How to print and place menu QR codes on your tables (size, colours, checklist)

A QR menu only works if guests can scan the code in two seconds. A code that is too small, printed in the wrong colours or hidden under glare makes guests wave at the waiter instead. The good news: getting it right takes a few simple rules.

This guide covers size, colours, materials, placement and testing, based on the official QR Code guidance from DENSO WAVE and barcode experts.

Step 1: Choose the right size

The rule of thumb is simple: the farther away the guest, the bigger the code. Bitly's guide says a QR code should be "at least 2 cm x 2 cm" for most scanners, and that the distance-to-size ratio is "about 10:1".

So, as a guide:

• Table card or sticker: guests scan from their seat, about 30 cm away. That means at least 3 cm, and 4–5 cm is more comfortable.
• Counter or cashier stand: guests stand about half a metre to a metre away. Aim for 5–10 cm.
• Window or entrance poster: people scan from a few metres. A 2-metre distance needs about 20 cm.

Bigger is easier, but don't squeeze the code into a corner of a busy design. Give it room.

Step 2: Leave a clear border around the code

Every QR code needs an empty margin around it, called the "quiet zone". DENSO WAVE's official QR Code site says QR Code "requires a four-module wide margin at all sides". A module is one of the small squares that make up the code.

In practice: don't put text, borders or pictures right against the code. Leave a white frame about as wide as four of its small squares on every side. Many cards that "don't scan" fail only because a logo or frame touches the code.

Step 3: Keep the colours simple

The safest choice is the oldest one. DENSO WAVE's QR Code FAQ says: "Basically, please print out your QR Codes with black on a white background."

Brand colours are fine if you keep two rules:

• The code must be much darker than the background. Scanning depends on the difference in light between the dark and light squares.
• Avoid risky pairs. The same FAQ says a red code on a white background can't be read by scanners that use red light, and lists green on blue as unreadable too. Light grey, yellow or pastel codes often fail on phones as well.

If you want your colour, use it on the card around the code, and keep the code itself dark on white.

Step 4: Pick a material that doesn't fight the camera

Restaurant tables see coffee, sauce and wiping all day, so the card needs protection. But shiny finishes can cause trouble. DENSO WAVE notes that glossy vinyl can interfere with reading, and that codes printed on transparent material don't reflect enough light. Its fix: print a white background behind the code, or use a label.

What works well:

• Matte lamination or matte acrylic stands, so the lights above don't reflect into the camera.
• A flat surface. The FAQ warns that bent or skewed codes, like on a bag, are harder to read. Avoid wrapping a code around a bottle or a curved napkin holder.
• Good print quality. Print the code as SVG or a high-resolution PNG, never a screenshot stretched to fit.

Step 5: Place it where guests look

A guest who just sat down looks at the table, not the wall. Good places:

• On every table, facing the guest's seat, not hidden behind the salt and the tissue box.
• One code per table, with the table number on the card. If you take orders from the table, a separate code per table tells you where each order comes from.
• At the entrance or window, so people walking past can see the menu and prices before they come in.
• At the counter, for pickup orders and guests waiting in line.
• On terraces, near a light. A code nobody can see at night is not scanned.

Add a short line next to the code, such as "Scan to see the menu" in Arabic and English. People scan more when they know what they get.

Step 6: Test before you print 50 cards

Print one card first and test it where it will live:

1. Scan it with an iPhone and an Android phone, using the normal camera app.
2. Scan from the guest's seat, not up close.
3. Scan in the real light: daytime, evening, and on the terrace.
4. Scan again after laminating, since a shiny finish can change everything.
5. Check that the menu that opens is the right one, in the right branch.

QR codes can still be read when part of them is damaged. Keyence, a barcode reader maker, explains that QR codes have four error correction levels, from 7% to 30% of the code. That helps with a small scratch, but don't count on it: replace worn or stained cards.

Don't print a code you'll have to reprint

Many restaurants put the menu link straight into the QR code. Then they change the menu website, the link breaks, and every card on every table has to go.

A better way is a code that points to a short, permanent link, while the menu behind it can change any time. Prices, photos and sold-out items update, and the printed code stays the same.

A quick checklist

• At least 3 cm on table cards, bigger for the counter and the window
• A clear white border around the code
• Dark code on a white background
• Matte finish, flat surface, sharp print
• One code per table, with the table number
• "Scan to see the menu" next to the code
• Tested on two phones, from the seat, in real light

How Restu Menu helps

With Restu Menu, your printed QR code never has to change. Each code points to a short permanent link, so you can edit items and prices any time.

• Download your menu QR code as SVG for printing at any size, or as PNG.
• Add your tables and print all table cards at once, each with its own code and table number.
• If a card is copied or damaged, make a new code for that table. The old one stops working.
• On the Pro and Business plans, guests can order from the table, and you see which table each order came from.

New to QR menus? Read our complete guide to digital menus in Saudi Arabia. Placing a Google review card next to the menu code? See how to get more Google reviews without breaking Google's rules, and make the card with our free Google review link tool.

Common questions

What size should a QR code be on a table card? At least 3 cm, based on the 10:1 rule for a guest about 30 cm away. 4–5 cm is easier to scan.

Can I put my logo in the middle of the code? It can work, because QR codes can survive some damage, but it uses up that safety margin. Keep the logo small and test it on several phones.

Do I need to reprint when prices change? Not if the code points to a menu you can edit. With a digital menu, you change the price online and the code stays the same.

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Already have a menu link? Make a printable QR card in a minute with our free QR code generator for menus. Or see how the QR menu works and start a free 30-day trial of all features, no card needed. See our pricing for the plans.

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