QR codes on flyers and posters: placement, size and getting scans

4 minute read · updated 2026-11-10

A QR code on a flyer or poster has a few seconds to earn a scan. People see it in passing, from a distance, often while walking. Whether they scan depends far more on where the code is, how big it is and what it promises than on how clever the design is.

Start with what happens after the scan

Decide the single thing you want someone to do, and point the code straight at it. "Book a free taster class" should open the booking page for the taster class, not your home page with a menu to find it. Every extra tap loses people.

The page should load quickly on mobile data and be easy to use on a phone, with large buttons and short text. Test it on mobile data away from your office Wi-Fi. If it takes more than a few seconds, people give up before it appears.

Tell people why they should scan

A code on its own says almost nothing. A short call to action next to it says what people will get:

"Scan to book your free class"
"Scan for tickets"
"Scan to see the full menu"
"Scan for 10% off your first order"

Be specific and keep it short. The words should sit right next to the code, not elsewhere on the poster. An arrow or frame that connects them helps people link the two.

It also helps to print a short web address near the code, for people who can't or won't scan. It reassures people about where the code goes, which matters more now that fake codes are a known scam.

Size it for the real distance

The most common failure is a code too small for where people stand. A rough rule is 1 cm of code for every 10 cm of distance:

A flyer held in the hand, about 30 cm away: 3 cm.
An A4 poster on a noticeboard, about 1 metre: 10 cm.
An A1 poster on a wall or in a window, about 2 to 3 metres: 20 to 30 cm.
A banner across a street or hall: much larger, often 50 cm or more.

Be honest about the distance. People rarely walk up to a poster; they scan from where they happen to be. Our QR code size guide explains the rule and how much data affects it.

Put it where people can reach it

Height: between waist and eye level for a poster on a wall. Codes at the very top of a tall poster or near the floor get far fewer scans.
Position on the page: bottom right is a natural resting place for the eye after reading. Keep the code away from folds, staples and the edges where flyers get creased.
Behind glass: windows and display cases reflect light. Mount the poster flat against the glass and check it from the angle people will stand at, at different times of day.
Light: a poster in a dim corridor or under a single spotlight is harder to scan. Bigger and higher contrast helps.
Signal: underground stations and basements often have poor mobile signal. A link that needs data won't open there; think about where people will be when they scan.

Design that keeps it scannable

Keep the code dark on a light background, with a clear margin around it. Don't place it over a photo or pattern. If the poster is mostly dark, put the code on a light panel. Brand colours and a small logo are fine within limits; see colours, logos and contrast.

Send the printer a vector file (SVG or PDF), not a screenshot, so the code stays sharp at any size. A small PNG stretched to fill an A1 poster turns into blurry blocks.

Knowing which poster worked

A normal (static) QR code doesn't count scans. You can still measure results:

Add campaign tags to the link. Website analytics tools understand tags such as ?utm_source=poster&utm_campaign=spring added to the end of the address. Visits through that code then show up separately in your analytics. Use a different tag for each location or design.
Use a dedicated page or offer code. A landing page only reachable from the poster, or a discount code printed on it, tells you how many people came that way.
Use a tracked code if you want scan counts directly, or need to change the destination after printing. Our guide to static and dynamic codes explains the trade-offs.

Tags make the link longer and the code denser, so check the final code still scans comfortably at the size you plan.

Before the print run

Print one copy at full size on the real paper.
Put it up where it will go.
Scan it from the distance people will actually stand, with two different phones.
Follow the link all the way through to the action you want, such as a booking, on mobile data.

If any step is awkward, fix it now. Five hundred flyers with a broken code are expensive recycling.