Surface guide
QR codes on business cards
A business card QR code should be at least 2 cm square. That feels large on an 85 × 55 mm card, which is why so many are printed at 1 cm: a size where a vCard payload's modules fall below what a phone resolves at reading distance.
| Typical scan distance | 20–30 cm |
|---|---|
| Minimum code width | 2–2.5 cm |
| Error correction | M |
Why 2 cm and not 1 cm
A full vCard is 300–400 bytes: version 11 to 13, so 61–69 modules across. At 1 cm that is a 0.15 mm module: below the printable limit for most presses and below what a phone camera resolves at 25 cm.
Two ways out:
- Shrink the payload. MeCard encodes the same essentials ~40%
smaller, dropping several versions. Or point at a hosted contact page with a short URL:
example.com/adais 15 bytes, a version-2 code, and readable at 1.2 cm. - Give the code the space. 2 cm on the back of the card, with the four-module quiet zone respected.
Finish
Spot UV and gloss lamination over a QR code are a known failure under office lighting. Matt or soft-touch laminate is safe. Foil is not: metallic ink has no reliable luminance contrast.
What it should do
A vCard adds a contact. A link to a page you control lets you update your details, add a calendar link, and see that the card is being used. The link is usually the better choice, and produces a far smaller code.