How to Create a QR Code: A Step-by-Step Guide
Learn to create static QR codes for URLs, contacts, Wi-Fi, phone and email. Customize colors and logos, export and test before printing.
What is a QR code?
A QR code encodes a link or short piece of data in a two-dimensional pattern readable by a phone camera. Use it for menus, contact cards, posters, product information or Wi-Fi sharing. Astrotor creates static QR codes: the contents are encoded directly, without a scan-tracking redirect service.
1. Choose the content
Open the generator and choose URL, Contact, Text, Wi-Fi, Phone or Email. Use a full https:// URL for a website. Contact cards can be saved to an address book. Phone opens a dialer; Email opens a draft with a recipient and optional subject and message. Neither places a call nor sends email automatically.
2. Customize colors and a logo
Dark dots on a light background are generally easier to read. Identical colors make the pattern invisible. You can use a preset icon or a PNG/JPEG logo up to 1 MB. Logo codes use high error correction and a small image area, but compatibility is not guaranteed. Keep the blank margin around the code.
3. Download SVG, PNG or PDF
SVG preserves sharp vector dots when resized; an uploaded logo may remain a raster image embedded in it. PNG uses the selected pixel dimensions. PDF places the QR image on an A4 page. A contact card and a poster viewed from a distance need different print sizes, so test at the intended final size.
4. Test before sharing
Try at least two phones or readers. Verify the destination, contact characters and current Wi-Fi details. Phone and email handling can vary between readers. Wi-Fi passwords and other details are readable from the code, so encode only what you intend to share.
Does a QR code expire?
Static QR codes have no Astrotor expiry date or scan quota. However, a destination can disappear and a phone number or Wi-Fi password can change. Encoded data cannot be edited later; generate a new code when it changes. You can update a webpage’s contents while keeping its URL unchanged.