QR code generator
Create a QR for a website, some text or a phone number and download it as PNG. No watermarks, no expiry and no sign-up: the code is generated in your own browser.
What a QR code really is
A QR code (from "Quick Response") is a two-dimensional type of barcode. It was invented in 1994 by the Japanese company Denso Wave to track parts in car factories, and from there it ended up everywhere. Unlike the old-fashioned barcode, which only holds a number, a QR stores far more information and reads just as well even when it's rotated or slightly damaged. That grid of dots is, at heart, encoded text that any modern phone camera can read without installing anything.
What you can put inside
Any short piece of data fits: the most common is a web address, so scanning opens a page, but it also works with plain text, a phone number, an email or a set of coordinates. As you type in the box above, the QR draws itself; when you're happy with it, you download it as a PNG and use it wherever you like.
Two uses many people don't know
If you put your details in contact format, whoever scans it can save you to their address book in one go. And there's a format for sharing your home or business Wi-Fi without dictating the password, by writing something like WIFI:S:MyNetworkName;T:WPA;P:mypassword;; (swapping in your own name and key): the visitor scans and connects without typing anything.
Tips so it always works
Leave a white margin around it, because without that gap many readers won't recognise it. The longer the content, the denser the grid becomes, so for a long web address it's better to use a short link. And if you're printing it on a poster, generate it large and test it yourself from the distance people will see it before sending it to print. The code is created in your browser, never expires and carries no watermark.