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    FR

    vCard QR code for business cards

    Fill in your details: the vCard QR code appears, ready to print.

    Scan the screen with your phone camera to check it.

    245 bytes · 61 × 61 modules · 0.29 mm modules if printed 2 cm wide

    Show the encoded vCard text
    BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
N:Clarke;Emma;;;
FN:Emma Clarke
ORG:Clarke Talent
TITLE:Recruitment consultant
TEL;TYPE=CELL:+33612345678
EMAIL;TYPE=INTERNET:emma@example.com
URL:https://www.example.com
ADR;TYPE=WORK:;;;Lyon;;;France
END:VCARD

    A vCard QR code for your business card in one minute

    A vCard QR code for business cards holds your contact details themselves, in the vCard format that address books read: scanned with an iPhone or Android camera, it offers to save the contact straight away, with no internet connection. To make one, type your first and last name, company, mobile and email in the fields above: the code redraws with every keystroke, then download it as a 1,200-pixel PNG or as an SVG for the printer. A typical contact (name, company, job title, mobile, email, website, city) is about 250 bytes and gives a code of 65 × 65 modules; printed 2 cm wide, each module is only 0.27 mm, which the generator works out for you, so aim for 2.5 to 3 cm instead. A French mobile typed as 06 12 34 56 78 is stored as +33 6 12 34 56 78, so it dials correctly from a UK or US phone. The main limit: the code is frozen, and a new number means reprinting your cards.

    vCard QR code or QR code to an online card?

    A vCard QR code, the kind this page makes, works offline, depends on no service and never expires. On the other hand it is frozen, and the more you put in it, the denser the pattern, so the larger it has to be printed.

    A QR code to an online card only holds a short web address, so the code stays simple and readable even when small. The page it opens can show a photo, links and an add-to-contacts button, and you can edit it without touching the cards you already handed out. It needs a connection when scanned, though, and the page has to stay online. To choose between a QR code and a contactless chip, read our NFC business card or QR code comparison.

    vCard QRQR to an online card
    Connection when scanningNot neededNeeded
    Edit after printingImpossibleYes, any time
    Code densityGrows with the detailsLow, a short address
    Photo, links, socialText onlyYes
    Depends on a serviceNoYes, the page host

    Test the QR code before printing

    On an iPhone, open the Camera and point it at the code on screen: a banner appears, and tapping it opens the contact card, ready to save. On Android, the Camera app of most recent models does the same; otherwise Google Lens reads the code. Check that the name, company, number and email land in the right fields.

    Then test a paper print at the planned size. If the code gets too dense, drop the note, the office number or the street address. Keep the code black on white with its white margin: a light code on a dark background is not read by every scanner. The error correction level is M, which can rebuild about 15% of a damaged or dirty code. For the card itself, start from one of our business card templates.

    What the generated vCard contains

    The generator writes a version 3.0 vCard, a format read by the address books of iPhone, Android, Outlook and Gmail. Each line is a field: N (last and first name, for sorting), FN (display name), ORG (company), TITLE (job title), TEL (mobile and office, converted to the international +33 format when French), EMAIL, URL and ADR (address, in the order street, city, region, postcode, country).

    Commas, semicolons and backslashes in your text get a backslash in front, as the standard requires; without it, a company called Martin, Fils & Cie would be split in two. The .vcf file button saves the same card, to attach to an email or import into an address book.

    Frequently asked questions

    Does a vCard QR code work without an internet connection?

    Yes. Your details are written into the QR code pattern itself, so the phone that scans it reads them directly and offers to create the contact without opening any web page. That is the advantage over a QR code pointing to an online card, which needs a connection at the moment of scanning and a service that stays online.

    Can I change my details after printing the QR code?

    No. A vCard QR code holds your details as they were when you created it; if your number or address changes, you need to generate a new code and reprint. If your details change often, for example during a move to or from France, a QR code pointing to an online profile that you can update is a better fit.

    How big should the QR code be on a business card?

    It depends on how much you put in it: the longer the vCard, the more modules the code has and the smaller each module is at the same size. The generator shows the module size for a code printed 2 cm wide. Keep a white margin around the code and test a print at real size with two or three different phones.

    Will accents in French names and addresses survive the scan?

    Yes. The text is encoded in UTF-8, which current contact apps read, and commas, semicolons and backslashes are escaped as the vCard 3.0 standard requires. A name like Hélène Dupré-Lefèvre or a company called Martin, Fils & Cie comes through intact, and so does a French street address. Still, scan it with your own phone before printing.

    PNG, SVG or .vcf: which file should I send to the printer?

    The SVG, a vector drawing that stays sharp at any size, so the printer can place it on the layout without loss. The 1,200-pixel PNG is enough for printing up to 10 cm at 300 dpi or for a slide. The .vcf file is not an image: it is the contact card itself, to attach to an email or import into an address book.

    Sources

    More tools: email signature and business card