Put the guidance into practice: open the related free tool. Examples use stated inputs and are not measured performance claims.
| Format | Best practical fit | Check before use |
|---|---|---|
| SVG | Scalable layout artwork | Import preserves geometry and margin |
| PNG | Web images and pixel-based workflows | Enough pixels at final dimensions |
| Print handoff and document placement | Actual-size output and caption rendering |
Start with the receiving application
The best export is the one the next production step handles correctly. A design application may preserve SVG paths, a print provider may prefer PDF, and a simple website editor may accept PNG most reliably. Ask what the receiving workflow needs before converting the file repeatedly.
The payload is the same across the formats. Changing the container does not make a static code editable, add reporting or alter the address encoded in it. The difference is how the pattern is represented and how safely it can be resized.
Keep the original exported file even if a later tool requires a converted copy. It gives you a clean source for another size or format and avoids a chain of screenshots and recompressed images.
SVG describes geometry
An SVG represents shapes rather than a fixed pixel grid. Tidy QR uses vector geometry for the modules, finder patterns and surrounding layout. That lets a receiving application render the pattern at the size needed for its output.
A user-supplied logo remains an image embedded in the file. The QR modules can be vector while the logo is raster. Enlarging the entire design indefinitely does not create additional detail in that logo. Keep those parts separate when evaluating print quality.
Some applications rasterize SVG on import or remove features during conversion. Check the actual imported result, not just the file extension. The quiet zone, colors and logo should remain in their intended positions after placement.
PNG has a fixed number of pixels
A PNG stores a raster image. Its pixel dimensions set the available grid for rendering the code. Increasing a DPI label without changing the pixels does not add visual detail. The physical size at which the image is placed determines how those pixels are distributed on paper.
Tidy QR allows a chosen output size and writes physical-resolution metadata. The receiving application may still scale the image according to its own layout settings. Confirm the intended dimensions in the document and print dialog rather than trusting a metadata field alone.
Avoid resizing a small PNG repeatedly. Interpolation can soften edges, and screenshots can introduce unrelated scaling. Return to the generator or a vector original when a larger version is needed.
A worked pixel-to-print example
Choose a PNG that is 1,024 pixels wide and a print density of 300 pixels per inch for the example. Dividing 1,024 by 300 gives about 3.413 inches. Multiplying by the exact conversion of 25.4 mm per inch gives about 86.70 mm. These are chosen inputs and arithmetic, not a recommended minimum QR size.
If that image is placed at a smaller physical width, more pixels fit into each inch. If it is enlarged, fewer do. The code's module count and clear border still need to be considered because a dense grid divides the available pixels among more elements.
Use the print-size calculator to plan the physical width from distance and density, then choose an export suitable for that width. The geometry decision and the file-format decision should support one another.
PDF is a handoff format, not proof of vector content
A PDF can contain vector shapes, raster images or both. Its extension alone does not establish how a QR image was produced. A PDF made from a low-resolution screenshot still contains that screenshot's limitations.
Tidy QR draws the QR modules as vector shapes in its PDF export. An uploaded logo is embedded as a raster image. This distinction is part of the product's implementation documentation, so the claim is more precise than simply calling every part of the file vector.
Open the exported PDF and verify the page size, caption and complete border before sending it onward. Ask the printer to preserve the intended dimensions. A fit-to-page setting can change the physical module size even when the geometry remains sharp.
Preserve the complete square
Every format should include the quiet zone. A layout application may offer to crop empty edges, but that space is functional. The QR pattern needs a clear separation from surrounding text and graphics.
If a frame or instruction is included, keep it outside the quiet zone. Check the final composed page, because a correct standalone export can still be placed too close to another graphic or covered by a later design element.
For files shared among a team, use names that distinguish the payload and approved version. Store the decoded content with the artwork. A visually similar replacement can contain an old URL or a different network password.
Verify after the last transformation
The generator's local decode check examines its rendered design. It does not observe a separate layout application's import, a printer's rasterization or the finished physical surface. Test after those transformations when they are part of the project.
Read the exported or composed image with a separate scanner and compare the full payload. Then scan a physical proof at the intended size and placement. Check the destination or action as well as the image recognition.
A clean file format reduces avoidable problems, but it does not remove the need for a proof. The practical goal is a readable code in the actual material visitors encounter, with a clear instruction and an alternative route if scanning is unavailable.
Review captions separately from modules
A caption can contain characters that the receiving document workflow handles differently from the QR geometry. Tidy QR keeps ordinary PDF caption text as text and uses an embedded image for non-ASCII PDF captions, while the QR modules remain vector shapes. An uploaded logo is also a raster element. This is why the export promise refers specifically to vector QR modules.
Check that the caption is legible and correctly spelled in the downloaded file. A payload can be correct while a surrounding instruction is clipped, substituted or too small. If the caption is long, shorten it or place a separate text element in the final layout outside the quiet zone.
The best handoff includes a visual review of the entire export and a decode of the pattern. Those checks complement each other: one verifies what a person reads, while the other verifies the encoded content. Retain both results with the approved production file.
Frequently asked questions
Does setting a higher DPI add pixels?
No. Pixel dimensions determine raster detail. DPI metadata describes a physical-size interpretation and may be overridden by the receiving application.
Is the whole PDF vector?
Tidy QR draws the QR geometry as vectors. An uploaded logo remains a raster image inside the PDF.
Can I use a screenshot of a code?
It may work, but it introduces uncontrolled scaling and cropping. Use a direct export and test the final result instead.
Sources
Last checked: . Examples are illustrative inputs, not measured results.
- Setting the module size, DENSO WAVE. Checked 2026-10-29.
- Determining the QR code area, DENSO WAVE. Checked 2026-10-29.
- Implementation specifications, checked against source code, Tidy QR. Checked 2026-10-29.
- SI Units: Length, National Institute of Standards and Technology. Checked 2026-10-29.