PNG, SVG or PDF: Which Format Should You Save a QR Code In?

Published: Oct 19, 2026 | Updated: Oct 19, 2026 | About (Japanese)

Key points

PNG for slides and social media
SVG for large prints
PDF for printing as is

Create a QR Code can save in three formats. Here is a guide to choosing.

PNG (image)

Use it when you paste it as an image into slides, documents or social posts.
You can choose small (600px), medium (1000px) or large (2000px).
Enlarging it a lot makes it blurry. For printing, large (2000px) is recommended.
A caption you added is included in the PNG.

SVG (vector data)

It never blurs however much you enlarge it. Good for large prints such as posters and signs.
You can import it into design software to lay it out.
Some software cannot paste it into documents or slides. In that case use PNG.
The caption is not included in the SVG.

PDF

An A4 page with one QR code in the center.
Ready to print as is, including at convenience-store printers.
A caption you added is included.

When unsure

First save PNG (medium).
If you will print it large, save SVG too.
Make a printout and always test-scan it.

If the file is heavy

To lighten a PNG, you can use Compress & Resize Images. But shrinking it too much can make it unscannable.

Use "Create a QR Code (URL, Wi-Fi)" (free)

Tools that go well with this

Compress & Resize Images: Make image files smaller, and resize them if you like.
Convert Image Format (JPG, PNG, WebP): Convert images to JPG, PNG or WebP, several at once.
Photos to PDF: Combine several photos into one PDF in the order you choose. You can rotate, reorder and set a size limit.

If this guide helped, a small tip would mean a lot.

Send a tip (¥300)Send a gift (Amazon wishlist)

More guides for this tool