Email QR Code Generator (Free)

1. 1

   Enter the address

   Type the email address the message should go to.

2. 2

   Add a subject and message (optional)

   Pre-fill a subject so you can sort the replies, and a short message to get people started.

3. 3

   Check the preview

   Open “What’s inside this code” to see the link it holds.

4. 4

   Download it

   Download a PNG or an SVG.

5. 5

   Test it

   Scan the code and check your email app opens with everything filled in. You don’t need to send it.

An email QR code holds a mailto: link, the same kind of link websites use for email addresses. The subject and message are added to the link, with spaces and punctuation encoded.

mailto:hello@example.com?subject=Order%20question&body=Hi%2C%20my%20order%20number%20is%20

Scanning opens the phone’s email app with a new message. Nothing is sent until the person taps Send, and they can change anything first.

For email QR codes

• Write a subject that helps you sort replies, like “Feedback – Table 12” or “Brochure request”.
• Say what the code does beside it (“Scan to email us”), because most people expect a QR code to open a website.
• Use an address someone actually checks.

For any printed QR code

• Size: print the code at least 2 cm (0.8 in) wide for something held in the hand. For signs and posters, make it about a tenth of the scanning distance: roughly 10 cm (4 in) wide to scan from 1 m (3 ft).
• Contrast: use a dark code on a light background. Light-on-dark codes and pale brand colors fail on some phones.
• Quiet zone: keep a blank border of at least 4 modules (the code’s small squares) around it. Don’t crop it or put text and graphics right up against the code.
• File type: use the SVG for print, since it stays sharp at any size. The 2048 px PNG is enough for print up to about 17 cm (6.8 in) wide at 300 dpi.
• Surface: avoid glare from glossy laminate, tight curves (bottles, cups) and folds that cut through the code.
• Test: scan a printed proof with an iPhone and an Android phone, at the real distance and in the real lighting, before you print in bulk.

Email codes are static in CirculateQR too: the phone opens the email straight from the code, so the address and message can’t be changed after printing.

If you want answers in one place rather than scattered emails, or want to count scans and edit things later, use a hosted form instead. CirculateQR’s contact form template collects replies in a Responses inbox that you can export as a spreadsheet.

The code you make on this page is static: free, permanent and private, but fixed once printed. Static and dynamic codes compared.