High-resolution print

A practical guide to the trade-offs between physical size, DPI, file format, and substrate. Read this once before sending QRs to a printer and you will never ship a fuzzy or unscannable print.

The DPI rule of thumb

Default to 300. It is the print-shop minimum. Bump to 600 only when both the substrate (high-res inkjet, offset) and the budget justify it. 600 DPI requires Pro plan or higher.

Picking size_inches

Match the physical size you will print at. The API multiplies size_inches x dpi to get pixels.

tip: When the printer asks for X DPI at Y inches Plug their numbers straight into the API. They want 600 DPI at 8 in? size_inches: 8, dpi: 600 -> 4800 x 4800 px PNG.

Substrate matters

danger: Avoid printing dark on dark A "dark blue on black" QR looks aesthetic but will not scan. Always test with a real phone before mass production.

File format choice

See PNG vs SVG for the deep dive. Quick rule:

• Need a single fixed-size print? -> PNG
• Need flexibility (multiple sizes from one file)? -> SVG
• Old print shop only knows JPG? -> render PNG, convert manually

Mandatory quiet zone

The QR spec mandates a "quiet zone": at least 4 modules of empty space around the matrix on all four sides. The API includes this automatically inside size_inches. You do not need to add padding yourself.

If you crop the rendered image tight to the modules, you break the quiet zone and decoders struggle.

Pre-flight checklist before sending to print

• Color contrast: modules vs background ≥ 3:1 luminance
• Quiet zone preserved (no cropping the API output)
• size_inches matches the physical print size
• dpi matches what your print shop accepts (default 300)
• Logo is square and ≤ 24% of the QR diameter
• Scanned the rendered file with two phones (one iOS, one Android)
• Paper sample test print: QR scans from 30 cm away
• Substrate sample print: QR scans from 1 m away (signage)

Field-tested presets

Sticker on dark surface (neon white, transparent)

{
 "size_inches": 3,
 "dpi": 300,
 "color": "white",
 "background": "transparent",
 "pattern": "rounded",
 "logo_neon_alpha": true,
 "format": "png"
}

Business-card vCard (small, dense, monochrome)

{
 "size_inches": 1,
 "dpi": 600,
 "color": "black",
 "background": "white",
 "pattern": "rounded",
 "format": "png"
}

Storefront window (large, vector, transparent)

{
 "size_inches": 15,
 "dpi": 300,
 "color": "white",
 "background": "transparent",
 "pattern": "rounded",
 "format": "svg"
}

Magazine ad (high-fidelity, branded)

{
 "size_inches": 4,
 "dpi": 450,
 "color": "#1a0d3a",
 "background": "white",
 "pattern": "rounded",
 "logo_url": "https://cdn.x.com/brand-mark.png",
 "format": "png"
}

Branded gradient with frame

{
 "size_inches": 6,
 "dpi": 300,
 "background": "white",
 "gradient_from": "#6c48e8",
 "gradient_to": "#1a0d3a",
 "eye_color": "#1a0d3a",
 "frame_style": "scan-me-bottom",
 "frame_color": "#6c48e8",
 "frame_label": "Scan to view menu",
 "format": "png"
}

What if the print is fuzzy

See also

• PNG vs SVG
• Styling
• API reference