QR Codes in ZPL

QR codes are rendered natively with the ^BQ command. No external library needed -

the printer computes the matrix.

Basic QR code

^XA
^FO100,100^BQN,2,8^FDMM,https://zplcloud.com^FS
^XZ

^BQ parameters: ^BQa,b,c,d,e

Param	Meaning	Typical
-------	---------	---------
a	orientation: N (normal), R (90°), I (180°), B (270°)	N
b	model: 1 = QR model 1, 2 = QR model 2	2
c	magnification (1–10, module size in dots)	2–4
d	error correction: H(≈30 %), Q(≈25 %), M(≈15 %), L(≈7 %)	M
e	mask value (0–7, blank = printer choice)	(blank)

Data modes

The ^FD payload starts with a two-character mode:

Mode	Meaning	Use for
------	---------	---------
MM	auto / binary	URLs, mixed content
QA	alphanumeric	uppercase letters + digits + a few symbols
QN	numeric	digits only

^FDQA,HELLO123^FS      ; alphanumeric
^FDQN,4006381333931^FS ; numeric

Size guidance

The physical size depends on magnification and content length:

Magnification	Module size @203 dpi	~24 chars (URL)
---------------	---------------------	-----------------
2	0.25 mm	≈ 12 mm
3	0.38 mm	≈ 18 mm
4	0.50 mm	≈ 24 mm

Rule of thumb: keep at least 4 modules of quiet zone on all sides; the printer

must be able to print a clean solid square (clean printhead, correct darkness).

Tips

• QR needs good contrast: black modules on white media, ^MD darkness high enough.
• Always test with a phone - a QR that "looks fine" may still not scan if the

error-correction level is too low for the print quality.

• For very small labels prefer the highest error correction (H) to survive dust/defects.