--- title: "How to make a QR code from a link or text | ToolSugar" description: "Make a QR code from a link or any text, pick the right error correction level, and save it as a PNG or SVG that scans reliably." canonical: https://toolsugar.com/blog/how-to-make-a-qr-code image: https://toolsugar.com/og.png --- # How to make a QR code for a link, text or Wi-Fi Updated 2026-11-09 To make a QR code, type your link or text into a generator and download the image. QR Code Generator does this in your browser, so the text you enter stays on your device. You choose an error correction level, check the preview, and save a PNG or an SVG. This guide covers the settings that decide whether a printed code scans. [Open QR Code Generator](https://toolsugar.com/tools/qr-code-generator) ## Make a QR code in four steps You only need the text or the full link, including the https:// part if it is a web address. 1. Type or paste the link or text into the Text or link box. 2. Choose an error correction level. L holds the most text and H survives the most damage. 3. Look at the preview and the module count under it. 4. Press Download PNG for an image about 1024 pixels wide, or Download SVG for a scalable file. ## PNG or SVG for a QR code The PNG is about 1024 pixels wide. That is plenty for a screen, a slide or a small print. It gets soft if you stretch it across a large poster. The SVG is drawn from shapes, so it stays sharp at any size. Use it for banners, packaging and anything a print shop will resize. Neither file holds a tracking layer. The code contains only the text you typed, so a scan sends the phone straight to that text or link. If you later change the destination, you must make and print a new code, because the pattern itself is the data. ## What the error correction level changes A QR code carries extra data so a scanner can rebuild missing parts. L recovers roughly 7 percent of damage, M 15, Q 25 and H 30. More recovery means more modules, so the squares get smaller and the code gets denser. A dense code needs a bigger print or a closer scan. Use L or M for a screen. Pick Q or H for a sticker that will get scratched or covered by a logo. ## Why a QR code will not scan Long text is the usual cause. The more characters you encode, the more modules the code has, and tiny modules are hard for a phone camera to read. Shorten the text or drop to a lower level. Low contrast also fails. Print dark modules on a light background and leave a blank margin around the code. The tool tells you when the text is too long for the level you chose. ## Put Wi-Fi details or a contact in a code The tool encodes the exact text you give it as UTF-8, so accents and emoji work. A phone only treats that text as a Wi-Fi login or a contact card if you write it in the format phones expect, which for Wi-Fi is a fixed WIFI text pattern. Test the code with your own phone before you print a hundred copies. ## Questions ### Can I make a QR code for a phone number or an email? Yes. Type tel: followed by the number, or mailto: followed by the address. Phones read those prefixes and offer to call or write. ### Does a QR code expire? Not this one. The pattern holds your text itself, with no service behind it. The code keeps scanning, but a link inside it stops working if that web page is removed. ### What size should I print a QR code? Print it large enough that each square is clearly visible, and scan a test copy at the distance people will use. A denser code needs a larger print than a simple one. ### Should I use PNG or SVG for a business card? Send the SVG to the printer if they accept it. If you are placing the code in a document, the PNG, about 1024 pixels wide, is fine at card size. [Open QR Code Generator](https://toolsugar.com/tools/qr-code-generator) ## Related guides - [How to URL encode and decode a string](https://toolsugar.com/blog/how-to-url-encode-a-string) - [How to encode and decode Base64 online](https://toolsugar.com/blog/how-to-encode-and-decode-base64) - [How to make a favicon from an image](https://toolsugar.com/blog/how-to-make-a-favicon) - [How to convert HEX to RGB and HSL colors](https://toolsugar.com/blog/how-to-pick-a-color-code) ## Comparisons - [QRCode Monkey alternative](https://toolsugar.com/alternatives/qrcode-monkey-alternative)