How to add a logo to a QR code and check the result
To add a logo to a QR code, create the code for the intended destination, add your image through the generator’s logo controls, then export and scan the finished artwork. Keep a plain version for comparison. QRGen documents logo customization, but a logo or an error-correction setting does not guarantee that the final code will scan.
Keep a plain reference for the same destination
Start with a destination you can verify, such as your public restaurant menu page. Generate a plain code and save an exported reference before adding branding. Confirm that scanning it identifies the intended page. This gives you a useful comparison if a later design becomes difficult to read.
Keep the encoded destination the same for both versions. If you change the page address, logo, colors and layout together, a failed scan will not tell you which change matters. For this exercise, hold the destination and other visible styling constant while comparing.
Add your image in QRGen
QRGen supports adding a logo or icon and customizing the surrounding code. Open the code’s customization controls and use the logo image option to choose your artwork. Prefer an uncomplicated mark that can remain recognizable without occupying much of the symbol.
Inspect the preview after adding the image. Keep the corner locator patterns visible and preserve the clear area outside the code. DENSO WAVE specifies an empty margin four modules wide on every side; a module is one small square unit of the symbol. Do not fill that border with a logo, caption or decorative frame.
- Create and verify the unbranded code.
- Keep its destination unchanged while adding the logo.
- Inspect the code and clear border after customization.
- Export a separate logo version for the comparison.
Treat error correction as capacity, not a logo allowance
DENSO WAVE warns that overlaying artwork can deform a QR code and impair reading. Its error-correction levels describe restoring encoded data, rather than specifying a percentage of the image that may safely be covered. A stated correction percentage is therefore not a safe logo-size rule.
Choose the overlay size by inspecting and checking the result, rather than aiming for a supposed universal allowance. If the design is hard to scan, reduce or remove the overlay and compare again. Error correction can help with some damage; it cannot substitute for checking the exact artwork and conditions you intend to use.
Test the exported artwork in its final layout
QRGen documents PNG, JPEG and WebP exports in multiple sizes. Test an exported file, not only the editor preview. Present the plain and branded versions at the same intended size, then scan each and verify the destination. Repeat with the final layout if another tool resizes or crops the image.
Use the comparison to guide the next edit. If the plain version reads but the logo version does not, return to the overlay before changing unrelated settings. This comparison is a starting point for investigation, not proof of a single cause. If both fail, inspect the source code, clear border and presentation conditions. For printed material, test a physical proof. A successful check on one phone is useful evidence for that setup, not a promise for every scanner.
Questions
Can I cover a fixed percentage of the QR code with my logo?
There is no universal allowance established here. Error-correction percentages concern encoded data, not a guaranteed safe area for artwork.
Why keep an unbranded version?
It lets you compare the same destination and presentation with and without the logo, so you can investigate the overlay without changing several variables at once.
Is a working preview enough before printing?
No. Check the exported image and final printed layout at the intended size. Resizing, cropping and presentation conditions can change the result.