How do I put my logo and brand colours on a QR code?
You can brand a QR code with your logo, colours and shape and still have it scan. What you can change, the one rule that keeps it working, and which file to print.
Shortlen Editorial · · 3 min read
The short answer
In the QR designer, set your foreground and background colours (or a background image), upload a logo in the middle, and pick matching module and corner shapes or a call-to-action frame. Raise the error-correction level so the logo doesn't stop it scanning, keep strong contrast, and download a vector file (SVG, PDF or EPS) for print.
Key points
- A QR code can carry your logo, colours and shape and still scan — if you keep enough contrast and error correction.
- You can change the module pattern, the corner (eye) styles, the colours or a background image, a centre logo, and a call-to-action frame like 'SCAN ME'.
- The one rule: keep dark-on-light contrast strong and raise error correction when you add a logo, or the code may fail to scan.
- Download a true vector file (SVG, PDF or EPS) for print so the code stays sharp at any size.
- Use a dynamic QR code so you can change where it points and count scans after it's printed.
On this page
A plain black-and-white QR code works, but it doesn’t look like yours. The good news is you can brand one — your colours, your logo, a shape that fits your design — without turning it into a code that won’t scan. The trick is knowing which parts are safe to change and which rule you can’t break.
What you can change
In the QR designer you can restyle almost every part of the code:
- Colours: set the foreground and background, use a transparent background, or drop the code onto a background image.
- Pattern and corners: choose the shape of the modules (dots, rounded, classy and more) and the corner “eyes”, each with its own colour.
- A centre logo: upload your mark and set its size and shape.
- A call-to-action frame: add a label like “SCAN ME” or “View menu” around the code, with your colours, or start from a ready template.
There’s a live preview as you go, and the styles on offer have been scan-tested, so you’re choosing from combinations that actually read.
The one rule: keep it scannable
Branding only backfires when it stops a reader working. Two things keep you safe:
- Contrast. Keep the pattern clearly darker than the background. Low contrast — or inverting to light-on-dark — is the most common reason a pretty code won’t scan.
- Error correction. A QR code can rebuild itself from part of the image, and that’s what lets a logo sit in the middle. When you add a logo, raise the error-correction level (to Q or H) and keep the logo within the recommended size.
Shortlen’s print-quality check looks at exactly this — contrast, inverted colours, and a logo that’s too big for the error correction — and warns you before a code goes to print. When in doubt, test the printed code with two different phones from about arm’s length.
Print it so it stays sharp
For anything printed, download a vector file — SVG, PDF or EPS — rather than a PNG. Vector files are built from real shapes, so the code is crisp whether it’s on a business card or a poster, and frame text in other scripts (including Arabic) is shaped correctly. Keep PNG for screens.
Make it a dynamic code
Finally, use a dynamic QR code. The code points at a short link, so you can change where it leads and see how many times it’s been scanned — even after it’s printed — instead of being stuck with whatever you baked in. For the difference, see static vs dynamic QR codes.
Branded, dynamic QR codes are part of what Shortlen does — see the features page, and start free to make your first one.
Questions people ask
Will adding a logo stop the QR code from scanning?
Not if you leave room for it. A logo covers part of the code, so raise the error-correction level (to Q or H) when you add one and keep the logo within the recommended size. The designer's print-quality check warns you if a code is likely to fail.
What colours are safe to use?
Keep the pattern darker than the background with strong contrast — dark code on a light background is safest. Very low contrast or inverted (light-on-dark) colours can stop readers scanning, which the print-quality check flags before you print.
Which file should I download for printing?
A vector file — SVG, PDF or EPS — because it stays sharp at any size, from a business card to a billboard. Use PNG only for screens. Vector files are built from real shapes so there are no blurry edges.
Can I change where the code points after it's printed?
Yes, if it's a dynamic QR code: the code holds a short link, so you can update the destination and count scans without reprinting. A static code bakes the destination in and can't be changed. See static vs dynamic QR codes.