# Vector graphic

> A vector graphic describes shapes mathematically rather than as a grid of pixels, so it can be scaled to any size without loss. For QR codes it is the correct format for anything that will be printed.

Source: https://useqr.app/glossary/vector-graphic · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, MIT licensed, no signup.

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## The practical difference

Scale a 300 × 300 px PNG QR code to fill an A0 poster and every module edge becomes a soft
gradient, because the renderer is inventing pixels between the ones you gave it. Scale an
SVG and every edge stays exact.

Decoders threshold the image to decide dark from light. Soft edges push modules toward the
threshold, and near the limits of camera resolution that is the difference between a scan
and a shrug.

## Formats

- **SVG** — the web-native choice, editable as text.
- **PDF** — what commercial printers usually want; embeds vector directly.
- **EPS** — legacy, still requested by some print shops.

UseQR exports SVG and PDF alongside raster formats, and the vector output is generated
from the module matrix rather than traced from an image.