QR Code with Logo: Add One Without Breaking the Scan

A QR code with a logo is an ordinary QR code with a brand image placed over its center. It still scans because of error correction, which lets a reader rebuild data the logo covers. Keep the logo to about 20% of the code’s area, use error correction level H, and scan-test the printed result before it goes to print.

How can a logo cover part of a QR code and still scan?

Error correction is a redundancy built into the QR standard (ISO/IEC 18004): extra data that lets a reader rebuild modules that are dirty, damaged or covered. A logo is deliberate, controlled damage.

The QR standard defines four error correction levels:

QRCodeStack locks error correction to H whenever a logo is present. Our error correction help article covers the other settings.

How big should the logo be?

Cover no more than about 20% of the code’s area. Level H recovers up to 30%, so 20% leaves a margin for low light, angled scans and print wear.

In QRCodeStack the logo size slider is a share of the code’s width and runs from 20% to 50%. A logo at 45% of the width covers about 20% of the area, so stay at or below 45%. A few more rules keep the code readable:

• Use a PNG with a transparent background so more of the pattern stays visible.
• Keep strong contrast: dark dots on a light background. For a dark brand background, put the code on a white card instead of inverting it.
• Prefer a square or round icon or lettermark over a wide wordmark, which has to shrink to fit.
• Scan the final file on at least two phones, at the real print size.

How do you add a logo in QRCodeStack?

Four steps in the dynamic QR code generator:

1. Choose a type and enter the content. The 7-day free trial needs no credit card and includes 5 dynamic codes; paid plans start at $9/month, see pricing.
2. On the QR Design step, open Add Logo. Drag in a file up to 2 MB or pick a built-in preset logo.
3. Set the size, then choose a Logo background: Auto, Card, Circle or None. Auto adds a white card behind photos and leaves transparent logos untouched.
4. Click Download. A dynamic code is also saved to your dashboard, where you can regenerate the image with a different logo later. Copies already printed keep their old artwork, and the redirect inside the code stays the same.

Step-by-step help with screenshots is in the add a logo help article.

Does a logo make a QR code more trustworthy?

Only partly. According to the Nielsen Norman Group’s QR-code usability guidelines, “a logo by itself is not sufficient contextual information.” Put a short label beside the code that says what scanning does.

For colors, dot shapes and frames beyond the logo, see our QR code design and branding guide.