QR code business card design: print specs that actually scan
A QR on a business card replaces the manual contact entry that nobody does. Designing one for print is different from designing for a screen, and three or four parameters decide whether the code scans in a dim restaurant or just looks like decoration.
What to encode: vCard beats a website link
The instinct is to point the QR at a portfolio URL. Skip that. A URL needs Wi-Fi, a working server, and a tap to leave the page. A vCard QR drops a fully populated contact into the phone's address book offline, no extra tap required.
Use a vCard 3.0 payload (name, organisation, role, email, phone, website). Include the website URL as a URL: field inside the vCard, the contacts app links it. The recipient gets your details and the link, in one scan, on a plane.
If you genuinely want a website only (because your "card" is a designer billboard and you have no phone number) keep the URL short. yourname.dev scans cleaner than a UTM tagged campaign URL with 80 characters of query string.
Error correction level for printed media
QR codes carry redundant data so a partial smudge still decodes. The standard exposes four levels: L (7 percent), M (15 percent), Q (25 percent), H (30 percent).
For print, use M as the floor and Q if the card will live in a wallet for two years and pick up creases. H is overkill unless the QR sits on a coffee mug or a box that gets shipped. Higher levels make the code denser, which forces a larger minimum size, which eats into card real estate. Q is the sweet spot for a card that goes through dozens of pockets.
Minimum print size and the 10x rule
The widely cited rule is "scan distance equals 10 times the QR width". A 20mm code scans at 200mm, which is the natural distance for someone reading a card at desk height. Below 15mm the code becomes unreliable on entry level phone cameras.
Concrete spec for a standard 85mm x 55mm card: print the QR at 18mm to 22mm square, leave a 3mm white quiet zone on every side (this is mandatory, the QR standard reserves it), centre it in one corner with the contact name beside it. Do not let the design crop the quiet zone, that single mistake breaks more codes than any other.
Contrast, colour and low light
QR scanners look for high contrast between dark and light modules. Black on white is the default and works everywhere. Dark navy on cream still scans. Pastel on pastel does not.
Test with the worst case before printing: print a draft, photograph it under warm tungsten light at 300 lux (the typical restaurant lighting), and try the camera app on a four year old phone. If it scans in two seconds you are fine. If it takes five seconds or fails, increase the size by 2mm or up the error correction to Q. Never use a coloured QR on a metallic foil card, the foil glints and the camera reads zeros where it expects ones.
Working example
text# Recommended print spec for a 85x55mm business card
QR payload : vCard 3.0, name + email + phone + URL
Module count : 33x33 (vCard at this length forces version 4)
Print size : 20mm x 20mm
Quiet zone : 3mm on every side, white
Error level : Q (25 percent recovery)
Foreground : 100% black or near black, e.g. #0B0B0B
Background : 100% white, no tinted card stock under the QR
Position : bottom-right corner, name and title left of code
Test : print a draft, scan under 300 lux warm light
with a four year old phone before final orderJust need the result?
Generate the QR with the right error correction level and module count in the QR code generator on aldeacode.com, export at 600 dpi for the printer, and the code lands on the card scannable on day one and after two years in a wallet.
Open QR Code Generator →Frequently asked questions
Can I put my logo in the centre of the QR?
Yes if you raise error correction to H. The logo overlaps modules, H absorbs up to 30 percent loss. Keep the logo under 15 percent of the QR area and it stays scannable.
Should the QR be on the front or the back of the card?
Back, with a one line label like 'Scan to save my contact'. The front carries the name and title, the back carries the QR and the call to action. People hold the back up to scan, the design stays clean.
Does coloured printing affect scanning?
It can. Stick to dark on light with a contrast ratio above 4:1. Pure black on cream is fine, dark grey on light grey is borderline. Inverted (light QR on dark card) breaks several older Android scanners, avoid it.