A QR code that won't scan is frustrating, especially after you've printed it. The good news: the cause is almost always one of a handful of simple things. Here's how to diagnose and fix it.
1. It's printed too small
A QR code needs room to be read. As a rule, keep it at least 2 x 2 cm (about 0.8 inches) for something scanned up close, and bigger for posters or signs. Below that, phone cameras struggle.
2. There's not enough quiet zone
Every QR code needs a margin of empty space around it — the "quiet zone." If your design crowds the code with text or graphics right up to the edge, scanners can't find it. Leave clear space on all four sides.
3. Low contrast
Dark code on a light background works because scanners read the contrast. A light code on a dark background, or two similar colours, often fails. If you've customised the colours, keep the code clearly darker than its background, and avoid putting it over a busy photo.
4. It's blurry or damaged
A pixelated export, a smudged print, or a code that's creased or partly covered will fail. Always download a high-resolution version, and if a printed code is scuffed, reprint it.
5. The link is broken
Sometimes the code scans fine but the page won't load — because the destination link itself is dead. Open the link in a browser to check. This is the big advantage of a dynamic code: if the destination changes, you just update it, and the same printed code works again.
6. The code expired (the trial trap)
If a code worked and later stopped, it may have been a dynamic code on a free trial that lapsed. This is why it matters who you make codes with. At QRYZEN, static codes are free forever, and dynamic codes show a polite "paused" page rather than breaking — so a printed code is never silently dead.
Quick test: before printing anything in bulk, scan your code with two different phones. If both work, you're safe.
7. You're testing in the wrong app
Modern iPhone and Android cameras read QR codes natively — just open the camera and point. If yours doesn't, your camera's QR setting may be off, or you're using an older device. Try the native camera app rather than a random third-party scanner.
Still stuck?
Regenerate the code at a larger size with strong contrast and a clear margin, download it in high resolution, and test on two phones before you print. Nine times out of ten, that solves it.