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Free QR Code for a PDFShare your PDF, paste its link, and print a sign. This page makes the code; it does not host your file.

Your link

The link to your PDF

Share the PDF first so that anyone with the link can open it, then paste the link here. Open the link in a private window to check that it works without signing in.

Words on the sign

Words on the sign

The words follow the kind of code until you type your own.

Look Colours

Rounded and dots soften the squares; the three big corner squares stay solid so phones still find the code. Scan it with your phone before you print.

It changes with the kind of code until you type your own. Leave it empty for no line.

Logo in the middle (opt.)

With a logo the code switches to its strongest error correction, and the logo covers less than a fifth of its width. Kept in this browser only; not included in a share link.

Print size

Finished? Scan it with your phone, then save it

Pick a sign on the right. It opens the tool for that sign.

PNG for documents, slides and social posts; SVG for a print shop or a design app. Share link sends a link that shows this code, ready to scan: nothing is uploaded, the code travels inside the link.

Print at 100% (“Actual size”), not “Fit to page”. Scan one code from the printed page before you print or cut the rest.

If you enjoy what I do, consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Every little bit means the world!

If you enjoy what I do, consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Every little bit means the world!

Preview

Scan it with your phone before you print.

Static code · made in your browser · no watermark.

Pick a sign above.

More QR codes

Other things to put a QR code on

Each of these makes the code and the paper it goes on, ready to print.

Related tools

Notice: Generated via SnapPaperwork. For your own links and details. Do not make codes that pretend to be another business, or stick your code over someone else’s.

Something missing? Tell me what you need.

A QR code that opens your PDF

To put a PDF behind a QR code, the PDF has to be online first. I don’t host files here: nothing you type or paste on this page is sent to a server. You put the PDF on Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or your own website, share it so that anyone with the link can open it, and paste that link here. The code opens the link.

That has one consequence worth knowing before you print: if the file is deleted, moved, or its sharing is turned off, the printed code stops working. Print the sign only when the PDF is final, and test it on another phone.

How to make a QR code for a PDF

  1. Put the PDF online and share it

    Use the steps below for your provider, and choose a link that anyone can open.

  2. Paste the link and choose where it lives

    Choose Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or your own website. The words on the sign follow your choice.

  3. Test and print

    Scan the code with a phone that is not yours. Then print the sign, or save the code as a PNG or SVG.

Google Drive

Google’s help page gives these steps: select the item and click Share. Under “General access”, click the down arrow and choose “Anyone with the link”. Select the role, click “Copy link” and click Done.

The page also says that if you use a work or school account, your administrator may restrict external link sharing.

Source: Google Drive Help: Share files from Google Drive

Dropbox

Dropbox’s help page says: hover over the file you’d like to share and click Share, then click Copy link. Click Manage to choose between a link for viewing and a link for editing, then click Copy link again to copy it.

For a PDF on a sign, a link for viewing is the sensible choice: Dropbox says that anyone with the link can preview the content without editing it. The page also says that to view or edit the shared content, a person must have a Dropbox account and be logged in, and that someone without an account can only preview the file. Test the link from a phone that is not signed in to Dropbox.

Source: Dropbox Help: Create & share links

OneDrive

Microsoft’s help page describes it this way: select the circle icon on the file, select the Share icon, then select “Copy Link”. Select the settings gear icon and choose the “Anyone” option. Under “Other settings”, the “Allow editing” box is turned on by default, so untick it for a PDF people only need to read. Select Apply, then copy the link.

The page also lists settings that change who can open a link, such as an expiration date, and says that an organization can limit the “Anyone” option on work or school accounts.

Source: Microsoft Support: Share files and folders in Microsoft OneDrive

Your own website

If the PDF is on your website, paste its web address, the one that ends in .pdf. Open it in a private window first to make sure it loads without a login.

When the code stops working

The printed code only holds the link, so it lasts only as long as the file behind it. Dropbox’s help says a shared link stops working when its file or folder is deleted. Microsoft’s help says OneDrive links stop working if the file or folder is moved within your OneDrive, and that a link stops working after the expiration date you set. Turning sharing off has the same effect.

If you replace the PDF later, check whether your provider lets you keep the same link when you upload a new version. If it creates a new link, the printed codes will need replacing.

Sources: Dropbox Help: Troubleshoot shared links; Microsoft Support: Share files and folders in Microsoft OneDrive

QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED. Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive are trademarks of their owners; SnapPaperwork is not connected with any of them.

Frequently asked questions

Do you store my PDF?

No. This page never receives your PDF or your link. It makes the QR code in your browser, and the code only holds the web address you paste.

Can I use a link that needs a login?

It will open for you, but not for the people who scan it. Share the file so that anyone with the link can open it, and test it from a phone that is not signed in.

What happens if I delete or rename the file?

The code stops working, because the link no longer points to the file. Print the sign when the PDF is final.

Does it work for a long PDF, such as a menu or a manual?

Yes, a link works for any size. The code is the same size whether the PDF has one page or a hundred.

Does the code expire?

The code itself never expires, because it is a static link. The link behind it lasts as long as the file stays shared.

Is it free?

Yes. No account and no watermark.