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Scanning problems

My code will not scan. What is wrong?: In order of how often it is the cause: not enough contrast between the pattern and the background; the code printed too small for how much content it holds; a logo covering too much of the centre; or inverted colours (light pattern on a dark background), which some older scanners refuse. The generator flags all four before you download — if it says RISKY, that is the reason.
It scans on my phone but not on my colleague’s.: That usually means the code is marginal rather than broken — it decodes with very little tolerance, so a different camera, worse light or a slight angle tips it over. Print it larger, raise the contrast, or shrink the logo. Our check deliberately includes a blurred small render to catch exactly this before it reaches a printer.
Can I invert the colours — light code on dark?: You can, and it often looks better, but it is riskier. The specification assumes dark modules on a light background, and while most modern phone cameras handle inversion, not all do. If the code is going somewhere you cannot reprint, do not invert it.

What size should I print it?: A rough rule: the code should be at least a tenth of the distance it will be scanned from. Scanned at arm’s length (about 30 cm) means 3 cm or larger. A poster read from 3 metres needs 30 cm. Denser codes need more. Set the print width in the generator and the readability check accounts for it.
Which file format should I give my printer?: SVG or PDF if they will take it — both are true vector, so the code stays sharp at any size, from a business card to the side of a building. PNG is fine for screens and for print at a known fixed size. Never send a JPG to a printer: the compression softens the module edges, which is precisely what a scanner needs to be crisp.
Do I need the white border around it?: Yes. That margin — the quiet zone — is part of the specification, and scanners use it to find where the code begins. Cropping it off is one of the most common reasons a code that worked on screen fails in print. Our exports include it by default.

What is the actual difference?: A static code holds its content inside the pattern — it works forever and depends on nobody, but can never be changed. A dynamic code holds a short link, so you can change where it leads after printing and see how often it was scanned — but it depends on a redirect service staying up.
Can I convert a static code into a dynamic one?: No, and be wary of anyone claiming otherwise. The destination is physically encoded in a static pattern. Changing where it leads would mean changing the pattern, which means reprinting. Decide before the print run.
Do the free tools expire or add a watermark?: Neither. The codes are static, produced in your browser, and yours to use commercially. Nothing phones home and nothing stops working later.

How big can my logo be?: Up to roughly 20–25% of the code’s area, and only because error correction can reconstruct what the logo hides. Past that you are eating the redundancy that lets a scratched or partly obscured code still read. The generator raises the error-correction level automatically when you add a logo, and warns you when it has gone too far.
Can I use my brand colours?: Yes, including gradients. The one rule that matters is contrast between the pattern and the background — aim for a ratio of at least 4:1, and treat 3:1 as the floor. Pale colours on white are the usual failure. The check will tell you the exact ratio.