Which QR code file should I use?

Every code from ovbq downloads as a PNG, a JPG, an SVG, a PDF or an EPS. They all hold the same code. What differs is how they handle size, and which programs open them. Here's the short answer first.

SVG, PDF and EPS: vector files for print

These three are vector files. They're drawn from shapes, not pixels, so the edges of every dot stay sharp at any size.

• SVG is the one most print shops and designers want. It records the print width you entered.
• PDF opens on almost any computer, so it's the easiest file to print yourself. It's made at your print width.
• EPS is for older design and print software. Use it only if someone asks for it.

For the PDF and EPS, if you leave the width empty, we use the smallest size that scans well from the distance you picked. If the width you enter is too small for your code or your scan distance, we don't make the file, and the checker tells you the width to enter instead. That way, a file can't be made too small to scan from where people stand.

PNG: for screens and documents

A PNG is an image made of pixels. It's the right file for anything on a screen, and for documents you print at a normal size.

When you enter a print width, we make the PNG at 300 pixels per inch for that width, which is enough for a sharp print. But a PNG can only be so big: 4,800 pixels wide, 3,200 with a dot style, a gradient or a frame, or 2,400 with a logo. So it stays at 300 pixels per inch for prints up to about 16 inches wide, about 10.7 inches with a dot style, a gradient or a frame, or about 8 inches with a logo. Print it wider and it will look soft. The print checker tells you when that happens, with the real number of pixels per inch. For anything that big, use the SVG or the PDF. Without a print width, the PNG is 1,024 pixels wide.

JPG: when your editor needs it

Use SVG or PNG for print. PNG keeps sharp edges for screens and documents too. Choose JPG if a program needs it; JPG compression can soften the code's edges. A JPG has a solid background. Use the preview and print checker, keep the plain border, and test a printed copy at its final size before making more copies.

What to send a print shop

• Send the SVG. If the shop asks for a PDF or EPS, download that instead. It's the same code.
• Tell them the final width, border included. Every file includes the plain border around the code (printers call it the quiet zone). It must stay.
• Ask them not to crop the border, stretch the code or change its colors.
• Ask for one proof copy, and scan it from the real distance before they print the rest.

Many copies on one page

For table cards, stickers or labels, use the print sheet instead of a single file. It puts many copies on one Letter or A4 page, with crop marks. See how to print many codes on one sheet.

Related: Add a logo or icon · How to print QR codes that scan

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