Menu QR code size and placement: a printing guide for restaurants
What size should a menu QR code be, where should you put it, and how do you make sure it scans every time? A practical printing guide for restaurants, cafés and food trucks.
Updated September 26, 2026 2 min read
A QR code that doesn't scan is worse than no QR code at all. Guests get frustrated and staff end up reading the menu out loud. These guidelines will help your codes scan on the first try.
How big should a menu QR code be?
- Minimum: 2 × 2 cm (about 0.8 × 0.8 in) for codes scanned up close, like on a receipt.
- Table tents and table stickers: 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) is comfortable to scan from a seat.
- Windows, walls and counters: a common rule of thumb is that scanning distance is about 10 times the code's width. A code meant to be scanned from 1 m (3 ft) away should be about 10 cm (4 in) wide.
Short links make simpler codes, which scan more easily at small sizes.
Contrast and colour
- Use a dark code on a light background. Light-on-dark codes fail on some phones.
- You can use your brand colour as long as it's dark enough. Our free QR generator warns you when contrast is too low.
- Avoid putting codes on busy photos or patterns.
Leave the quiet zone
The blank margin around a QR code (the "quiet zone") helps phones find it. Don't crop it or let a border, text or table edge touch the code.
Add a label
A short call to action like "Scan for menu" makes it obvious what the code does. If you serve English and Spanish speakers, include both.
Where to put it
- On every table, facing the guest.
- At the host stand and pickup counter.
- In the front window, so passers-by can browse before they come in.
- On takeout bags, boxes and receipts.
- In your Instagram and Google Business profile as a link (no scanning needed).
Printing tips
- Download SVG for print shops and large signs. It stays sharp at any size.
- PNG at 2048 px prints sharply up to about 17 cm (6.8 in) at 300 dpi.
- Choose a matte finish where you can. Glossy lamination can catch glare under lights.
- Print one test, scan it with two different phones, then print the rest.
Make sure the link never changes
Once printed, a QR code can't change. Point it to a menu link that stays the same when your menu changes, like your spotmymenu link, so you never have to reprint.
Create your QR code now, or start a 7-day free trial and get a live menu with printable table cards included.