A logo covers information
A QR code was designed to be read from its pattern, not to provide a blank canvas. Placing a logo in the middle hides modules that the decoder might need. Error correction can help reconstruct damaged data, but it is not permission to cover an arbitrary part of the symbol. Damage distribution, the encoded content, image quality and the phone’s camera all affect whether scanning succeeds. A logo that worked in one small example may fail when the content or print process changes.
Start with high error correction
QRForever chooses level M by default and level H when you add a logo. The four correction levels are L, M, Q and H. Higher correction creates more redundant data and can require a larger pattern for the same content. That means individual modules become smaller if you hold the physical print size constant. After adding a logo, check both its coverage and the resulting density. Increasing the print size or shortening the payload may help more than repeatedly changing decorative details.
Keep the mark small and central
Our designer caps the logo width at 20 percent of the QR pattern width, with a plain background pad around it. Width and area are different: a square one fifth as wide occupies about four percent of the square’s area before padding. Advice about covering 20–30 percent of the area should never be treated as a guaranteed safe target. Start conservatively, keep all three finder patterns unobscured and reduce the mark if scanning becomes slow. A simple high-contrast logo reads better at a small size than detailed lettering.
Preserve contrast and the quiet zone
Use dark modules on a light background for the most predictable result. The clear margin around the pattern is called the quiet zone; QRForever leaves four modules on every side. Do not put a caption, border or illustration inside that margin. Transparent backgrounds can be convenient in a layout but make the final surface part of your QR design. A dark section of a photograph behind transparent gaps can destroy the contrast even when the exported SVG looks attractive against a white preview.
Upload and export deliberately
Logo uploads are processed locally in your browser and resized to a maximum of 256 pixels on the longest side. They are not sent to QRForever. The exported SVG embeds the image data; it does not depend on an externally hosted logo. The PNG export rasterises the same design. Use SVG for scalable print artwork where your print workflow supports it, or choose a sufficiently large PNG. Keep an unmodified square-module version as a fallback when a printer or material introduces unexpected detail loss.
Test the branded result, not just the preview
Print at the final intended dimensions, including the actual paper, laminate or label stock. Test in the lighting and at the distance your audience will use. Try different phones and camera apps, and compare how quickly they recognise the code. Test the destination too: correct scanning cannot fix an unavailable document or login-only form. Rounded modules, dots, a logo and low contrast can combine to make a marginal design unreliable. Remove decoration one step at a time until the result scans comfortably, then keep that approved artwork for the print order.
Before your next print
Should I test before printing?
Keep reading
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