A menu QR code has one job. A guest points a phone at it and sees your menu. Dim light, glossy laminate, and a phone held at a slant make that harder than it sounds. This guide covers size, placement, contrast, and testing for the three spots where restaurants use them most: table tents, menu footers, and wine lists.

Pick a destination that will not move

Most menu codes point to a PDF or a menu page on your website. Choose a URL you control and plan to keep. If the address changes later, every printed code breaks.

A free static code from Made to Scan stores the URL directly in the pattern. It does not redirect through our servers, so it keeps working as long as your menu page does. The tradeoff is that a static code cannot be changed after printing. If you update the menu often, keep the same page address and swap the content behind it.

Editable codes are Coming soon. They will depend on an active plan, so do not count on them for print you cannot reprint.

Keep the page light. A guest on weak restaurant Wi-Fi or a patchy cell signal will give up on a slow 20 MB PDF.

Size for table tents

A guest usually scans from about 12 to 24 inches away, often while seated. A common rule of thumb is that scan distance is about 10 times the code width. At 20 inches, that points to a code around 2 inches wide.

Some practical sizes:

  • Table tent: 1.5 to 2.5 inches wide. A tent has room, so lean toward the larger end.
  • Menu footer: 1 inch is a floor. 1.25 inches is more comfortable.
  • Wine list: 1 to 1.5 inches, since guests hold it close.

For close-range print, about 0.8 inch (2 cm) is the usual minimum. Treat that as a floor, not a target. A code with a long URL has more modules, which makes each one smaller at the same width. Shorter URLs make simpler, easier codes.

Leave the quiet zone alone

The quiet zone is the blank border around the code. The standard calls for 4 modules of empty space on every side. A module is one of the small squares in the pattern.

Menus tend to crowd this space. Watch for:

  • Decorative borders that touch the code
  • Text printed right up against an edge
  • Photos or textures behind the code
  • Table tent folds that cut through the margin

If the code sits on a busy design, put it on a plain white or cream block. Give that block a clear margin of its own.

Contrast matters more than style

Use a dark code on a light background. Black on white is the safest choice. Dark navy or deep green on cream also works.

Avoid these:

  • Light code on a dark background. Many scanners handle it, but some do not.
  • Low-contrast pairings such as gold on cream.
  • Red on dark colors, which can lose contrast under warm restaurant lighting.

Made to Scan warns you when contrast falls under 4.5:1 or when the colors are inverted. These are warnings, not blocks, so read them before you download.

Placement tips

Where the code sits changes how often it gets scanned.

  • Table tents: Put the code on the face that points at the guest, near eye level when seated. Do not place it low on a fold.
  • Menu footers: Keep it away from the spine and the bottom edge, where thumbs and wear hit first.
  • Wine lists: Put it at the top or the bottom of a page the guest will always see, not buried in a section.
  • Glossy surfaces: Overhead lights reflect off laminate. Matte lamination cuts glare.

Skip curved or creased spots. A code that bends across a fold is harder to read.

Add a short call to action

A bare square does not tell guests what happens when they scan it. Put a few plain words next to it:

  • "Scan for the full menu"
  • "Scan for today's specials"
  • "Scan to see our wine list"

Place the text outside the quiet zone, not on top of it. Many guests are not sure a menu code is for them. A short line removes the doubt.

Also keep a plain fallback. Some guests have older phones or no data. A printed copy at the host stand or a short URL below the code covers them.

Test before you print

A code that looks fine on a screen can fail on paper. Do this before you order 200 tent cards:

  1. Print one copy at the real size, on the real paper.
  2. Scan it with two different phones, one iPhone and one Android.
  3. Scan from the actual distance a guest would use.
  4. Try it in your dining room lighting, including a dim evening setup.
  5. If you laminate, test after lamination.

Made to Scan decode-checks the exported file before download. That confirms the file reads back to the exact URL you typed. It does not tell you how a glossy card will behave under a pendant light, so the print test still matters. Our guide on how to test a QR code before you print it goes through each step.

A quick checklist

  • Destination URL is stable and loads fast on mobile
  • Table tent code is 1.5 to 2.5 inches wide
  • Menu footer and wine list codes are at least 1 inch wide
  • Quiet zone is clear on all four sides
  • Dark code on a light background
  • Short call to action next to the code
  • One real print tested on two phones

Make your menu code

Ready to make one? Create a free QR code in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded, and the file is decode-checked before download.