QR codes
PNG or SVG - Which download to use
Both formats are free with no watermarks - The only question is where the code will live. Screens and print have different needs, and picking the right file the first time saves a re-export later.
Match the format to the destination
- PNG - For screens: social posts, slides, email, digital menus. Pick a size preset close to how large it'll display.
- SVG - For print: packaging, posters, signage, vehicle wraps. SVG is a vector, so it stays perfectly sharp at any size your printer supports and is what print shops will ask for.
Why vectors win on paper
A PNG is a grid of pixels. Blow it up beyond its native size and the edges blur - And blurry edges are one of the top reasons printed codes fail to scan. An SVG is math, not pixels: scale it to a business card or a billboard and every module stays crisp. When a print shop asks for "vector art," the SVG is exactly that.
The rule of thumb
If it's going through a professional printer, send the SVG. If you're pasting it into something on a screen, PNG is simpler.
Not sure which side your project falls on? Ask one question: will the final code exist as ink? Ink means SVG. Pixels mean PNG. And if you picked wrong, no harm done - Go back to the generator and re-download the same link's code in the other format. The link and its scan stats don't change; only the file does.