How to Generate QR Codes in C# with IronBarcode

Install IronBarcode using one of four methods suited to different workflows. The library's live demos demonstrate real-time barcode recognition capabilities. For quick testing, explore the barcode quickstart example.

How Do I Install Using Visual Studio's Package Manager UI?

Go to Tools > NuGet Package Manager > Manage NuGet Packages for solution...

Or right-click your project in Solution Explorer and select Manage NuGet Packages...

Click Browse, search Barcode, select IronBarcode, choose your project, and click Install. For platform-specific installations, see the NuGet packages guide. If you encounter issues, consult the NuGet troubleshooting guide. The library supports various deployment scenarios including AWS Lambda and Azure Functions.

How Do I Install Using Package Manager Console?

Open Tools > NuGet Package Manager > Package Manager Console and run:

Install-Package BarCode

This installs the library into your current project. For containerized deployments, follow the Docker setup guide. When using license keys, ensure proper configuration for your deployment environment.

How Do I Download from NuGet or IronBarcode Website?

Download from the NuGet Gallery website or visit IronBarcode's homepage to get the latest .NET barcode DLL. Add the DLL to your project via Add > Reference in Solution Explorer. For troubleshooting DLL issues, see the missing DLL guide. When encountering runtime issues, consult the runtime copy exception guide.

How Do I Generate a Basic QR Code?

Create QR codes using the CreateQrCode method from the QRCodeWriter class. For a complete example, see the C# QR code generator tutorial. The library supports creating barcode images in various formats:

using IronBarCode;

// Basic QR code generation with medium error correction
var qrCode = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode("hello world", 500, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.Medium, 0);
qrCode.SaveAsPng("MyQR.png");

// Generate QR code with automatic sizing and highest error correction
var autoQr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode("Automatic sizing example");
autoQr.SaveAsJpeg("AutoQR.jpg");

// Production-ready QR code with validation
public GeneratedBarcode CreateValidatedQrCode(string data, int size = 600)
{
    if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(data))
        throw new ArgumentException("Data cannot be empty");

    if (data.Length > 2953) // QR Code capacity at highest error correction
        throw new ArgumentException("Data exceeds QR code capacity");

    var qr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(data, size, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.High);
    qr.VerifyQrCode(); // Verify the generated code is valid
    return qr;
}

using IronBarCode;

// Basic QR code generation with medium error correction
var qrCode = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode("hello world", 500, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.Medium, 0);
qrCode.SaveAsPng("MyQR.png");

// Generate QR code with automatic sizing and highest error correction
var autoQr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode("Automatic sizing example");
autoQr.SaveAsJpeg("AutoQR.jpg");

// Production-ready QR code with validation
public GeneratedBarcode CreateValidatedQrCode(string data, int size = 600)
{
    if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(data))
        throw new ArgumentException("Data cannot be empty");

    if (data.Length > 2953) // QR Code capacity at highest error correction
        throw new ArgumentException("Data exceeds QR code capacity");

    var qr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(data, size, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.High);
    qr.VerifyQrCode(); // Verify the generated code is valid
    return qr;
}

The CreateQrCode method accepts:

• Required: data to encode (String or Stream)
• Optional: graphic dimensions (default 500x500px)
• Optional: error correction level (Low 7%, Medium 15%, High 25%, Highest 30%)
• Optional: QR version number (0 for automatic)

For high-performance batch processing, use async operations and custom styling. When working with imperfect conditions, use the fault tolerance features. The reading barcodes tutorial demonstrates how to verify generated codes.

What Data Types Can I Encode in QR Codes?

Common QR code data types for production applications include creating barcodes from various sources. For detailed examples, see the create QR code example. IronBarcode supports Unicode barcodes for international character encoding:

URL QR Codes:

// Generate QR code for website URL
var urlQr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode("___PROTECTED_URL_76___", 800);
urlQr.SetMargins(10); // Add quiet zone
urlQr.SaveAsPng("campaign-qr.png");

// Advanced URL QR code with tracking
public GeneratedBarcode CreateTrackableUrlQr(string baseUrl, Dictionary<string, string> utmParams)
{
    var uriBuilder = new UriBuilder(baseUrl);
    var query = System.Web.HttpUtility.ParseQueryString(uriBuilder.Query);

    foreach (var param in utmParams)
        query[param.Key] = param.Value;

    uriBuilder.Query = query.ToString();
    var qr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(uriBuilder.ToString(), 1000);
    return qr;
}

// Generate QR code for website URL
var urlQr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode("___PROTECTED_URL_76___", 800);
urlQr.SetMargins(10); // Add quiet zone
urlQr.SaveAsPng("campaign-qr.png");

