# QR code print checklist: 12 checks before you print

> Before printing, check contrast (dark code on light background), a four-module quiet zone, adequate size for the scan distance, vector artwork, a matte finish, a tested destination, and your QR provider's cancellation terms. Then scan a physical proof on two different phones.

Canonical page: https://kizmo.io/guides/qr-code-print-checklist

Updated 2026-09-27.

1. **Contrast**: dark code on a light background, ideally 7:1 or better.
2. **Polarity**: avoid light-on-dark codes unless you have tested them on older phones.
3. **Quiet zone**: four modules of empty space on every side.
4. **Size**: at least one tenth of the scanning distance.
5. **Module size**: 0.5 mm or more for comfortable scanning.
6. **Logo**: under 20% of the code, with error correction set to H.
7. **Vector file**: send SVG or PDF to the printer, never a screenshot.
8. **Finish**: matte, not glossy laminate.
9. **Surface**: flat is best; curved bottles and folds distort codes.
10. **Destination**: loads fast on mobile data, no login, no app required.
11. **Provider terms**: what happens to the code if you cancel? (Kizmo: it keeps working.)
12. **Proof test**: scan the physical proof with an iPhone and an Android phone, in the real lighting.

The [Kizmo generator](/qr-code-generator) checks points 1 to 6 automatically as you design.


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Kizmo: QR codes you own. https://kizmo.io/