Download Your QR Code as a PNG Image
Generate a QR code and download it as a high-resolution PNG image, free with no signup or watermark. Includes the correct sizes for print and screen, why transparent backgrounds break scanning, and when to use SVG instead.
Quick Answer
To download a QR code as a PNG, paste your link above, click Generate, then click Download PNG. You get a high-resolution image ready for documents, slides, email signatures, and print. For anything that will be enlarged — posters, banners, large-format printing — download the SVG instead, since a PNG blurs when scaled beyond its native size.
How to download a QR code as a PNG
- 1
Step 1: Paste your destination URL into the field above.
- 2
Step 2: Click Generate. The code is created in your browser at the highest error correction level.
- 3
Step 3: Click Download PNG. The file saves as qrcode.png with a white background and clear quiet zone.
- 4
Step 4: Insert it into Word, Google Docs, PowerPoint, Canva, or your email signature at 100 percent scale or smaller.
- 5
Step 5: Never drag the corner handles to enlarge it — that is what turns a sharp code into a blurry one.
- 6
Step 6: If you need it larger than the exported size, download the SVG instead, which has no fixed resolution.
- 7
Step 7: Test the placed code by scanning it from the distance and on the device your audience will actually use.
PNG is the right default for screens
PNG uses lossless compression, which matters for QR codes more than for photographs. JPEG compression works by discarding detail the eye does not notice, and the fine hard-edged squares of a QR code are exactly the kind of detail it throws away first — a heavily compressed JPEG code develops soft grey halos around the modules and can stop scanning entirely.
PNG keeps every pixel exactly as generated. It is universally supported, needs no conversion, and renders identically in every browser, document, and slide deck. For anything displayed on a screen at roughly the size you exported it, PNG is simply correct.
Transparent backgrounds are a trap
Transparent PNGs sound useful — drop the code onto any background and let the design show through. In practice they are a common cause of unscannable codes.
A QR scanner needs strong contrast between the dark modules and the light ones. With a transparent background, the 'light' modules become whatever is behind the code: a photo, a coloured panel, a gradient, a dark header. If that backdrop is mid-toned or busy, the contrast collapses and the code fails. Our export uses a solid white background for exactly this reason. If your design requires the code to sit on colour, place it inside a white box rather than making the code transparent.
The size you need
PNG has a fixed pixel count, so the export needs to be at least as large as the final placement. At 300 DPI — standard for print — the arithmetic is straightforward.
- •2 cm business card code: roughly 240 pixels minimum.
- •3 cm flyer or menu code: roughly 350 pixels.
- •10 cm poster code: roughly 1,180 pixels.
- •30 cm shop window code: roughly 3,540 pixels — at this point, use the SVG instead.
- •Screen use at 128–256 pixels: the standard export is comfortably sufficient.
When to reach for SVG instead
The decision is about whether the code will be resized. A PNG placed at or below its exported size is perfect. A PNG enlarged beyond it is a blurry mess, and no amount of sharpening recovers detail that was never captured.
If the code is going to a commercial printer, onto anything large-format, or into artwork that will be reused at several sizes, download the SVG. It is the same free button, and vector geometry has no resolution to run out of. Taking both files costs nothing.
Free, private, and permanent
WebsitesQR runs entirely in your browser. Codes you create are static and never expire; images you scan are never uploaded. Learn about QR code safety →
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I download a QR code as a PNG image?
Paste your link above, click Generate, then click Download PNG. The file saves as qrcode.png at high resolution with a white background and the correct quiet zone.
Is the PNG QR code free and watermark-free?
Yes, on both counts. No account, no email, no scan limit, and nothing is drawn onto the downloaded file — no logo, no credit line, no border. You get the QR code on white with its quiet zone and nothing else, which is what a printer wants and what most "free" generators quietly charge to remove.
Should I use PNG or JPG for a QR code?
PNG, always. JPEG compression discards fine high-contrast detail, which is precisely what a QR code is made of, and a compressed JPEG code develops soft edges that can break scanning. PNG is lossless and keeps every module exact.
Can I get a transparent QR code PNG?
We export on solid white deliberately. Transparent codes take their light modules from whatever is behind them, and on a photo, gradient, or dark panel the contrast collapses and the code stops scanning. If the code must sit on colour, place it inside a white box instead.
What resolution PNG do I need for printing?
300 DPI at final size. A 3 cm code needs about 350 pixels, a 10 cm code about 1,180. Anything larger than that is better served by the SVG export, which has no fixed resolution at all.
Why does my PNG QR code look blurry?
You have enlarged it past its native pixel size. A PNG cannot gain detail by being stretched. Regenerate at the size you need, or download the SVG, which stays sharp at any dimension.
Can I change the QR code colour in the PNG?
The export is standard black on white, which is the most reliably scannable combination. If you need colour, download the SVG and recolour it in a vector editor — keeping dark modules on a light background and strong contrast throughout.