QR code for a PDF

The tool above takes a link. A PDF needs a home before it can have one. These steps keep the file readable on a phone and the code printable.

1. Upload the PDF to Google Drive, Dropbox, your own website or another file host.
2. Set sharing to “anyone with the link”. Test it in a private browser window so you are not relying on your own signed-in access.
3. Open the PDF on a phone. Check the page size, the text size and whether it opens in the browser or downloads. A document designed for A4 can be awkward on a narrow screen.
4. Paste the link above. Add a logo or a colour if it suits the printed piece, keep the contrast strong and leave the quiet zone alone.
5. Scan the preview, then scan the printed proof. Test a PDF code at the final size, not just on a monitor.

A QR code is a short data string, not a file container. It can point at a PDF, but it cannot carry a multi-page document in a way a phone camera can reliably read. A code dense enough to hold the file would need to be enormous and would still fail on a normal print.

That is why the link matters. The PDF sits on a host; the code points at it. If the host deletes the file or changes the address, the code fails even though the printed pattern has not changed.

A PDF is not automatically mobile-friendly just because it opens in a browser. Keep the page size simple, use text rather than a screenshot of text, and check that the file is not so large that it takes minutes to open on a weak connection. If a document is a menu, a one-page worksheet or a short guide, make the first screen useful on its own.

Worksheets and menus are often scanned at a table or from a poster. A paid guide is more likely to be opened later, on a laptop, after someone has decided to buy. Both routes work with a QR code, but the destination should match the moment: a menu should open quickly, and a paid guide should land on a page that explains what the buyer gets.

A static code points at the link, not at the file’s contents. If you keep the same URL and replace the file there, the code still opens that address. If you move the file to a new address, the old code still points at the old one.

That is the practical difference between changing a document and changing a code. For a menu or a price list that changes often, keep the URL stable. Whether a buyer sees a new edition depends on the link and the host, not on the printed code.

Unlockable is for selling the file. Set a price from £5, and the link can expire or be capped at a number of unlocks. The buyer pays through the link and downloads the PDF; card processing is covered. On a paid sale, 10% comes from the creator and a 10% privacy and security fee is added to the buyer’s total.

Free downloads are not part of the PDF route. If you want a free PDF, host it elsewhere — Google Drive, Dropbox or your own site — and paste that link into the generator. The code will work the same way; the difference is who hosts the file and whether there is a checkout.

Unlockable is not a merchant of record, so creators handle their own tax. It has a creator page but no marketplace and no memberships.

This generator makes static codes. The address is written into the pattern, with no redirect service that can be switched off or charged for later. If the PDF link stays live, the printed code keeps working.

A dynamic code points at a redirect the provider controls. It can be edited and counted, but it depends on that provider. This page does not make dynamic codes and does not promise per-code scan counts.

On an Unlockable link, the creator can make the link expire or cap the number of unlocks. The code is still static; the creator is choosing how long the destination stays open. The app’s stats show views, unlocks and earnings by share channel, including QR code.

Keep the quiet zone; cropping it is the most common reason a printed code fails. Keep dark modules on a light background with at least 4:1 contrast, and do not invert the colours. The generator warns about both.

As a rule of thumb, do not print a code smaller than about 2 cm (0.8 in) square, and allow roughly 1 cm of code for every 10 cm of scanning distance. A code on a worksheet handed across a table can be small; a code on a noticeboard needs to be much larger. Print a proof on the actual paper.

The free QR code generator handles any link. For an image, use the image QR code; for a video, the video QR code. To sell a guide, see selling online guides and the guide to selling a PDF online.