# QR codes on invitations and greeting cards

> An invitation QR code is read at arm's length so 2 cm is enough. The design pressure is the opposite of usual — the risk is a code so heavily styled or foiled that it no longer scans.

Source: https://useqr.app/qr-codes-on/invitations · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, MIT licensed, no signup.

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| Typical scan distance | **20–30 cm** |
|---|---|
| Minimum code width | **2–2.5 cm** |
| Error correction | **M** |

## Foil and letterpress do not work

- **Foil** has no reliable luminance contrast; a camera sees a bright reflective patch, not
  dark modules.
- **Letterpress** deboss creates shadows at module edges that shift the threshold.
- **Dark ink on a dark card** fails even when it looks fine to the eye — the decoder works on
  luminance, not on how deliberate the palette looks.

Print the code in a dark ink on a light panel, even if that panel is a small light rectangle
set into a dark design.

## What to encode

- **RSVP form** — the highest-value use, because it removes a postal round trip.
- **Calendar event** so the date lands in the phone.
- **[Location](/location-qr-code)** pinned at the actual entrance, not the postcode centroid.
- **A wedding website** with directions, accommodation and gift list.

A [social hub](/social-qr-code) style page holding all of these behind one code is usually
better than three codes on one card.

## Longevity

People keep invitations. If the linked page is taken down after the event, the code becomes
a dead link in someone's keepsake box. Leave a simple page in place.

## Try it

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