How to Put a Logo in a QR Code (and Make Sure It Still Scans)

A plain black-and-white QR code works, but it looks anonymous on a menu, a business card or a product box. Putting your logo in the middle makes it look like part of your brand.

The risk is that a logo covers part of the code. Done carelessly, it can stop the code from scanning at all. Here is how to add a logo the right way and check that the result still works before you print anything.

Disclosure: I build Tools1Hub, and the QR generator I use as the example below is part of it. The advice applies to any generator.

The short version

1. Open a QR generator and enter your content: a link, text, WiFi details or a contact card.
2. Upload your logo. It should land in the middle on a padded background.
3. Set your colors. Dark code on a light background is the safest choice.
4. Scan the preview with your phone, then download a PNG or SVG.

Here is a short video of the same steps:

Why a logo can break a QR code

A QR code stores your content with some built-in redundancy. That extra data lets a scanner rebuild the message even if part of the pattern is damaged or covered, which is why a small logo in the middle can work at all.

When you add a logo, use the highest error-correction level. That level can recover roughly 30% of the code's data. This does not mean you can cover 30% of the picture. Recovery depends on which parts are hidden, so treat the redundancy as a safety margin, not as free space.

The practical rule: the smaller the logo, the safer the code.

Pick a logo that suits the middle of a code

• Keep it simple. A solid shape or a short wordmark works better than a detailed illustration. Fine lines turn into smudges when shrunk.
• Use a transparent or clean background. A busy background makes the logo look messy on the padded area.
• Start from a sharp file. PNG, JPG, WebP or SVG all work, but a blurry source looks worse once it is placed in the code.

Size, colors and shapes

Size: as small as still looks good. Stay near the default and make the logo smaller before you change anything else if a code will not scan. Longer links make denser codes, which leave less room for a logo, so link to a shorter address when you can.

Colors: use a dark code on a light background. Light-on-dark and low-contrast pairs are the most common reason a styled code fails, and some scanners cannot read inverted codes at all.

Shapes: rounded or dot-shaped modules look modern, but they can be harder for some scanners. If you pick a decorative style, test it more carefully than a plain square code.

Test before you print

1. Scan the preview on your screen with your phone.
2. Scan it again with a second phone, ideally one iPhone and one Android.
3. Test at the size you will print, from the distance people will scan it.
4. Check that it opens the right page, not just that it scans.

As a rule of thumb, keep printed codes at least about 2 cm (0.8 in) wide, and larger for posters. Use SVG for print because it stays sharp at any size. PNG is fine for websites, documents and social media.

If your code will not scan

Go through this list in order:

• The logo is too big. Make it smaller.
• Low contrast. Use a darker code on a lighter background.
• Inverted colors. Switch back to dark on light.
• The link is very long. Use a shorter address.
• The printed size is too small. Print it larger.
• No empty border. Leave the blank margin around the code.
• A very decorative style. Try square modules and square corner markers.

Static codes do not expire

A static code stores your link or text directly in the pattern, so there is nothing to renew. The trade-off is that you cannot edit it later. If you may need to change the destination, point the code at an address you control and update where that address leads.

I wrote a longer version of this guide, with FAQs, on my site: How to put a logo in a QR code. If you want to try the generator, it is here: QR Code Generator with Logo. It is free and needs no account.

What do you use QR codes for most, menus, cards or packaging? I would like to know which use case to improve the generator for next.