Turn a picture into a QR code

Upload your picture to QRPainter and it draws a QR code whose squares form that picture. Before you download, each version is read by three QR readers under eleven conditions, and you see its Scan Score.

Pictures with a clear subject on a plain background work best: a pet, a mascot, a portrait, a simple illustration. If you'd rather have a code that opens a photo, upload the photo to any sharing site and use its link as the destination: the code can look like the photo and open it too.

Make yours free

How to make it

1. Upload your picture and drag to frame it.
2. Paint over a face or a name with “Keep clean” if it must stay sharp.
3. Choose one of four tested versions.
4. Enter the link the code should open, then download PNG or SVG.

Tips

• Crop tight around the subject: the code is square.
• High contrast between subject and background gives the clearest result.
• Busy photos work, but look grainier, because the code has to share the space.

Questions

Can any photo become a QR code?

Yes. Every picture works, but how much of it you will recognise depends on contrast. Silhouettes and bold shapes come out clearest; low-contrast photos look grainier.

Will a picture QR code scan as well as a normal one?

Each version gets a Scan Score from 0 to 100 from three readers and eleven simulated situations. Most pictures reach 75 to 95. Normal black-and-white codes score near 100, so print picture codes a little larger.

Is it free?

Yes. Free codes have no expiry date and no scan cap. They show a 2-second page with the destination before opening it.