PDF QR Code Generator: A QR Code for Your PDF's Link

Make a QR code that opens a PDF, such as a menu, a manual or a flyer, from its link. Barcode.codes does not upload or host files: put the PDF online first, on your website or a file host, then paste its link here and download the QR code as SVG or PNG.

Valid

12.2 × 12.2 mm at 300 DPI

PDF link

The PDF must already be online at this address, open to anyone with the link. Barcode.codes does not upload or host files.

QR code content

Exactly what the QR code holds, built from the form above: 28 characters.

Symbol: version 3, 29 × 29 modules. 28 characters used; data like this fits up to 2,331 characters in the largest size.

QR Code options

Error correction

The share of the code that can be damaged and still be read (DENSO WAVE). Higher levels make a larger code.

DesignLogo, shapes and colors from the QR code designer

Logo

or drop it here
PNG, JPEG, WebP or SVG, up to 2 MB

The logo stays in your browser. Use only a logo you have the right to use. With a logo, error correction is set to H, the highest level.

Module shape

Eye frame

Eye center

New

Size and resolution

Output DPI

300 DPI · Thermal / offset

4 px per module at 300 DPI. Print size: 12.2 × 12.2 mm (0.48 × 0.48 in). PNG, WebP and JPEG: 148 × 148 px.

Label textNew

Font

Alignment

Printed in the file with the barcode, outside the quiet zone, in Helvetica or Courier so it looks the same in every format.

Colors

Contrast 21.0:1; estimated symbol contrast 100%.

Quiet zone (modules)4 · 4 · 4 · 4

Bar width reduction0 mil

Makes each bar thinner by this amount, to make up for ink that spreads on paper. Ask your printer for the value, or leave 0 for laser and thermal printing.

Rotation and backgroundNew0° · Filled

Rotation

In the preview, a checkered pattern shows the transparent areas. Print a transparent barcode only on a white or very light surface: scanners need the light quiet zone around it.

Margin and borderNew0 mm · no border

The margin is blank space outside the quiet zone, for cutting; the border is drawn at the outer edge. Both count in the print size.

Link tracking (UTM)NewOff

Adds utm_ parameters to the link so analytics can tell where a scan came from. A longer link makes a denser code.

Data inspectorNew28 chars
PresetsNew0 saved

No presets yet. Save the current settings to reuse them.

    Presets stay in this browser. They keep the type, size and style; the data and the logo are not saved.

    Recent barcodesNew0

    The barcodes you download appear here, newest first.

      The last 10 downloads, kept in this browser only.
      QR Code · Live previewValid
      QR Code barcode encoding https://example.com/menu.pdf
      New

      Scaled to fit. Actual size shows the print size on screen.

      Print simulationNew

      Shows how a worn print looks and tests it with the decoder.

      Type
      QR Code · 2D
      Print size
      12.2 × 12.2 mm
      Raster
      148 × 148 px
      Symbol
      version 3, 29 × 29

      Download

      Vector drawing, 12.2 × 12.2 mm. Design and label programs place it at its print size.

      More export optionsNewTest sheet · size set · embed code

      Print test sheet (PDF)

      The code at 80%, 100% and 150% with 100 mm and 4 in rulers. Print it at actual size and scan each copy before printing many.

      Size set (ZIP)

      Magnification

      Embed code

      Nothing you type is uploaded.New

      How to Make a QR Code for a PDF

      Put the PDF online, paste its link, and download the QR code; the code opens the PDF for as long as it stays at that link.

      1. Upload the PDF to your website or a file host and copy a link that anyone can open.
      2. Paste the link above: the field below the form shows the exact text in the code.
      3. Download the QR code as SVG for print or PNG for screens.
      4. Print a test copy and scan it with a phone to check that the PDF opens.

      PDF QR Code Fields

      A PDF QR code holds one field: the link to the PDF, exactly as you paste it.

      PDF link QR code fields in this generator
      FieldRequiredNotes
      Link to your PDFYesThe PDF must already be online at this address, open to anyone with the link. Barcode.codes does not upload or host files.
      How a pdf link QR code is written
      Encoded formThe web link of a PDF that is already online, starting with https:// or http://
      Examplehttps://example.com/menu.pdf
      Special charactersNone: the link is written as it is
      When scannedIt is a web link: readers open it in a browser, which shows the PDF or downloads it
      Checked before drawingThe link must start with https:// or http:// and contain a domain; a file on your device is refused, because a phone cannot open it from a code. It need not end in .pdf, as share links of file hosts often do not.
      Read back by Barcode.codesThe Barcode.codes scanner shows the link in full with an Open button naming its host.
      StandardA QR code holds at most 2,953 bytes (version 40, error correction L), far less than a PDF, so the code holds the link to the file. Barcode.codes uploads and hosts nothing: the PDF must stay online at that link.
      Size of the exampleThe generator's example is 28 characters long: a version 3 QR code of 29 × 29 modules at error correction M.
      Error correctionChoose L (about 7% of the code can be restored), M (about 15%, the default), Q (about 25%) or H (about 30%), as DENSO WAVE lists them; a higher level makes a larger code.

      Sources, checked 2026-10-04: ZXing: Barcode Contents; GS1 General Specifications R26.0, §5.7.2 (QR Code capacity).

      Where to Put the PDF

      The QR code holds only the link, so the PDF has to stay online at an address anyone can open.

      On Your Own Website

      Upload the PDF to your site and use its address. The link stays under your control, and you can replace the file at the same address when it changes.

      QR code that opens the example PDF link https://example.com/menu.pdf.
      A QR code for https://example.com/menu.pdf: the code holds the link, not the file.

      On a File Host

      A file host's share link works when sharing is set so that anyone with the link can view the file. Open the link in a private browser window before printing: if it asks you to sign in, other people will see the same.

      A PDF QR Code That Does Not Expire

      The code from this page holds your link itself, with no redirect through Barcode.codes, so it works for as long as the PDF stays at that address.

      Replacing the PDF Later

      To change the PDF without reprinting, upload the new file to the same link. If the link changes, the printed code still opens the old one, so keep the old address working.

      Can a PDF Be Turned Into a QR Code?

      Not the file itself: a QR code holds at most 2,953 bytes, while a PDF is usually much larger, so a PDF QR code holds a link to the file.

      Sites that turn a PDF into a QR code store the file on their servers and put their own link in the code, which works as long as they keep the file. Here you choose where the PDF lives.

      What is a QR code explains how much a QR code holds and how phones read it.

      Frequently Asked Questions

      Is the PDF QR Code Generator Free?

      Yes. There is no account, watermark or download limit, and the code is drawn in your browser.

      Does Barcode.codes Host My PDF?

      No. Barcode.codes does not upload, store or host files: the QR code holds the link you paste, and the PDF stays wherever you put it.

      Will My PDF QR Code Stop Working?

      Not because of this site: the code holds your link and nothing else. It stops working only if the PDF is removed from that link or its sharing is turned off.

      Can I Change the PDF After Printing the Code?

      Yes, if you replace the file at the same link, for example on your own website. A new link needs a new code.

      Why Does My Phone Download the PDF Instead of Showing It?

      The phone opens the link in its browser, and the browser and the file host decide whether the PDF is shown or downloaded. Both let the reader see the file.

      How Big Should a PDF QR Code Be?

      The link decides how dense the code is: a shorter link gives a code with larger modules. Print it large enough for the distance people scan from, and test one copy.

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