Four different ideas
Keep these concepts separate when you troubleshoot or pick export settings in QRburst.
matrix size (modules per side) = 21 + 4 × (version − 1)
| Idea | Meaning | Failure mode if confused |
|---|---|---|
| Data density | QR version / modules per side | Blaming “low res” when modules are simply tiny for the payload |
| Physical size | Millimeters or inches on the object | Exporting huge pixels then shrinking them in layout |
| Raster pixels | Width×height of a PNG | Assuming more pixels fix distance or quiet-zone problems |
| DPI | Pixels per inch for print rasters | Using screen DPI for commercial print or ignoring it entirely |
Pixels = inches × DPI
When you export a PNG for a known physical width, compute pixels from size and DPI so the printer is not inventing detail.
pixels ≈ inches × DPI
pixels ≈ (mm / 25.4) × DPI
example: 1.5 in at 300 DPI → ~450 px per side
example: 40 mm at 300 DPI → ≈ (40 / 25.4) × 300 ≈ 472 px per side
SVG has no fixed raster size
SVG stores module geometry as vectors (with design features the renderer supports). It does not contain a single inherent “2000px” truth. Downstream tools rasterize it at whatever size you place on the page.
That makes SVG a strong choice when final physical size may change, or when large formats would force enormous PNG dimensions. Ensure your layout tool preserves sharp edges and does not recompress the result as a soft JPEG.
- Prefer SVG for posters, packaging templates, and iterative layout
- Prefer PNG when a vendor demands a raster at a locked size/DPI
- QRburst PDF places a high-res rendered QR into a physically dimensioned page—it is not a pure vector-module PDF
Common mistakes
Resolution myths waste time. Avoid these patterns when exporting from QRburst or placing codes in other tools.
- Upscaling a small PNG in a design app and calling it “high res”
- Comparing two PNGs by pixel count while ignoring different physical sizes
- Choosing 2000px because a blog post said so, then printing at 12 mm wide
- Ignoring version/density: more pixels cannot invent module width on a tiny sticker
- Assuming SVG “needs” a matching PNG duplicate for quality—only if a vendor cannot take SVG