Email QR code generator
Use this email QR code generator to make a code that opens the phone's mail app with your address, a subject and a message filled in, so the person only has to press send. The code is static: it never expires and nothing is fetched from a server. It is free with no sign-up, made entirely in your browser, and verified by a real scanner before you download it.
Content: Email
Style
PNG, JPG or SVG up to 2 MB. It stays on your device.
Your codes on this device
Off by default. When on, each downloaded code (type, content, style) is saved in this browser only, never uploaded. You can delete them at any time.
How to make an email QR code
- Enter the receiving Email address, for example bookings@example.com. This is the only required field.
- Add a Subject so replies are easy to sort, such as Quote request from flyer.
- Write a short Message if you want the body pre-filled; a prompt like Please send me the price list for: works well. Line breaks are kept.
- Check the capacity line under the preview and shorten the message if the code grows past version 6 or so.
- Wait for the badge to read Verified: scans as email, then choose Download PNG, Download SVG or Download PDF.
Email QR code generator details
An email QR code contains a mailto: link, the same kind of link a contact button on a website uses. The generator builds it as mailto:hello@example.com?subject=Quote%20request&body=Please%20send%20the%20price%20list, with the subject and body percent-encoded so that spaces, ampersands, question marks and non-Latin characters survive the trip. Phones recognise the mailto: prefix, and when the person taps the banner their default mail app opens a new message with the To, Subject and body fields already filled. Nothing is sent until they press send, and nothing passes through this site at any point.
What the encoder does with each field
The Email address is copied as typed and trimmed of spaces; only one address is supported, since a mailto: link with several recipients behaves differently from app to app. Subject and Message are encoded with standard percent-encoding, so a space becomes %20, a line break in the message becomes %0D%0A, and an accented letter becomes its UTF-8 bytes, %C3%A9 for é. Mail apps decode all of that before showing the draft. Leave Subject and Message empty and the code is just mailto: plus the address, which is the smallest and most robust version. Show encoded text displays the finished link.
Keeping the code small
Every encoded character costs space, and encoding inflates text: a 60-character message with spaces and punctuation is typically 80–90 bytes once percent-encoded. An address alone is about 30 bytes and fits in version 2 or 3; add a subject and a two-line message and you are at 150–200 bytes and version 8 to 10 at error correction M, which still prints well at 3 cm but starts to look busy. Use the message field for a prompt, not a letter. The person will type the rest.
What email codes cannot do
- Attachments. A
mailto:link cannot attach a file. Link to the brochure from the message body, or use a link code instead. - Sending automatically. The mail app always shows the draft first. This is a safety feature of every phone and cannot be bypassed.
- Choosing the sender. The message comes from whatever account the person’s mail app uses by default.
- Working with no mail app. On a fresh device with no account set up, the tap does nothing. Print the address next to the code as a fallback.
Typical uses: a support address on packaging with the product name in the subject, a booking request on a flyer, a brochure request on a trade-show stand, a maintenance request in a rented flat. Check the downloaded file with the QR code reader to see the decoded link exactly as a phone will.
This code never expires
The address, subject and message are stored inside the code itself, so it keeps working for as long as the mailbox exists. This is a static QR code: the data is written into the pattern, so scanning it needs no server, no account and no subscription. There is nothing to renew and no redirect that can be switched off, which is why a code made here keeps working for as long as the printed copy exists. The trade-off is honest: a static code cannot be edited after printing and does not count scans. If you need either, encode a link to a page you control. Read how static and dynamic codes differ, and if a code you already have has stopped working, see why QR codes expire.
Styling, formats and print size
Every code can be styled in the Style panel: six dot shapes, corner shapes, solid or gradient colours, a transparent background, a quiet zone of 0–8 modules, and your own logo up to 30 percent of the width. A contrast checker warns below 3:1 and blocks downloads below 1.5:1, and after each change the preview is decoded again so the badge tells you whether the styled code still scans.
| Output | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | Web, documents, quick prints | 256 to 4096 px; transparent background supported |
| SVG | Designers and print shops | Vector, scales without limit; logo embedded |
| Printing at an exact size | Vector modules at a chosen width in mm or inches, optional caption | |
| JPG | Platforms that reject PNG | White background; no transparency |
| EPS | Legacy print workflows | Vector from the module matrix, no logo |
| Copy / Print | Pasting into a document; a quick paper test | PNG to the clipboard; print view with caption |
Print size: as a rule of thumb the code should be at least one tenth of the scanning distance wide, with the quiet zone included.
| Scan distance | Minimum width |
|---|---|
| 0.5 m (arm's length) | 5 cm |
| 1 m | 10 cm |
| 2 m | 20 cm |
| 5 m | 50 cm |
An email code with a short subject is 29–37 modules wide and prints well at 2.5–3 cm on a card or flyer; download the PDF when it goes to a print shop.
The QR code size guide has a calculator for module size, DPI and distance.
Frequently asked questions
Does an email QR code expire?
No. The code is a mailto: link stored as text; the phone reads it and opens the mail app without asking any server. It only stops being useful if the mailbox is closed. Use a role address such as hello@ or bookings@ rather than a personal one so the code outlives staff changes.
What happens when someone scans an email QR code?
The camera shows a banner such as Compose email to hello@example.com. Tapping it opens the default mail app with the address, subject and message already in place. The person can edit anything before sending, and nothing is sent until they press send. It works with whichever mail app is set as default.
Can I add several recipients or a CC?
This email QR code generator encodes one address, because multiple recipients and cc= parameters in mailto: links are handled inconsistently across mail apps and make the code larger. If several people need the message, use a group address or distribution list on your mail server, which also keeps the code small.
Can I attach a file, such as a PDF, to the email?
No. The mailto: format has no way to attach a file, and no phone will attach one on your behalf. Put a link to the file in the message body, or make a separate link code that points directly at the PDF hosted on your website; the QR code for PDF page walks through hosting it.
Are line breaks in the message kept?
Yes. Each line break you type in the Message field is percent-encoded as %0D%0A, which is the form the mailto: standard specifies, and mail apps turn it back into a new line in the draft. Keep it to a few lines; each line break costs six bytes and every space three.
How long can the subject and message be?
Technically up to the capacity of the code, over 2,000 bytes, but keep the subject under 60 characters and the message under 200. Percent-encoding triples the size of spaces and punctuation, and a large code is hard to scan on a flyer. Use the message as a prompt for what to include.
Is this the same as an email signature QR code?
No. The email signature page is about a link code you place at the bottom of your own emails, pointing to a booking page or website. An email code is for the opposite direction: someone scans it on a printed item and writes to you. Both are static.
Is the email sent through QR Code Forever?
No. The code contains only the mailto: link; the phone opens the person's own mail app and the message travels through their mail provider to your mailbox. This site never sees the address you type, since generation and verification run in your browser, nor any message anyone sends.
Related
Last updated . QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED. Open-source engines are listed on the how it works page.