What you are seeing
This fix restores the code to a true square. You will measure the proof, find the layout or print step that stretched it, and correct that step. Verify the corrected proof by measuring it and scanning it, because a stretched code can look almost right to the eye.
Likely causes
1.
Image dragged to fit a box — Quick test: compare the proof proportions with the original file.
2.
Template box with different proportions — Quick test: check the template image box proportions.
3.
Print scaling with different axes — Quick test: check the print scale settings and measure the output.
4.
Curved or uneven surface — Quick test: check whether the distortion follows the surface curve.
5.
Proof never measured — Quick test: measure the proof with a ruler.
Step-by-step fix
Step 1: Measure the proof with a ruler. Width and height should be equal.
Step 2: Compare the proof with the original file to confirm the stretch direction.
Step 3: Check the layout: undo any drag that distorted the image and lock the aspect ratio.
Step 4: Check the template image box. Make it square, or fit the code inside it without distortion.
Step 5: Check the print scale settings and confirm both axes scale equally.
Step 6: Reprint one proof, measure it, and scan it on two phones.
Step 7: Approve the run only when the proof is square and scans, and check the first copies against it.
Putting this into practice
In practice, lock the aspect ratio on every QR image in every template you use. A locked ratio turns a careless drag into a resize that keeps the code square, which is exactly the protection a stretched code needs. Record the before-and-after behaviour with the job file, so the fix is provable rather than anecdotal. When the same failure appears again, that record tells you whether the old fix held or a new cause appeared.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Dragging a QR image to fill a rectangular box and distorting the module grid.
- Reprinting the full run before a single proof passes, which turns one failure into many.
- Testing on one phone in ideal conditions instead of two phones in the real conditions where a code that prints stretched will be used.
- Changing the artwork and the placement at the same time, so you cannot tell which change fixed a code that prints stretched.- Skipping the proof test because the change looked small, when small changes cause most repeat failures.
Quick checklist
- The proof measures square, width equal to height
- The aspect ratio is locked in the layout
- The proof scans on two phones
- The corrected proof passes on two phones in the real conditions
- The fix is recorded in the job file so the next reprint starts from a proven setup
- Every printed copy is checked against the approved proof
- The proof is retested after any later change to the link, design, or placement
Related tools and guides
- [QR minimum size checker](/qr-minimum-size-checker)
- [QR contrast checker](/qr-contrast-checker)
- [QR print proof checklist](/qr-print-proof-checklist)
- [QR DPI calculator](/qr-dpi-calculator)
- [QR quiet zone calculator](/qr-quiet-zone-calculator)
- [printed QR tester](/printed-qr-tester)
- [QR size calculator](/qr-size-calculator)
