Free Tool

Text QR Code Generator

Turn a note, code, or short message into a QR. The text is stored in the image. Free static download, no sign-up.

The code stores exactly this text. A camera shows it, or opens it when the text is a web address.

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QR Payload

Fill in the fields to generate your QR code

When a text QR is the right code

A text QR code generator puts your words in the pattern. Typical uses:

  • A short note on a shelf tag, a locker, or a sample: the scan shows the sentence, with no page to load.
  • A code to read aloud or type, such as a serial, a booking reference, or a one-time offer code.
  • A backup of a few words you do not want to host online.

It is the wrong tool for a phone number that should open Messages. Use the SMS QR generator for that. An email belongs on the email QR generator. A page with terms, a menu, or a form belongs on a link QR.

How long the text can be

This page accepts 800 characters. The QR stores every character in the pattern, so a longer note makes a denser code. Up to about 160 characters is a comfortable label. Past that, print a larger code and scan a proof at the real size before a run. A paragraph people must read belongs on a page, with a dynamic Scanely code on the print, so you can edit the words without a new image.

Examples

  • A shelf note. “Tasting flight: three pours. Ask at the bar.”
  • A booking line. “Table 4 is reserved for Patel, party of 6.”
  • A code to type. “SCANELY10”, when the cashier needs the characters and the offer will not change.

How to create a text QR code

  1. Type the note. Type the note or the code. The image stores those characters and nothing else.
  2. Read the preview. If the text is a web address, a camera will usually offer to open it.
  3. Download and scan. Download PNG or SVG and scan a print at the size you will use. When the words might change, print a dynamic Scanely code instead.

Static text cannot be edited or counted

The download on this page is static. Change the wording and every print that used the old image is out of date. Scans are not recorded, because the image never contacts Scanely.

When the message is a campaign, put the words on a page and print a dynamic QR code. Free includes 3 dynamic codes and 1,000 scans a month, and the codes keep redirecting after that allowance. Starter is $9/month for 50 codes and 100,000 scans. A dynamic code is a new image. Download it before you print.

Compare plans on pricing. A coupon that opens a page is on the coupon QR generator. Size the print with the QR size calculator.

Create another QR code

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Frequently asked questions

What does a text QR code contain?▾
The characters you type, and nothing else. There is no Scanely redirect. A phone that understands the code shows the text. If the text is a web address, the camera usually offers to open it.
Is this text QR code generator free?▾
Yes. Download a static PNG or SVG with no account and no watermark. The code does not expire on Scanely’s side, because the text is inside the image.
How much text can I put in a QR code?▾
This page accepts up to 800 characters. Past about 160 characters the pattern gets dense, so print a proof and scan it at the real size before a large run. A short line, a code, or a Wi-Fi note scans more reliably than a paragraph.
Can I change the text after printing?▾
No. A new message needs a new image. If the wording might change, put it on a page and print a dynamic Scanely code instead. Free includes 3 dynamic codes, and those codes keep redirecting.
Can I count scans of a text QR code?▾
Not this file. There is no web address to redirect, so there is nothing to count. A dynamic code that opens a page with the same message records scans. Creating that code does not make this text image trackable.
Should a coupon code be a text QR?▾
Use this page when the scan should show a short code such as SAVE20. Use the coupon QR generator when the scan should open a page that explains the offer. An offer that ends is a better fit for a dynamic code, because you can replace the page without reprinting.