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QR code with a picture inside

Your photo lives between the dots the camera reads. Faces, products, pets, posters. Still scans.

Free, no sign-up, no expiry. Generated in your browser.

Sample code. Add your content on the left.

Opens your link

Scan check

Add your details and the scan check runs on your exact design: five conditions, a real decoder, before you download.

PNG for screens, Canva and Word. SVG for anything a print shop will touch. PDF is the code at a fixed width, print it at 100%, not “fit to page”.

Free static codes are how people find us. We earn only when someone needs an editable code (€10 a year or €29 for good). Nothing you type is sent anywhere: the code is made in your browser.

Picture inside the code

Every dot is split into a small grid. The centre keeps the code’s data, the rest shows your picture, so the photo lives inside the code instead of covering it. Phones read the centres.

This is a static code: the link is baked into the dots and works without us, for as long as the link itself exists. Need to change it after printing? Editable codes, from €10.

Most "QR code with picture" tools paste an image over the middle and rely on error correction to cover the damage. It works until the image gets big, and the result always looks like a sticker on a code. This page does something different, borrowed from a 2013 research technique called halftone QR: every dot is split into a small grid, the centre cell keeps the module the camera samples, and the surrounding cells show the brightness or colour of your photo at that spot.

The effect is a code that looks like a photograph drawn in pixels, and it scans because phones read the centres of modules, not the edges. Three modes: Colour keeps the picture’s hues but pushes every cell to clearly dark or clearly light; Ink turns it into a one-colour print; Duotone sits in between. The Detail setting picks how many modules the code has (33, 41 or 49 across): more modules give a finer picture and a denser code.

Rules that keep it scannable: use error correction H (set automatically when you add a picture), print at 5 cm or wider, and choose a photo with contrast. A face against a plain wall works; a busy group photo turns to noise. The scan check on the right runs your exact design through a decoder before you download, including the blur and small-print tests where picture codes usually fail.

Questions

Does a QR code with a picture inside really scan?

Yes, when the centre of each module is left intact and error correction is high. That is exactly what this generator does. The scan check confirms it on your design, not in theory.

Picture inside or logo on top: which should I use?

A logo on top is better for a small, crisp brand mark. A picture inside is for when the image is the point: a portrait, a product shot, a poster. You can combine a picture with a small logo plate, but check the result.

How big do I need to print a picture QR code?

At least 5 cm for a code read from a table or a hand, 10 cm or more for posters. Each module is split into a 3x3 or 5x5 grid, so the fine detail needs more physical size than a plain code.

Can I use a photo of a person?

Yes. Portraits with a plain background are the best-case input. Make sure you have the right to use the photo if the code is for a business.