QR code menu for tables, windows and takeaway
Make a QR code menu that guests scan from the table or the window and land on your current menu. The code is static, so it never expires and nothing routes through a third-party server. It is free with no sign-up, made entirely in your browser, and verified by a real scanner before you download it. Change the menu on your site; the printed code stays the same.
Content: Menu link
Upload the menu (PDF or a web page) to your website first, then paste its address here.
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 menu
- Put the menu online first: a PDF on your website, a web page, or a Google Drive file set to 'Anyone with the link'. The code can only point to the menu, not contain it.
- Prefer an address you control, such as yourrestaurant.com/menu. You can then replace the menu behind that address without reprinting a single code.
- Paste the address into Menu link and press Test link; check that it opens on a phone, not only on your laptop.
- Open the Style panel if you want your colours or a logo: Style preset, Foreground colour, Upload logo. Keep dark modules on a light background.
- Wait for Verified: scans as URL, then Download PDF at the physical size of your table tent or window sticker, or Download SVG for the print shop.
QR code menu details
A QR code menu is a link, not a document. The generator encodes the address you paste, for example https://yourrestaurant.com/menu, and a phone that scans it opens that address in its browser. The menu lives on your site or file host; the code only points at it. Two things follow: the code cannot expire, because no service sits in the middle, and the menu can change as often as you like, because the address does not.
Host the menu first
Three options work well. Upload a PDF to your website and note its address. Publish the menu as a web page, which reads best on phones and can be edited in minutes. Or use a file host such as Google Drive or Dropbox with sharing set to anyone with the link. Where possible, link to an address you own: yourrestaurant.com/menu can be pointed at a new file next season, whereas a drive link changes if you upload a replacement file.
Link length and code size
A short link on your own domain is about 30 characters and produces a 29 × 29 module code at error correction M. A drive share link is 80–90 characters and needs 41 × 41 modules. Both scan at table size, but the smaller code is more forgiving on a folded tent or a laminated card.
Common mistakes
- Linking to the home page. Guests then hunt for the menu; paste the menu address itself.
- Glossy lamination. Overhead lights reflect off gloss and blind the camera; use matt laminate or card.
- No caption. Add ‘Scan for our menu’ so people know why the code is there.
- Skipping the phone test. Open the link on a phone with mobile data, not on the office Wi-Fi.
For window and A-board sizes, the size guide gives the width for each viewing distance.
This code never expires
The code stores the address of your menu, so it keeps working for as long as that page stays online. 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 |
Table tents are scanned from 30–50 cm, so 4–5 cm wide is enough; a window sticker read from the pavement at 1–2 m needs 10–20 cm. Laminate matt, not glossy, to avoid reflections.
The QR code size guide has a calculator for module size, DPI and distance.
Frequently asked questions
Does a QR code menu expire?
No. This code carries the address of your menu and nothing else, and it keeps working as long as the page is online, with no renewal, subscription or account behind it. If a code you made elsewhere stopped working, it was probably a dynamic code whose redirect service lapsed.
How do I change the menu without reprinting the codes?
Point the code at an address you control and change what is behind it. If the code links to yourrestaurant.com/menu, upload a new PDF at the same address or edit the page, and every printed code shows the new menu. The code itself never changes; only the page does.
PDF or web page?
A page is easier to read on a phone, loads faster and can be updated in minutes. A PDF is quicker to produce from your design software but needs pinching and zooming. If you use a PDF, export it at a phone-friendly size, keep it under 2 MB and link to the file directly, not to a download prompt.
How big should the code be on a table tent or in the window?
A rule of thumb is width equals scanning distance divided by ten. Table tents scanned from 40 cm need 4 cm; a window read from 2 m on the pavement needs about 20 cm. Keep the quiet zone around the code and print on matt material so lights do not reflect off the surface.
Will it scan in a dimly lit restaurant?
Usually, because phone cameras compensate for low light, but small or low-contrast codes fail first. Print at 4 cm or more, keep pure black on white or close to it, and test at your actual tables in the evening with an iPhone and an Android phone before ordering a print run.
Related
Last updated . QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED. Open-source engines are listed on the how it works page.