PDF to QR code
Upload a PDF and get a QR code you can print, as PNG or SVG. Scanning it opens the PDF on any phone, and when the PDF changes you replace the file, not the code.
Drop a PDF — get a QR code
Up to 3 MB. Publishing needs a free host0 account: sign in with an email code or Google. So a printed code opens for everyone, the link is set to anyone with the link.
How to make a QR code for a PDF
- Drop your PDF above and sign in with an email code or Google. It uploads to your host0 account and gets a link.
- Download the code. Use the SVG for print: it stays sharp at any size, on a poster or a business card. The PNG (over 1,000 pixels wide) suits slides, documents and the web.
- Scan a test print, then send it to the printer.
Replace the PDF without reprinting
A QR code can't change once it's printed, so what matters is the address inside it. This code holds your link, not the file. Next month's menu, a corrected flyer or a new price list goes on the link's Versions tab in your dashboard (Upload a new version), and every printed code opens the new PDF. There are no redirects through a QR vendor, and no subscription keeps the code alive.
One thing to do before printing: if you want a readable address instead of a random one, rename the link first. After a rename the old address only redirects for 30 days, so a code printed before it would stop working.
Who can open it
Links on host0 start private, but a printed code has to open for whoever scans it, so this page sets the link to anyone with the link. It isn't listed anywhere and search engines are told not to index it. It isn't secret either: anyone who photographs the code can open it. For a contract or a payslip, turn the switch off and invite people by email instead, or use PDF to link, which starts private.
Limits
- 3 MB per PDF on the free plan (50 MB on Pro). A bigger file is stopped before anything uploads. Your PDF app's “reduce file size” export usually fixes it.
- The code itself is free. No card, no scan limit, no expiring trial. The code for a link you paste in needs no account at all.
- No scan counts on the code, since the code is a plain link. The link's Analytics tab shows visits, including people who scanned.
Frequently asked questions
Will the QR code expire?
No. The code is only the link's address drawn as squares, so it works for as long as the link does, and host0 links have no expiry date and no scan limit. It stops working if you delete the link or make it private.
Can I change the PDF after printing the code?
Yes. Open the link in your dashboard and drop the new PDF on its Versions tab. The address stays the same, so every code already printed opens the new PDF.
Do people need an app to scan it?
No. The camera app on current iPhones and Android phones reads QR codes and offers to open the link, and the PDF opens in the browser.
Can I keep the PDF private and still use a QR code?
Yes, with a catch: switch off “Anyone with the link” and whoever scans the code gets a sign-in page, and only people you invited by email can get past it. That suits an internal document, not a poster.
Is there any branding on the PDF?
Nothing is added to the PDF itself or to the QR code. On the free plan the PDF opens in a host0 viewer with a slim bar under it: the file name, a Download link and “Hosted on host0”. Pro removes the bar.
How small can I print it?
A common rule of thumb is at least 2 × 2 cm (about 0.8 inches) for something scanned up close, and about a tenth of the scanning distance for anything further away: a poster read from 2 metres needs a code around 20 cm wide. Print a test and scan it first, dark on a light background.
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