-module quiet zone is additional clear space around it.

### Why do billboard QR codes not work?
A 30 m viewing distance requires a 3 m code, and drivers cannot scan while moving. Out-of-home codes only work where the audience is stationary.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/size-calculator
- https://useqr.app/validate
- https://useqr.app/url