QR Code DPI Calculator

300 DPI at the final printed size for press and digital print. 150 DPI is enough for large-format work read from metres away, and 203 DPI matches a thermal receipt printer. For print of any kind, a vector export removes the question entirely, because SVG, PDF and EPS have no resolution.

591 pixels square. The arithmetic is 50 mm divided by 25.4 to get inches, multiplied by 300, rounded up. If the symbol is version 3 - 37 modules including the quiet zone - export at 592 px instead, so each module gets exactly 16 pixels rather than 15.97.

For any screen use, yes. For print it covers about 8.5 cm at 300 DPI, or 17 cm at 150 DPI for large format. Beyond that the effective resolution falls below the print standard and module edges start to soften on paper.

No, not past the point where module edges are already hard. Scanning depends on the printed size of a module and the contrast across its edge, and once a module is reproduced by several clean pixels, adding more changes nothing a camera can use. Print the code wider instead.

No. The DPI value stored in a PNG or JPG is metadata - a hint about intended print size that leaves every pixel untouched. What decides output quality is the pixel count divided by the size the file is actually placed at in the layout.

SVG, or PDF or EPS. A vector file describes the modules as shapes, so it prints at any size with perfectly hard edges and no resolution ceiling. PNG is the right choice for screens, email and web pages. The SVG vs PNG guide covers the trade-offs in full.

No. Upscaling interpolates new pixels along every module edge, which softens exactly what a decoder thresholds on. Regenerate the code at the size you need - it is free and instant - or place a vector export, which enlarges with no loss at all.

150 DPI at the printed size is the usual specification for large format, since banners are read from metres away. A 30 cm code at 150 DPI is 1772 px square. Some large-format printers accept 100 DPI, so check the spec before exporting a file four times larger than the job needs.

203 DPI, which is the dot pitch of most thermal receipt printers. One dot is about 0.125 mm, so a 0.5 mm module is exactly four dots. Sizing the module in whole multiples of 0.125 mm keeps every module identical - uneven modules are the usual cause of receipt codes failing.

It means the export width divides evenly by the module count, so every module is drawn by the same whole number of pixels. A fractional width makes some modules a pixel wider than others and adds an anti-aliased grey fringe at each edge, which is the softness a decoder tolerates least.

Almost always because the file was placed larger than its pixel count supports, or because it was upscaled or exported as JPG. Check the effective resolution at the placed size, re-export at the width the layout needs, and use PNG or a vector format rather than JPG.