// Advanced URL QR code with tracking
public GeneratedBarcode CreateTrackableUrlQr(string baseUrl, Dictionary<string, string> utmParams)
{
    var uriBuilder = new UriBuilder(baseUrl);
    var query = System.Web.HttpUtility.ParseQueryString(uriBuilder.Query);

    foreach (var param in utmParams)
        query[param.Key] = param.Value;

    uriBuilder.Query = query.ToString();
    var qr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(uriBuilder.ToString(), 1000);
    return qr;
}

vCard Contact Information:

string vCard = @"BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
FN:John Smith
ORG:Tech Corp
TEL:+1-555-0123
EMAIL:john@example.com
END:VCARD";

var contactQr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(vCard, 600, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.Medium);
contactQr.SaveAsPng("contact-card.png");

string vCard = @"BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
FN:John Smith
ORG:Tech Corp
TEL:+1-555-0123
EMAIL:john@example.com
END:VCARD";

var contactQr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(vCard, 600, QRCodeWriter.QrErrorCorrectionLevel.Medium);
contactQr.SaveAsPng("contact-card.png");

WiFi Configuration:

string wifiConfig = "WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:Password123;;";
var wifiQr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(wifiConfig, 500);
wifiQr.SaveAsPng("wifi-config.png");

string wifiConfig = "WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:Password123;;";
var wifiQr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(wifiConfig, 500);
wifiQr.SaveAsPng("wifi-config.png");

IronBarcode handles Unicode support for international characters and supports formats like Micro QR and rMQR for space-constrained applications. For specialized formats, explore the new formats milestone. When working with specialized data formats, the library can read from streams and export as streams for efficient memory usage.

How Do I Add Logos and Custom Styling?

Use CreateQrCodeWithLogo to add company logos to QR codes. For complete styling options, see the custom QR code example and QR code styling guide. The library also supports general barcode styling for all barcode types:

// Create QR code with embedded logo
var qrWithLogo = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCodeWithLogo("Hello World", "logo.png", 500);
qrWithLogo.ChangeBarCodeColor(System.Drawing.Color.DarkRed);
qrWithLogo.SaveAsPng("Logo_QR_Code.png");

// Advanced logo customization
var logo = new QRCodeLogo("company-logo.png")
{
    Width = 100,
    Height = 100,
    CornerRadius = 5
};
var advancedQr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCodeWithLogo("Advanced Example", logo, 600);

// Production-ready branded QR code
public GeneratedBarcode CreateBrandedQrCode(string data, string logoPath, string brandColor)
{
    var logo = new QRCodeLogo(logoPath)
    {
        Width = 80,
        Height = 80,
        CornerRadius = 10
    };

    var qr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCodeWithLogo(data, logo, 800);
    qr.ChangeBarCodeColor(System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.FromHtml(brandColor));
    qr.SetMargins(15);
    return qr;
}

// Create QR code with embedded logo
var qrWithLogo = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCodeWithLogo("Hello World", "logo.png", 500);
qrWithLogo.ChangeBarCodeColor(System.Drawing.Color.DarkRed);
qrWithLogo.SaveAsPng("Logo_QR_Code.png");

// Advanced logo customization
var logo = new QRCodeLogo("company-logo.png")
{
    Width = 100,
    Height = 100,
    CornerRadius = 5
};
var advancedQr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCodeWithLogo("Advanced Example", logo, 600);

// Production-ready branded QR code
public GeneratedBarcode CreateBrandedQrCode(string data, string logoPath, string brandColor)
{
    var logo = new QRCodeLogo(logoPath)
    {
        Width = 80,
        Height = 80,
        CornerRadius = 10
    };

    var qr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCodeWithLogo(data, logo, 800);
    qr.ChangeBarCodeColor(System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.FromHtml(brandColor));
    qr.SetMargins(15);
    return qr;
}

Apply additional styling with barcode customization features. The styling barcodes feature provides complete customization options:

// Use HTML color codes for brand colors
qrWithLogo.ChangeBarCodeColor(System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.FromHtml("#8B0000"));
qrWithLogo.ChangeBackgroundColor(System.Drawing.Color.LightGray);
qrWithLogo.AddAnnotationTextAboveBarcode("SCAN ME");
qrWithLogo.AddAnnotationTextBelowBarcode("Company Name");

// Use HTML color codes for brand colors
qrWithLogo.ChangeBarCodeColor(System.Drawing.ColorTranslator.FromHtml("#8B0000"));
qrWithLogo.ChangeBackgroundColor(System.Drawing.Color.LightGray);
qrWithLogo.AddAnnotationTextAboveBarcode("SCAN ME");
qrWithLogo.AddAnnotationTextBelowBarcode("Company Name");

What Export Formats Are Available?

