Guide · Printing

How to Print a Wi-Fi QR Code

Print a Wi-Fi QR code at 1.5 inches or larger, on matte uncoated paper, at 100 percent scale with no draft mode, and never trim into the white margin around it. Then scan it yourself before you put it anywhere. That is the whole job — the rest of this page is what goes wrong when one of those rules is broken.

Updated September 2026 · 6 minute read

What is actually encoded

A Wi-Fi QR code is not a link. It is a short text payload in a standard format that a phone camera recognises and converts into a network join. It looks like this:

WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:Password;;

• T is the security type — WPA, WEP or nopass.
• S is the network name, exactly as broadcast.
• P is the password.
• H marks a hidden network when set to true.
• The payload ends with ;;, and the characters \, ;, ,, : and " must be escaped with a backslash when they appear inside a value.

You do not need to write any of this by hand. Wifivia builds the payload as you type, which also avoids the most common manual error: a password containing a semicolon that silently truncates the string.

Minimum size, and why it matters

A printed QR code is a physical object with ink spread and paper texture. Every time you shrink it, the modules get closer together and the camera has less to lock onto.

Paper, printer and settings

• Uncoated matte paper or cardstock. Gloss and satin finishes reflect light straight back into the camera, which is the number one cause of a code that scans on the desk but not on the wall.
• Laser beats inkjet for QR modules, because toner sits on the surface with sharper edges instead of soaking in and spreading.
• Turn off draft, economy and toner-save modes. They lighten the modules and reduce contrast exactly where you need it.
• Print at 100 percent. Turn off fit-to-page and shrink-to-fit in the print dialog.
• Use black ink on white. Coloured codes and tinted backgrounds reduce contrast and fail in low light.

How to print one

1. Encode the network

   Enter the SSID and password so the generator writes a WIFI: payload in the standard format.

2. Size the code to at least 1.5 inches

   Go to 2 inches for dim rooms or anything scanned while standing.

3. Print at 100 percent on matte stock

   Turn off fit-to-page and draft mode so the modules stay crisp and glare-free.

4. Scan it yourself before placing it

   Hold the sheet where it will sit and scan from the distance a guest would stand.

When a printed code will not scan

Work down this list in order — it is sorted by how often each cause shows up in practice.

• The quiet zone was trimmed. Cutting into the blank margin breaks the code even though it still looks perfect.
• Glossy paper under a light. Move the sheet away from the lamp and it scans fine, which is the giveaway.
• The sheet was scaled to fit. A code printed at 94 percent is smaller than intended and often below the reliable floor.
• The code is simply too small. Under 1.5 inches, cameras hunt for focus.
• Draft or toner-save mode. Light gray modules instead of black ones.
• Lamination bubbles or creases sitting over part of the code.
• A password containing an unescaped special character, which truncates the payload.

Before you print the password at all

• Use a guest network on its own isolated SSID. A printed password is public the moment it is on a table.
• Never print credentials that reach work devices, printers or card terminals.
• Pick a rotation schedule you will actually keep. A password you never change is safer than one you change and forget to reprint.
• Destroy old signs the day the password changes. A stale sign actively misleads people.

Frequently asked questions