Do QR Codes have To Be Black and White?

QR Codes are most popular in their black and white avatar, but they need not be black and white. You can customize a QR Code to any color if it is scannable.

So, what colors can you use in a QR Code? What determines a QR Code’s scannability? What is the science (and myth) behind QR Code colors? I will address all these questions and more in the post.

Why QR Codes are typically black and white

When Denso Wave, a subsidiary of car giant Toyota, invented the QR Code in 1994, it was supposed to overcome the limitations of the 2D or stripped barcode. If you recall, barcodes, too, are predominantly black and white. The question is, why?

This choice of black and white for QR Codes and most machine-readable codes, such as barcodes and Data Matrix Codes, is more of an engineering choice than a visual or design choice.

Machines that scan codes such as the QR or barcodes depend on the camera to distinguish the code pattern (pixels, dots, stripes, etc.) from the rest of the environment.

Black and white, or black codes printed on a white background, offer the highest possible contrast. This makes every scan event more successful because the machine can determine the codes better from a contrasting background.

🎲Fun fact: The black-and-white design is also said to be inspired by a Japanese board game, Go, which resembles the QR Code’s grid-like pattern.

However, the modern QR Code has evolved, including printing and scanning technology, design and aesthetics, and the consumer mindset.

Today, a QR Code is functional and a design element that can reflect a brand’s personality. Hence, the question is, “Do QR Codes have to be black and white?”

Do QR Codes have to be black and white? Not anymore!

Due to reliability, the cheap cost of printing, and ease of accessibility, the black-and-white QR Code remains the most common. However, it’s possible to create QR Codes beyond black and white if the contrast between the data pattern and the background is maintained.

That said, even if you create a colorful QR Code, you still have to maintain the contrast between the pattern and the background.

Going beyond black-and-white QR Codes: Thing to keep in mind

High contrast is essential to ensure QR Code scannability, and this is precisely why black-and-white QR Codes rule the roast and are still the most commonly found:

• Rule 1: Use dark colors instead of black and light colors to replace the white. This ensures a high contrast and aids the readability of the QR Code.
• Rule 2: If you choose to invert the colors, that is, use white patterns on a black background (or something similar), be aware that it may not always work. This can depend on scanner light sensitivity and compatibility issues. The solution? Test thoroughly!
• Rule 3: Don’t skip testing with various devices and scanners to confirm they work under different conditions (e.g., on screens, printed, in poor lighting).

Simplicity in design has been another reason black-and-white QR Codes have been so popular. However, with the evolution of technology and scanning apps, it has become easier to experiment with QR Code designs without compromising the results. Please keep in mind these design-specific rules for QR Codes:

• Don’t overcomplicate with noisy background colors. A solid or lightly patterned background works best.
• Avoid placing logos or images in the functional areas. Adding images is a great customization option for QR Codes; however, you must leave the finder pattern and alignment markers untouched to maintain high scannability.
• Maintain a quiet zone to ensure that external elements (such as text, images, or colors) near the QR Code don’t interfere with the scanning process. If this buffer zone is absent or cluttered, the scanner may fail to detect where the QR Code begins and ends.
• Protect positioning squares and leave them unobstructed. They help identify and align the QR Code correctly, regardless of its orientation.

Read more about how QR Codes work.

The benefits of a non-black-and-white QR Code

While black-and-white QR Codes have been successful, it is now easy and convenient to design QR Codes in different colors using a design-friendly QR Code Generator. The advantages of adding color to your QR Codes are many:

✅ Better branding and visual appeal: Customizing QR Codes to match a company’s brand colors makes them more visually cohesive and professional.

✅ Increased engagement: A visually appealing QR Code will likely catch people’s eyes and spark curiosity.

✅ Better aesthetics: Colored QR Codes can smoothly blend into marketing materials and complement the overall design instead of clashing with it

✅ Customizability for campaigns: You can use different colors for a specific theme. For example, you can go with red and green for a Christmas special or create green QR Codes for your sustainability information

✅ Versatility for different marketing channels: You can experiment across digital and print media without worrying about scannability

🎥 See it in action: Hidden messages in high-contrast QR Codes

Guinness, one of the world’s most popular Irish stout beer brands, launched its most successful marketing campaigns for St Patrick’s Day.

These customized Guinness mugs unveiled a QR Code when filled with Guinness beer. This QR Code was unscannable when any other beer was filled, which was also a great way to get people to refill their mugs. The dark brown beer provided a high contrast against the white QR Code, making it scannable and effective.

Upon scanning, users could download exclusive Guinness promotions, update their Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) statuses, and invite their friends to join them. An innovative way to use QR Codes with transparent backgrounds for sure!

How to create a QR Code that’s not black and white (but high-contrast)

Follow this detailed guide on creating color QR Codes, best practices and tips on using color psychology to create the ideal color QR Codes for your brand.

Add color to your QR Codes

The ultimate QR Code branding and design customization checklist

This checklist will help you choose the feature that works best for you and give you examples of the possibilities offered by a QR Code generator like Uniqode: