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QR codes on business cards: the complete guide

A well-placed QR code turns a paper card into an interactive touchpoint — linking to your portfolio, saving your contact in one tap, or connecting to your LinkedIn.

What should your QR code link to?

The right destination depends on your profession and goal. Here are the four most effective choices:

  • A vCard QR code — encodes your name, phone, email, and website directly into the code. When scanned, it prompts the user to save you as a contact. No URL required, works offline. Best for: anyone in a customer-facing role.
  • Your personal website or portfolio — a simple URL. Best for: designers, developers, consultants, photographers.
  • Your LinkedIn profile — use LinkedIn's own QR code or encode your profile URL. Best for: corporate professionals who use LinkedIn as their primary professional identity.
  • A link-in-bio page (Linktree, Carrd, etc.) — one link to all your profiles, portfolio, and booking links. Best for: freelancers with multiple channels.
Tip: Avoid encoding long LinkedIn URLs — they create very dense QR codes that can fail to scan. Use a URL shortener or your LinkedIn vanity URL instead (e.g. linkedin.com/in/yourname).

Size and placement

A business card is typically 85 × 54 mm (3.5 × 2 in). Your QR code should occupy no more than 25–30% of the card's area — roughly 20 × 20 mm minimum. Smaller than 15 × 15 mm is unreliable in poor lighting.

Back of card: The cleanest option. The back is usually blank, giving the QR code space to breathe without competing with your name and contact details.

Bottom corner of front: Common in tech and design. Works well if you keep the front uncluttered. Place it in the lower right with a small label like "Scan to connect".

Choosing the right shape

✓ Reliable for print

  • Square — maximum data density
  • Rounded square — clean, modern look
  • Circle — distinctive, scans well

✗ Test carefully first

  • Heart — clips finder patterns
  • Star — clips finder patterns
  • Diamond — reduced effective area

Rounded square is the most popular choice for business cards — it feels less rigid than a plain square while remaining highly scannable.

Colour and contrast

The QR modules (dark squares) must contrast strongly with the background. A ratio of at least 4:1 is recommended. Dark navy or charcoal on white works perfectly; light grey on white will fail. You can invert the colours (light modules on dark background) as long as the contrast is maintained — but always test before printing.

Watch out: Gold foil, metallic inks, and glossy lamination can cause reflection that prevents scanning. If your card uses these finishes, place the QR code in a matte area, or use a matte lamination patch.

Download as SVG for printing

Always download your QR code as SVG when sending to a print shop. PNG files are pixel-based and will look blurry if scaled up to fill the card. SVG is vector-based and prints sharply at any size — from a tiny card to a poster.

Create your business card QR code

Open the generator — choose vCard →

Testing before you print 500 cards

Print a single test sheet and scan from 20–30 cm in normal office lighting, then again in dim lighting. Try both the iOS camera app and a dedicated scanner like Google Lens. If either fails, increase the canvas size in the generator and re-download. Only order the full batch once you have a reliable scan on both platforms.