QR codes on storefront signage

Storefront signage is scanned from the pavement at 1–3 m, so the code needs to be 10–30 cm wide under the ten-to-one rule. Mount it 1.2–1.6 m above the ground; a fascia code above the door sits at too steep an angle to decode.

Typical scan distance	1–3 m
Minimum code width	10–30 cm
Error correction	Q

This page covers the sign itself: fascia boards, A-frames, door decals, hanging signs. A code placed behind glass is a different problem (reflections, tinting, double-glazing) and has its own page: QR codes on shop windows.

The numbers

Placement	Reader distance	Code width
Door decal, reader at the handle	0.5–1 m	5–10 cm
A-frame on the pavement	1–2 m	10–20 cm
Wall sign read from across the pavement	3 m	30 cm

All from the ten-to-one rule. Check your own distances with the size calculator.

Height is the failure mode

The scannable band is 1.2–1.6 m above the pavement. Outside it, size stops being the problem and geometry takes over:

Fascia signs sit above the door at 2.4 m or higher. A person standing close enough to read the sign is looking (and pointing their camera), up at well past 40°, and steep angles are where decoding fails first. A fascia is for the shop name, not for a QR code.
A-frame bottom panels fail the same way in the other direction. The lower half of a pavement A-frame sits at knee height, 0.3–0.6 m, and nobody crouches. Put the code in the top third of the A-frame.
Door decals are the sweet spot: eye-level by construction, and the reader is already stationary while reaching for the handle.

Outdoor production

Storefront signage lives in weather and sunlight, which is why the table says Q rather than M, outdoor grime and fading eat margin over time.

Dark modules on a light ground, at least a 40% luminance difference. Brand-coloured signs often invert this; an inverted code fails on many native camera apps.
UV-stable inks or an over-laminate. Fade behaviour is covered in outdoor durability.
Matt finish. A gloss decal facing the street mirrors the sky.
Keep the four-module quiet zone clear of the sign's border rules and vinyl edges.

What the code should do

A storefront code works after hours. That is its whole advantage. The highest-value payloads for a closed shop: opening hours and booking link, a Google review prompt, or the online store. Retail-specific ideas are collected under QR codes for retail. Test the printed sign with a decode check before installation, not after.

FAQ

How big should a QR code be on a shop sign?

Divide the reading distance by ten. A pavement reader 2 m away needs a 20 cm code; someone at the door needs 5–10 cm. Codes smaller than 10 cm only work on door decals, where the reader is within a metre.

What height should a storefront QR code be mounted at?

Between 1.2 m and 1.6 m above the ground, roughly door-handle to eye height. Above 1.8 m the camera angle gets too steep for reliable decoding; below about 0.8 m, people will not bend to scan.

Can I put a QR code on my fascia sign above the door?

It will rarely scan. Anyone close enough to try is aiming their phone upwards at more than 40°, which foreshortens the modules past what decoders tolerate. Put the code on a door decal or A-frame at eye level instead.

Do storefront QR codes need error correction Q?

Q is the sensible default outdoors. Sun fade, grime and minor vinyl damage accumulate, and Q keeps the code scanning through roughly 25% module damage. Use H only if the code also carries a logo.