A QR code that will not scan is worse than no code at all. The guest tries twice, gives up and queues anyway, and now they trust the next code less. Most scanning problems come from how the code was printed and placed, not from the code itself.
This guide covers the practical decisions: size, paper, finish, stands and testing.
How big should a table QR code be?
A common rule of thumb is that a phone can read a code from about ten times its width. A 3cm code reads from roughly 30cm away. A 5cm code reads from about half a metre.
For café use:
- Table cards and tents: 4cm to 6cm across is comfortable. Guests are sitting close to it.
- Counter stands: 8cm or more. People scan from further back, often past someone else.
- Windows and walls: 10cm or more, and higher if people will scan from the pavement.
Bigger is rarely a problem. Too small is the most common mistake, usually because the code was shrunk to fit a logo-heavy design.
Leave white space around it
Every QR code needs a clear border, often called the quiet zone. Scanners use it to find the edges of the code. Do not print text, patterns or a coloured border right up against it.
Keep the code dark on a light background. Inverted codes (light on dark) fail on some phone cameras, and low-contrast colour schemes fail more often than you would expect in café lighting.
Paper, finish and lamination
Paper on a café table has a hard life: spills, sticky fingers, wiping down between guests.
- Card over paper. A heavier card stands up in a tent and survives more handling.
- Matte over gloss. Gloss reflects overhead lights, and glare is one of the most common reasons a code will not scan.
- Laminate with a matte pouch if the cards will be wiped. Gloss lamination brings the glare problem back.
- Acrylic stands protect the card and keep it upright. Upright codes are easier to scan than codes lying flat, and less likely to end up under a plate.
Plan to reprint. Cards get lost, stained and taken home. Keep a spare set behind the counter.
Put the table name on the card
If every table has its own code, print the table name next to it in large text. Staff need to be able to glance at a card and know which table it belongs to, especially when putting cards back after cleaning. A code on the wrong table sends orders to the wrong place.
Add one short line telling guests what the code does, such as "Scan to order". People are more willing to scan when they know what will happen.
Printing from Café QR
On Tables & QR, use Print all QR codes. The print page lays out A4 sheets in two ways:
- Four per page: four codes per sheet with cut lines, giving roughly A6 cards for tables.
- One per page: one large code per sheet, for counter stands, table tents or the window.
To print a single code, use Print on that table. At four per page it fills the sheet with copies, which is handy for counter cards or replacements.
Each card shows your logo or café name, the table name, the code and a short instruction. The codes are generated as vector graphics, so they stay sharp at any size.
In the print dialog, turn off headers and footers, and print at 100% scale rather than "fit to page".
Test before you put them out
Print one sheet first and test it where it will live:
- Scan each card with an iPhone and an Android phone.
- Scan at the distance and angle a guest will, not with the card in your hand.
- Check under the café's real lighting, including any spotlight over the table.
- Confirm each code opens the right table.
Our QR menu setup checklist covers the rest of launch testing, and where to put QR codes in a café covers placement in more depth.