To make a free QR code with a logo, open AyeTab's Styled QR Generator, type your link, drop your logo in, set error correction to H and download. It runs in your browser with nothing to install and no account.
That is the short version. The rest of this guide covers the few settings that decide whether a logo code looks good and, more important, still scans.
Why a logo can break a QR code
A QR code stores your link as a grid of small squares called modules. A logo in the middle covers some of them. The code survives because of error correction: extra data that lets a phone rebuild the missing part. The higher the level, the more of the code can be hidden and still read.
| Level | Share the code can recover | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| L | About 7% | Plain codes on a clean screen |
| M | About 15% | Everyday plain codes |
| Q | About 25% | Small logos |
| H | About 30% | Larger logos and print |
AyeTab's styled tool shows these four levels as buttons, so you can switch between them and watch the pattern change.
Step by step
- Paste the link. Use the final URL, and test it in a browser first. A shorter URL gives a less crowded code, which leaves more room for a logo.
- Pick H. With a logo, start at the highest error correction level. Drop to Q only if the code looks too dense at the size you need.
- Add the logo. Drag the image onto the logo area or use Open logo. A simple mark with a clear outline works better than a detailed picture.
- Choose a shape. Modules can be square, rounded, dots or connected. Rounded and dots look friendlier; square scans most reliably at small sizes.
- Set the colours. Change the foreground, the corner eyes and the background, or use a gradient fill. Keep a strong contrast: dark code on a light background is the safe choice.
- Leave the quiet zone. The blank border around the code helps phones find it. AyeTab sets it to 4 modules by default, which is the usual standard.
- Download and scan. Set the size in pixels, download, then scan with at least two phones before you share or print it.
Common mistakes
- A logo that is too big. If the code stops scanning, shrink the logo before you change anything else.
- Light code on a dark background. Some scanners struggle with inverted codes. Test it before you commit.
- A transparent background on a busy photo. The transparent option is handy for slides and plain backgrounds, not for placing a code over a picture.
- Skipping the test. A logo code that looks perfect on screen can still fail on paper.
Other free options
QRCode Monkey is another free QR code maker with logo upload, custom colours and shapes, and a template gallery. It also offers SVG export, which helps if a designer will edit the file afterwards. Pick it if you want templates to start from.
AyeTab is our first choice when you want the code made on your own device. Your logo, which may belong to a client or an unreleased product, never leaves the browser. AyeTab is also a free Chrome extension that keeps the QR tools and other utilities on your new tab, if you make codes often.
Do these codes expire?
No. Codes made this way are static: the link is stored in the pattern itself, not behind a redirect. They keep working as long as the page they point to exists. The one thing you cannot do is change the link after printing, so check it twice.