# QR codes on cylindrical packaging: cans, bottles and jars

> Divide the container's circumference by six to get the maximum QR code width. A slim 330 ml can (16.6 cm circumference) caps the code at about 2.8 cm; a standard can at 3.4 cm; a wine bottle at 3.9 cm. Below a 3 cm diameter, move the code to the cap or a tag.

Source: https://useqr.app/docs/print/qr-codes-on-cylindrical-packaging · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, no signup.

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## The rule, applied to real containers

The [curved surfaces](/docs/print/qr-codes-on-curved-surfaces) page derives the limit:
**code width ≤ circumference ÷ 6**, so the symbol spans no more than 60° of arc. Here it is
for the packaging you are actually holding:

| Container | Diameter | Circumference | Max code width |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic tube | 30 mm | 9.4 cm | **1.6 cm**: marginal, see below |
| Slim 330 ml can | 53 mm | 16.6 cm | **2.8 cm** |
| 500 ml PET bottle (body) | 65 mm | 20.4 cm | **3.4 cm** |
| Standard 330 ml can | 66 mm | 20.7 cm | **3.4 cm** |
| Wine bottle (body) | 75 mm | 23.6 cm | **3.9 cm** |
| Jam jar | 80 mm | 25.1 cm | **4.2 cm** |
| 1 l paint tin | 110 mm | 34.6 cm | **5.8 cm** |

Two sanity checks before you commit a size. First, the
[ten-to-one distance rule](/docs/print/the-10-to-1-distance-rule): a 2.8 cm code supports
scanning from about 28 cm: fine in the hand, inadequate on a shelf. Second, the module
floor: divide the width by the module count and keep each module at or above the minimum
for your print process: the [size calculator](/size-calculator) does both checks from the
payload.

## Worked example: a canned drink

A campaign URL of 38 characters at error correction M encodes as version 3: 29 modules,
37 module-widths including the [quiet zone](/glossary/quiet-zone). On a slim can, 28 mm ÷
29 ≈ **0.97 mm per module**: comfortable for any label press. Add 60 characters of tracking
parameters and the code becomes version 6 (41 modules): 28 mm ÷ 41 ≈ 0.68 mm, still
printable, but the margin has halved for no benefit the user sees. Short payloads are the
cheapest engineering on a cylinder.

## Wrap direction and placement

- Only one dimension of the square wraps the curve; the other lies along the can's flat
  axis. Place the code **level and centred on the primary display panel**, so the customer
  faces it square-on without rotating the container.
- Keep the code away from the **label seam** and at least a quiet zone's distance from
  embossing, ribs, shoulder curves and the neck taper, where the surface stops being a
  simple cylinder.
- On jars, the vertical wall between the shoulder and the base label area is the flattest
  band: avoid the curved shoulder entirely.

## Shrink sleeves distort artwork on purpose

Full-body shrink sleeves are printed flat and then shrunk onto a contoured container, so
sleeve prepress **pre-distorts** the artwork to compensate. A QR code that gets
pre-distorted like the rest of the design can come out with unequal module widths. Tell the
converter the code must survive as a square grid: keep it in the straight-walled zone with
the least shrink, and approve a **scanned sample from the actual shrunk sleeve**, not the
flat proof. The same applies to conical cups, where every horizontal line is an arc: treat
cones as hostile and prefer the flattest band.

## When the cylinder is too thin

At a 1.6 cm cap, a cosmetic tube can just about carry a version 1–2 code with a short URL.
Anything denser belongs on the cap, the crimped end, the folding carton or a swing tag.
That decision tree, plus rMQR's honest limitations, is covered under
[curved surfaces](/docs/print/qr-codes-on-curved-surfaces). For the broader packaging
workflow (materials, finishes, proofing) see
[QR codes on product packaging](/docs/ecommerce/qr-codes-on-product-packaging) and the
[packaging size guide](/docs/print/qr-code-size-for-packaging).

## FAQ

### How big can a QR code be on a can?
Circumference divided by six. A standard 66 mm-diameter can has a 20.7 cm circumference, so keep the code at 3.4 cm or less. A slim 53 mm can caps it at about 2.8 cm.

### Why does my QR code fail on a bottle but scan when the label is flat?
The wrap tilts the outer columns of modules away from the camera. If the code is wider than a sixth of the circumference, that foreshortening exceeds what the decoder's perspective correction can recover.

### Do shrink sleeves affect QR codes?
Yes. Sleeves are pre-distorted in prepress to compensate for shrinking onto the container's contours, and that distortion can warp the code's grid. Keep the code in the straightest zone and approve a scanned sample of the shrunk sleeve.

### Where should a QR code go on a jar?
On the vertical wall between shoulder and base, centred on the display face, clear of the seam and the curved shoulder. Keep the full quiet zone inside the flat band.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/url
- https://useqr.app/size-calculator
- https://useqr.app/validate