QR code for t-shirt and clothing printing
A QR code for t-shirt printing turns the wearer into a sign: staff at an event, a team at a trade show, a band selling a playlist. Fabric is a hard surface to scan, so this page sets error correction high and shows the sizes that work. The code is static, so it never expires, free with no sign-up, made in your browser, and verified before download.
Content: Link for the shirt
Keep it short: fewer modules print more reliably on fabric.
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 a QR code for a t-shirt
- Choose one short link, such as example.com/tour. Every extra character adds modules, and modules on fabric need to be big.
- Paste it into Link for the shirt and click Test link.
- In the Style panel, set Error correction to H and keep Quiet zone on. Use a dark Foreground colour on a white or light Background colour; a transparent background works only on light shirts.
- Skip logos and gradients; every bit of tolerance is needed for the fabric.
- Wait for the badge to read Verified, then choose Download SVG for the printer. Ask for a sample shirt and scan it worn, stretched and wrinkled before ordering the run.
QR code for t-shirt details
A code on a shirt is a link code printed on the least cooperative surface there is. Fabric stretches over a body, wrinkles when the wearer sits, absorbs ink so edges blur, and is scanned by a stranger from a metre away at an awkward angle.
Big modules, short link
Aim for modules of 3 mm or more. A 25 × 25 module code, which a link of about 25 characters produces at error correction H, is then 7.5 cm wide plus a 1.2 cm quiet zone each side: about 10 cm. Shorten the link first, then choose the size with the size guide.
Error correction H, no decoration
Error correction H lets the scanner recover a code with up to 30 percent of it damaged, which is what a fold or a stretched patch amounts to. Do not spend that tolerance on a logo or a gradient: on fabric it is needed for the fabric.
Dark on light, only
Screen printing, direct-to-garment and heat-transfer vinyl all print a dark code on a light shirt reliably. A white code on a black shirt is inverted, and many phone cameras will not read it. If the shirt is dark, print the code inside a white rectangle, which doubles as the quiet zone.
Placement and testing
Put the code on the flattest area: the upper back between the shoulder blades, or the chest, away from seams and pockets. Order one sample, put it on a person, and scan it with two phones while they stand, turn and sit.
Common mistakes
- Sending a PNG to the printer; the SVG keeps the edges crisp at any size.
- Printing across a side seam or over the hem.
This code never expires
The link is printed into the fabric for the life of the shirt, so the code keeps working as long as the page behind it does. 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 |
Print a QR code on clothing at least 8 cm wide, 10–12 cm if the link is long, so each module is 3 mm or more; it will be scanned from about a metre by someone standing in front of the wearer.
The QR code size guide has a calculator for module size, DPI and distance.
Frequently asked questions
Does a QR code for t-shirt printing expire?
No. The link is in the code itself, generated in your browser with nothing on a server. The shirt keeps working for as long as the page behind it exists. Link to a page on your own site that you can change without a new batch.
How big should a QR code be on clothing?
At least 8 cm wide, and 10–12 cm for a longer link, so that each module is around 3 mm. The wearer is scanned from about a metre by someone standing in front of them. A white margin of at least 1 cm is essential.
Why must the code be dark on a light background?
Phone cameras expect dark modules on a light field. An inverted code, white on black, is read by some scanners and refused by others. On a dark garment, print the code inside a white block and it behaves like a light shirt.
Which printing method scans best?
Screen printing and heat-transfer vinyl give the sharpest edges and are the safest. Direct-to-garment works on light cotton with a short link and big modules but softens edges on darker or textured fabric. Send the SVG and treat the sample shirt as the real test.
Can I add a logo or the band's colours to the code?
Keep the code plain. A logo or a gradient uses the same error-correction margin that fabric stretch and ink spread consume, and on a shirt you need all of it. Put the logo above or below the code instead.
Will the code still scan when the shirt is wrinkled or stretched?
Usually, if it was made with error correction H, big modules and a short link, and printed on a flat area. A wrinkle hides a few modules, which H recovers; a stretch distorts the grid, which scanners tolerate up to a point. Test the sample worn, sitting and moving.
Related
Last updated . QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED. Open-source engines are listed on the how it works page.