The two export formats that matter for QR codes: SVG (vector, infinitely scalable, ideal for print) versus PNG (raster, fixed pixels, ideal for screens) — choose by destination.
Every QR generator offers multiple download formats, but the decision that matters is vector versus raster: SVG against PNG. They encode the same symbol in fundamentally different ways, and choosing wrong is a leading cause of blurry, unscannable printed codes.
SVG: the print format
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) describes the QR code as geometry — rectangles positioned on a grid — rather than as pixels. It has no resolution: the same file renders perfectly at 2 cm on a business card and at 2 m on a banner, because the printer or RIP rasterizes the vectors at the device's native resolution. SVG files for QR codes are tiny (kilobytes), remain razor-sharp at any size, and can be edited in vector tools to adjust colors or add quiet-zone padding. For anything that will be printed — packaging, signage, merchandise, stationery — SVG (or PDF, which embeds the same vector data) is the correct choice, full stop.
PNG: the screen format
PNG is a raster format: a fixed grid of pixels. A 1000×1000 px PNG looks crisp displayed at 1000 px or smaller, but scaling it up forces interpolation — the sharp module edges that decoders depend on turn into gradients, and scan reliability collapses. PNG is the right choice for screens: websites, apps, presentations, social posts, and digital signage, where the display resolution is known and fixed. Export at 2–4× the display size for retina sharpness, and keep the background opaque (transparent PNGs over busy backgrounds can destroy contrast).
The DPI trap
The classic failure is taking a small PNG — say 300×300 px — and placing it in a print layout at 10 cm wide. At that size the effective resolution is about 76 DPI, far below the 300 DPI print standard, and each module becomes a blurry blob. The fix is not "a bigger PNG" (though a 3000 px PNG at 300 DPI works for a 25 cm print); the fix is using the SVG, which cannot have this problem by construction. If your printer or designer asks for "high-res," send the vector file.
PDF and EPS: vectors in print clothing
Print workflows often want PDF rather than SVG. A vector PDF containing the QR code is equivalent to SVG for quality purposes and slots directly into professional print pipelines (InDesign, Illustrator, packaging prepress). EPS serves the same role in older workflows. What matters is that the QR data remains vector through the entire chain to the RIP — one rasterization step at an intermediate resolution reintroduces the DPI trap.
Practical export checklist
For print: download SVG or vector PDF, verify the quiet zone is included in the artwork bounds, set dark modules to 100% K (black) for single-color jobs, and never let layout software resample the file. For screen: download PNG at 2–4× display size, keep transparency off unless the background is guaranteed light and plain, and test the actual displayed size — a code that looks fine at full-screen may be unscannable as a thumbnail.
Diagram description: Zoomed comparison: an SVG QR module edge staying razor-sharp at 800% zoom versus a low-resolution PNG module edge dissolving into interpolated gray pixels, with DPI annotations.