QR Code Not Scanning? Here's How to Fix It

A QR code that doesn't scan is worse than no code at all — someone tried, failed, and moved on. The good news: almost every dead code fails for one of five fixable reasons.

The quick diagnosis

Work through in order: (1) contrast too low, (2) printed too small for the scanning distance, (3) glare or damage, (4) no quiet zone (margin) around the code, (5) the code is fine but the link behind it is dead. The first four are physical; the fifth fools everyone.

The five failures, with fixes

1. Low contrast. Pale codes on tinted backgrounds fail in real-world lighting. Fix: dark code, light background. Stylish is fine; faint is not.
2. Too small for the distance. A 2 cm code across a café doesn't stand a chance. Fix: scanning distance ÷ 10 = minimum code width. Reprint bigger.
3. Glare, wrinkles, damage. Glossy lamination under lights, weathered paper, codes wrapped around curved surfaces. Fix: matte finish, flat placement, reprint when worn.
4. Missing quiet zone. Text, borders or artwork crowding the code's white margin confuses scanners. Fix: leave clear space around it — designed templates build this in automatically.
5. Dead destination. The scan works, the page 404s — the menu PDF moved, the link changed. Fix: test the destination, not just the scan, and regenerate the code when URLs change.

Logo codes that stopped working

A logo that's grown too large, or that covers a corner finder square, eats through the code's error-correction budget. The logo guide covers the safe limits — center placement, modest size, corners untouched.

Rebuild it right

If the code was made as a low-resolution screenshot, no fix saves it at print size. Regenerate in Quick QR with high-resolution export and a proper template — clean modules, built-in quiet zone, print-grade output. The printing rules keep it working once it's on the wall.