Save QR codes in various formats for different use cases. Learn more in the save barcode example and barcode image generator tutorial. For specialized requirements, see the guide on creating 1-BPP barcode images:

// Image formats
qrWithLogo.SaveAsJpeg("qr.jpg");
qrWithLogo.SaveAsPng("qr.png");
qrWithLogo.SaveAsGif("qr.gif");
qrWithLogo.SaveAsTiff("qr.tiff");

// Web formats
qrWithLogo.SaveAsHtmlFile("qr.html");
string dataUrl = qrWithLogo.ToDataUrl();

// Print formats
qrWithLogo.SaveAsPdf("qr.pdf");
qrWithLogo.ChangeBarcodeDpi(300);

// API formats
byte[] qrBytes = qrWithLogo.ToPngBinaryData();
var stream = qrWithLogo.ToStream();

// High-quality print export
public void ExportForPrint(GeneratedBarcode qr, string filename)
{
    qr.ChangeBarcodeDpi(600); // High DPI for print
    qr.ResizeTo(2000, 2000); // Large size
    qr.SaveAsTiff(filename); // Lossless format
}

// Image formats
qrWithLogo.SaveAsJpeg("qr.jpg");
qrWithLogo.SaveAsPng("qr.png");
qrWithLogo.SaveAsGif("qr.gif");
qrWithLogo.SaveAsTiff("qr.tiff");

// Web formats
qrWithLogo.SaveAsHtmlFile("qr.html");
string dataUrl = qrWithLogo.ToDataUrl();

// Print formats
qrWithLogo.SaveAsPdf("qr.pdf");
qrWithLogo.ChangeBarcodeDpi(300);

// API formats
byte[] qrBytes = qrWithLogo.ToPngBinaryData();
var stream = qrWithLogo.ToStream();

// High-quality print export
public void ExportForPrint(GeneratedBarcode qr, string filename)
{
    qr.ChangeBarcodeDpi(600); // High DPI for print
    qr.ResizeTo(2000, 2000); // Large size
    qr.SaveAsTiff(filename); // Lossless format
}

For PDF-specific operations, see the guides on creating barcodes as PDF and stamping barcodes on existing PDFs. When reading barcodes from PDFs, use the PDF barcode reader settings for optimal results.

How Do I Implement QR Codes in Web Applications?

For ASP.NET MVC applications, implement streaming without file I/O. The library supports creating barcodes as HTML for direct web integration:

public IActionResult GetQrCode(string data)
{
    var qr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(data, 400);
    byte[] qrBytes = qr.ToPngBinaryData();
    return File(qrBytes, "image/png", "qrcode.png");
}

// Stream directly without disk I/O
public IActionResult StreamQrCode(string content)
{
    var qr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(content, 500);
    var stream = qr.ToStream();
    return File(stream, "image/png");
}

// Generate HTML-embedded QR codes
public IActionResult GetHtmlQrCode(string data)
{
    var qr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(data, 400);
    var htmlString = qr.ToHtmlTag();
    return Content(htmlString, "text/html");
}

public IActionResult GetQrCode(string data)
{
    var qr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(data, 400);
    byte[] qrBytes = qr.ToPngBinaryData();
    return File(qrBytes, "image/png", "qrcode.png");
}

// Stream directly without disk I/O
public IActionResult StreamQrCode(string content)
{
    var qr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(content, 500);
    var stream = qr.ToStream();
    return File(stream, "image/png");
}

// Generate HTML-embedded QR codes
public IActionResult GetHtmlQrCode(string data)
{
    var qr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(data, 400);
    var htmlString = qr.ToHtmlTag();
    return Content(htmlString, "text/html");
}

For Blazor applications, implement reactive QR code generation:

@page "/qrcode"
@using IronBarCode

<input @bind="qrText" placeholder="Enter text" />
<button @onclick="GenerateQr">Generate</button>

@if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(QrCodeDataUrl))
{
    <img src="@QrCodeDataUrl" alt="QR Code" />
}

@code {
    private string qrText = "";
    private string QrCodeDataUrl = "";

    private void GenerateQr()
    {
        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(qrText))
        {
            var qr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(qrText, 400);
            QrCodeDataUrl = qr.ToDataUrl();
        }
    }
}

@page "/qrcode"
@using IronBarCode

<input @bind="qrText" placeholder="Enter text" />
<button @onclick="GenerateQr">Generate</button>

@if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(QrCodeDataUrl))
{
    <img src="@QrCodeDataUrl" alt="QR Code" />
}

@code {
    private string qrText = "";
    private string QrCodeDataUrl = "";

    private void GenerateQr()
    {
        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(qrText))
        {
            var qr = QRCodeWriter.CreateQrCode(qrText, 400);
            QrCodeDataUrl = qr.ToDataUrl();
        }
    }
}

For exporting barcodes as HTML, review the create barcode as HTML guide. When applying licenses in web applications, see the web.config license key guide.