Printing & Sizing

Dot Gain and Print Growth: Why Printed QR Codes Fail Even When They Look Fine

Codexengr, QR Systems Engineer

Published 2026-08-09 (Updated 2026-10-05)

5 min read

Peer Reviewed & Fact Checked

1. What Is Print Growth

Ink spreads on paper fibers. Dark modules grow, and light gaps shrink. If growth is large, isolated light modules fill in and adjacent dark modules merge.

2. Where It Is Worst

Uncoated paper, newsprint, and corrugated board spread ink most. Coated and synthetic stocks spread the least.

3. Compensation

* Use larger modules on absorbent stock. * Ask the printer for a slightly reduced dark module size (a few percent) if their proofing shows growth. * Avoid very high version numbers on rough substrates.

4. Verify

Print a proof on the real stock and test on older phones in typical lighting. Formal grading under ISO/IEC 15415 reports a print growth measurement.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tell if print growth is the issue?

Zoom into a printed proof. If thin light modules are filled in or dark modules touch, growth is excessive.

Does a bigger QR code fix it?

Larger modules reduce the relative effect, which usually helps.

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