QR Code Generator .NET Core: Create and Read Quick Response Codes in C#

How Do You Install a QR Code Library in .NET Core?

To begin, open Visual Studio and click the create button to start a new project. Once you have assigned a project name, installing the library through the NuGet Package Manager takes seconds. While some developers might search for the QRCoder NuGet package, you can install the IronQR framework by running the following command in the Package Manager Console:

Install-Package IronQR

Alternatively, use the NuGet Package Manager UI by searching for "IronQR" and clicking the install button. The library provides a .NET implementation compatible with .NET Core 3.x, .NET 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, making it ideal for modern web development and multi-platform projects.

How Do You Generate a QR Code?

The QrWriter class, often used alongside convenient extension methods, makes generating QR codes remarkably simple. Here is the source code for a complete example using the traditional namespace and class structure to generate a QR code in just a few lines of code:

using IronQr;
using IronSoftware.Drawing;
namespace Examples
{
    public class QRCodeGenerator
    {
        public static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Generate a QR code from input text
            var qrcode = QrWriter.Write("https://ironsoftware.com");
            // Save as PNG image
            AnyBitmap qrImage = qrcode.Save();
            qrImage.SaveAs("website-qr.png");
        }
    }
}

using IronQr;
using IronSoftware.Drawing;
namespace Examples
{
    public class QRCodeGenerator
    {
        public static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Generate a QR code from input text
            var qrcode = QrWriter.Write("https://ironsoftware.com");
            // Save as PNG image
            AnyBitmap qrImage = qrcode.Save();
            qrImage.SaveAs("website-qr.png");
        }
    }
}

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What Are Error Correction Levels and Why Do They Matter?

Error correction determines how much damage a QR symbol can sustain while remaining scannable. This is one of the optional advanced features that allows for branding and durability.

Configure error correction using QrOptions:

using IronQr;
// Configure with high error correction level
var options = new QrOptions(QrErrorCorrectionLevel.High, 20);
// Generate QR code with options
var qrcode = QrWriter.Write("Product-12345", options);
AnyBitmap qrImage = qrcode.Save();
qrImage.SaveAs("product-qr.png");

using IronQr;
// Configure with high error correction level
var options = new QrOptions(QrErrorCorrectionLevel.High, 20);
// Generate QR code with options
var qrcode = QrWriter.Write("Product-12345", options);
AnyBitmap qrImage = qrcode.Save();
qrImage.SaveAs("product-qr.png");

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How Do You Customize QR Code Appearance with Logo and Colors?

IronQR's QrStyleOptions enables brand-aligned QR code generation with custom colors, dimensions, and embedded logos:

using IronQr;
using IronSoftware.Drawing;
var styleOptions = new QrStyleOptions
{
    Dimensions = 300,
    Margins = 10,
    Color = Color.DarkBlue,
    Logo = new QrLogo { Bitmap = AnyBitmap.FromFile("company-logo.png") }
};
var qrcode = QrWriter.Write("https://yourcompany.com");
AnyBitmap qrImage = qrcode.Save(styleOptions);
qrImage.SaveAs("branded-qr.png");

using IronQr;
using IronSoftware.Drawing;
var styleOptions = new QrStyleOptions
{
    Dimensions = 300,
    Margins = 10,
    Color = Color.DarkBlue,
    Logo = new QrLogo { Bitmap = AnyBitmap.FromFile("company-logo.png") }
};
var qrcode = QrWriter.Write("https://yourcompany.com");
AnyBitmap qrImage = qrcode.Save(styleOptions);
qrImage.SaveAs("branded-qr.png");

IRON VB CONVERTER ERROR developers@ironsoftware.com

How Do You Generate QR Codes in ASP.NET Core?

Integrating QR code generation into ASP.NET Core follows the Model View Controller pattern. Here's a HomeController class implementation:

using IronQr;
using IronSoftware.Drawing;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
namespace Examples
{
    public class HomeController : Controller
    {
        public IActionResult GenerateQR(string content)
        {
            QrCode myQr = QrWriter.Write(content);
            AnyBitmap qrImage = myQr.Save();
            byte[] imageBytes = qrImage.ExportBytes();
            return File(imageBytes, "image/png");
        }
    }
}

using IronQr;
using IronSoftware.Drawing;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
namespace Examples
{
    public class HomeController : Controller
    {
        public IActionResult GenerateQR(string content)
        {
            QrCode myQr = QrWriter.Write(content);
            AnyBitmap qrImage = myQr.Save();
            byte[] imageBytes = qrImage.ExportBytes();
            return File(imageBytes, "image/png");
        }
    }
}

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This endpoint accepts QR code data as a parameter and returns the generated PNG image directly. The approach works seamlessly with ASP.NET Core Web API projects and Razor views.

How Do You Encode Japanese Unicode Text?

IronQR supports encoding Japanese Unicode text through Kanji mode, which efficiently encodes Japanese unicode text using fewer data segments than standard encoding:

using IronQr;
using IronSoftware.Drawing;
// Generate QR that encodes Japanese Unicode text
QrCode japaneseQr = QrWriter.Write("こんにちは世界");
AnyBitmap qrImage = japaneseQr.Save();
qrImage.SaveAs("japanese-qr.png");

using IronQr;
using IronSoftware.Drawing;
// Generate QR that encodes Japanese Unicode text
QrCode japaneseQr = QrWriter.Write("こんにちは世界");
AnyBitmap qrImage = japaneseQr.Save();
qrImage.SaveAs("japanese-qr.png");

IRON VB CONVERTER ERROR developers@ironsoftware.com

How Do You Read QR Codes with Machine Learning?

IronQR distinguishes itself through its machine learning-powered QR reader. The ML model achieves 99.99% accuracy even reading QR codes from angles or partially obscured images:

using IronQr;
using IronSoftware.Drawing;
// Load image containing QR code
var inputBmp = AnyBitmap.FromFile("scanned-document.png");
QrImageInput imageInput = new QrImageInput(inputBmp);
// Read with ML-powered detection
QrReader reader = new QrReader();
IEnumerable<QrResult> results = reader.Read(imageInput);
foreach (var result in results)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Found: {result.Value}");
}

using IronQr;
using IronSoftware.Drawing;
// Load image containing QR code
var inputBmp = AnyBitmap.FromFile("scanned-document.png");
QrImageInput imageInput = new QrImageInput(inputBmp);
// Read with ML-powered detection
QrReader reader = new QrReader();
IEnumerable<QrResult> results = reader.Read(imageInput);
foreach (var result in results)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Found: {result.Value}");
}

IRON VB CONVERTER ERROR developers@ironsoftware.com

How Does Cross-Platform Support Work?

Unlike solutions dependent on System.Drawing.Common (deprecated for cross-platform use in .NET 6+), IronQR uses IronSoftware.Drawing for true multi-platform projects. Your code runs consistently across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. For multi-platform projects, SkiaSharp alternatives are unnecessary—IronQR handles platform abstraction internally.

Conclusion

IronQR provides a complete solution for all requirements QR code generator needs in .NET Core. By handling complex payload generators and the assembly of raw modules and QrCodeData data automatically, it simplifies the development cycle. Whether you need a simple .NET open source library alternative or a robust system with optional advanced features, IronQR's cross-platform architecture ensures reliable operation.

Ready to implement QR codes in your project? Start your free trial or explore licensing options to unlock IronQR's full potential. Visit the API documentation for additional code examples.