Transparent QR code generator
Make a QR code that drops straight into your design, with no white box around it. Type your text or link, choose a colour and download a PNG or SVG with a transparent background.
How it works
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Type your text or link
The code appears immediately as you type.
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Choose the settings
Size, colours and other options; the preview changes straight away.
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Download
As a PNG for a website or a document, or as an SVG for print.
How it works
- Type the Text or link for your QR code. The code appears as you type.
- Choose the Colour of the code. Transparent background is already ticked on this page.
- Choose the PNG size (256 to 2048 px) and click Download PNG, or take Download SVG, which scales without losing sharpness.
What transparent means here
In the PNG, the squares are the colour you chose and every other pixel is fully transparent, including the margin around the code. In the SVG there is simply no background shape at all. Drop either file onto a photo, a coloured card or a slide and the surface shows through.
A transparent code has no background of its own, so it takes the colour of whatever it is placed on. Scanners need contrast. A dark code on a light surface works. A light code on a dark surface often does not, because many scanners look for dark squares on a light field. On a transparent code the tool can't check this for you, so scan the result on the real background with your phone before you print it.
Keep the margin clear
Every QR code has an empty margin of four squares around it, called the quiet zone. The tool adds it for you, and it is part of the transparent area. Don't put text or busy artwork in it, or a scanner may fail to find where the code begins.
Sizes and files
The PNG is drawn in whole pixels per square, so it comes out a few pixels off the size you picked: the default 1024 px gives 1,023 px for this page's example code. That is a sign of sharp squares, not an error. For print at any size, take the SVG.
The error correction setting is above the colours. Higher levels protect the code when it is scratched or partly covered, and make it busier. Want your own logo in the middle? Use the QR code generator with logo. For the WiFi network on a guest card, there is the WiFi QR code generator.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't my PNG exactly 1024 px?
The PNG is drawn with a whole number of pixels per square, so every square stays perfectly sharp. That means the file is a few pixels bigger or smaller than the size you chose. The sample code of this page, for instance, comes out as 1,023 px with *PNG size* on 1024 px. For an exact size, or a size above 2048 px, use the SVG.
Why isn't there a warning when the colours are too close?
On a transparent background the tool can't know what the code will sit on, so it can't judge the contrast. On the opaque version, with *Transparent background* unticked, it does warn, for instance "there is little contrast between the colours; the code will be hard to scan." The check is yours: put the code on the real background and scan it.
Will the transparent part print as white?
On white paper, yes, because the paper shows through. A printer doesn't print white, so on coloured paper or a coloured surface the code takes that colour. That is the point of a transparent code, but it means the contrast between the code and the surface is what counts.
Can I use a light code on a dark background?
You can, but many scanners can't read it, because they expect dark modules on a light background. If you must, test it on the phones your audience uses, or place the code on a light panel instead.
Is my text uploaded?
No. The text or link is turned into the code in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere.