A QR code for your menu: how to make it, print it and place it on tables

A menu QR code is a picture that encodes the link to your digital menu: the guest points the camera and the menu opens in the browser without an app. Making the code itself is easy; the hard part is making it scan on the first try in a dim room, lead where it should and not need reprinting a month later. This article covers which codes a venue needs, where to get them in User-QR, what size to print, where to place them and what to write next to them.

Which QR codes a venue needs

All three are generated automatically in User-QR: the general and delivery codes in the QR section, table codes in the tables section, one per table. The link inside the code goes through the venue's service address, so every scan is counted in analytics and a guest whose phone runs in Kazakh gets the Kazakh version straight away. If you enable the language-choice screen, the guest first sees three buttons - ҚАЗ, РУС, ENG.

How to make a menu QR code in User-QR

1. Register the venue - it takes a couple of minutes; the first 14 days of Pro are free.
2. Fill in the menu - at least the main categories with prices. How to do it in one evening is covered in our step-by-step guide.
3. Download the code from the QR section. The file is vector (SVG): it prints at any size - from a 3 cm sticker to a window poster - without losing sharpness.
4. Add your tables and download a code for each one if you plan ordering from the table.
5. Test on a phone before printing: iPhone camera, Android camera, Google Lens.

Avoid third-party "dynamic" generators sold by subscription: when the subscription lapses, the link inside the code stops working while the stickers are already on the tables. A User-QR code points straight to your address and lives as long as the menu does.

Size and contrast: scanning on the first try

• Size. Rule of thumb: code side ≈ scanning distance ÷ 10. From a table (30–40 cm) 3–4 cm is enough; from a window or wall (1–2 m) you need 10–20 cm. Do not print smaller than 2.5 cm, even on cups.
• Quiet zone. Leave a white margin about as wide as one "eye" of the code (the large corner square). Without it the camera struggles to find the edges.
• Contrast. Dark code on a light background. Inverted codes (white on black), grey on beige and codes over a photo read worse - especially in evening light.
• No distortion. Do not stretch the image along one axis and do not draw a logo over the code: it breaks the pattern. Put the brand on the material around the code and keep the code itself clean.
• Matte print. Gloss and glare-prone lamination are the main reason for "it won't scan" in bars. Matte paper, matte lamination, or wood/acrylic without a glossy finish.

Where to place it

• Tables. One code per table if you use self-ordering: a table tent, a sticker on the table corner, an insert in the napkin holder. Not on a tablecloth that creases and slides.
• Counter and till. The general code next to where people order - for guests browsing the menu in the queue.
• Entrance and window. A code captioned "Menu and prices" - a passer-by decides to come in without opening the door.
• Takeaway packaging and cups. The delivery code: at home the guest reorders in two taps.
• Instagram and social media. No QR needed there - use a link, ideally to the venue's Taplink page.

What to write next to the code

A code without a caption is rarely scanned. One line explains what will happen, and under the Language Law the caption must be in Kazakh and, where necessary, in Russian and other languages in the same font (details in our breakdown of Article 21):

• Мәзір - камераны бағыттаңыз
• Меню - наведите камеру
• Menu - point your camera

For a table code add "Order from the table"; for a delivery code, "Delivery and takeaway".

Common mistakes

• A 2 cm code on a wall three metres from the guest.
• A glossy table tent under a lamp - the glare covers half the pattern.
• Printing from a screenshot instead of the SVG - pixels smear when enlarged.
• One general code on every table with self-ordering enabled - orders arrive without a table number.
• A code with no caption, or a caption in one language only.
• Changing the venue address in settings after printing - the old codes lead nowhere. Change the address before the print run.

Pre-print checklist

1. SVG downloaded from User-QR, not a screenshot.
2. Code side at least 3 cm for tables and 10 cm for a wall.
3. White quiet zone around the code preserved.
4. Dark code on a light matte background.
5. Caption in Kazakh and Russian (and English if you have tourists).
6. For tables - a separate numbered code on each one.
7. Tested on iPhone and Android from the distance guests will scan at.
8. Menu filled in: the first guest to scan must not land on an empty page.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to reprint the code when the menu changes? No. The code points to the menu's address, not its contents: you change prices, dishes and photos in the admin panel and the code stays the same.

How much does a QR code cost? It is included in the subscription: Starter is 150 000 ₸ per year, Pro is 180 000 ₸ per year, with nothing extra for codes. Details on the pricing page.

Can the code be in brand colours? Design the carrier - table tent, sticker, stand - in your brand colours and keep the code itself dark on light. A coloured code on a coloured background scans worse.

What if a guest cannot scan? Keep a couple of paper menus in reserve and the caption "point your camera": modern phones have the scanner built into the camera, no separate app needed.

Summary

• A venue needs three codes: general, one per table and delivery - User-QR generates all three.
• Print from SVG, size ≈ distance ÷ 10, a dark code on a matte light background with a white quiet zone.
• A Kazakh and Russian caption next to the code, and a separate code per table for self-ordering.
• The code does not change when the menu changes - only the content does.

Make your code in a couple of minutes: sign up for User-QR - 14 days of Pro free, no card required.