How to make an email QR code
- Type the email address the message should go to.
- Add a subject and a message if you want them filled in. People can still edit both before sending.
- Download PNG or SVG.
- Scan it to check it opens your mail app with everything in place.
Good uses
- Feedback and complaints cards
- Event sign-ups: "email us to join the list"
- Support stickers on products and equipment
- Requests for a brochure, quote or callback
- Lost property labels
What goes in the code
mailto:hello@example.com?subject=Brochure%20request&body=Please%20send%20me%20a%20brochure.A standard mailto: link, with the subject and message encoded so spaces and punctuation survive. Every phone hands it to its mail app.
Good to know
- Nothing is sent automatically: the person scanning sees the email and presses Send themselves.
- Keep the message short. A long message makes a dense code that is harder to scan.
Static codes: no expiry, no tracking
Codes made here are static: the address, subject and message are written into the code itself, not kept on a server. So the code never expires, works without an account or subscription, and nobody, Yuzool included, sees who scans it or when.
The trade-off is that a static code can't be edited after it's printed: make a new one instead. Dynamic codes from other services point to a short link they control, so they can count scans and change the destination, but they stop working if the service or your subscription ends.
Printing, size and error correction
- Size: at least 2 cm (about 0.8 in) square for anything held in the hand. For posters and windows, make it about a tenth of the scanning distance: 20 cm across to scan from 2 m away.
- Contrast and border: a dark code on a light background, with the plain border (the quiet zone) kept clear of text and pictures. The app warns you about low contrast and light-on-dark codes.
- Error correction (in Style and size) lets a code still scan when part of it is dirty, scratched or covered: Low recovers about 7%, Medium 15% (the default), Quartile 25% and High 30%. Higher levels make the code denser, so keep Low or Medium for small prints with a lot in them, and choose Quartile or High for stickers, outdoor signs and things that get handled.
- File: SVG stays sharp at any size, so use it for print. PNG (up to 2048 pixels) suits screens, documents and slides.
- Test with two different phones before you print a batch.
Questions
Does scanning send the email straight away?
No. It opens a new email in the phone's mail app with the details filled in. The person can change it and chooses whether to send it.
Which mail app opens?
The phone's default mail app, such as Mail on iPhone or Gmail on most Android phones.
Can I add more than one recipient?
The code opens an email to one address. People can add more before they send.