How to add a QR code to a thank-you card

A QR code can make a thank-you card more personal or useful. It can open a photo gallery, a short thank-you video, a website, or a page with more information, without filling the card with a long web address.

Make the code with the QR Code Generator, place it in your card design, then print and scan a sample before making a full batch. A quick proof helps catch codes that are too small, too crowded, or hard to scan.

Add the QR code to your card

1. Open the QR Code Generator and choose the kind of content you want the code to open, such as a link, contact, or Wi-Fi details.
2. Enter the destination or information. If it is a link, open it yourself first and make sure it goes to the right page on a phone.
3. Choose a simple design. Use a dark code on a light background, and add a logo only if it leaves the QR pattern clear. Keep decorative elements out of the code's border.
4. Download the generated QR code and add it to your card layout. Leave a clear margin around it, and do not stretch it out of square when resizing.
5. Print one card at the intended size. Scan the printed code with a phone camera, check that it opens the right content, and make any needed changes before printing the rest.

Choose what your QR code opens

A thank-you page or photo gallery

A link is a good choice if you want to share photos, a video, a longer message, or details that would not fit on the card. Use a page designed for phones, and check that recipients can open it without signing in or requesting access. Avoid links that contain private information or temporary access tokens.

A contact or social link

A contact QR code can help someone save your details, while a link can take them to a profile or business page. Check every field before generating the code. Anyone who scans it can see the information encoded in it, so include only details you are comfortable sharing.

Wi-Fi details

If you are thanking a guest, you could include Wi-Fi access for a future visit. Confirm the network name and password carefully. A Wi-Fi QR code gives access to anyone who can scan it, so do not print it on cards that will be widely distributed.

A static code or a changeable destination

A static QR code contains the information you enter. If it contains a web address, you can update the page at that address, but you cannot change the address inside cards already printed. If you need to change the destination itself later, read Static vs. dynamic QR codes: which do you need? before choosing how to make it.

Make the code easy to scan in print

A QR code is made of small squares called modules. The more information it contains, the more modules it needs, and the more space it may require. A short web address usually makes a less crowded code than a long link with tracking details.

• Give it room. Start around 1.25 inches square for a typical card, and make it larger if the code is dense or the card will be read in dim light. A very short link may work smaller, but test the actual print rather than relying on a screen preview.
• Keep a clear border. Leave blank space on every side of the code. Do not let text, a photo edge, a decorative line, or the card trim touch it.
• Use strong contrast. A black or dark-colored code on a white or pale background is reliable. Avoid pale codes, busy backgrounds, gradients, and reversed light-on-dark designs. More advice is in How to choose QR code colors that still scan.
• Use a logo cautiously. A logo can cover part of the pattern and make scanning less reliable. Keep it small, then test the printed result with more than one phone if possible.
• Keep it away from folds and trim. Place the code on a flat part of the card where fingers are unlikely to cover it. Leave room for cutting tolerances, especially near the edge.

If the printed code will not scan

1. Check the printed size. Enlarge the code and print another proof. Small modules can blur together on paper, especially on textured stock or a low-quality printer.
2. Increase contrast. Change to a dark foreground and a light, plain background. Remove any texture or image behind the code.
3. Restore the blank border. Move nearby text and artwork away from the code. Keep the entire pattern and its clear margin inside the printed area.
4. Remove or shrink the logo. If the design includes one, make a version without it and test both. If the version without a logo scans reliably, use that for the cards.
5. Check the source link. Scan the code on screen and on the printed proof. If it opens the wrong page, make a new code with the corrected address. For more scan checks, see QR code not scanning? Fix size, contrast and layout.

Keep one printed sample after you approve the design so you can check the final cards against it.