C# QR Code Generator Library SDK

Integration & Developer Guide for QR Code 2D barcode image generation in C#

Generate 2d barcode QR Code images in Visual C# .NET with complete sample C# source code

In this C# tutorial, you will learn how to generate, encode QR Code barcode images in ASP.NET, WinForms, WPF applications using C#.NET.

QR Code encode character set
QR Code barcode dimension size
GS1 QR Code
ECI module
Structure Append for multiple QR Codes
QR Code special characters encoding
QR Code international characters encoding
QR Code settings in C# class

How to create QR Code barcodes in ASP.NET and Windows application using C#

Download .NET QR Code Barcode Generator Suite
Install C# library to create QR Code images in .NET projects
Step by Step Tutorial

Generate, create QR Code in Visual C# .NET applications
Easy to install & integrate barcode QR Code generation library SDK into C# developments
Generate over 30 linear, 2d barcode images in C#.NET including C# Data Matrix, C# PDF-417, C# Interleaved 2/5, C# Code 39, C# Code 128, C# EAN
Generate QR Code images in C# class library
Create barcode QR Code in C# ASP.NET MVC web application
Print QR Code barcode in C# Windows Form Windows application, WPF application
Draw 2d QR Code in SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) & Crystal Reports for .NET projects
Easy to encode QR Code to jpeg, gif, png, tiff, bitmap image files in C# program

C# QR-Code Generator Introduction

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QR Code barcode, also known as Denso Barcode, QRCode, Quick Response Code, is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The "QR" is derived from "Quick Response", as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed.

C# QR Code Generator is one of the functions in OnBarcode's Barcode for .NET Generation Controls, which supports generating & printing QR Code and 20+ other linear & 2D bar codes for C# applications.

OnBarcode C# Barcode Generator makes it easy to generate, create QR Code and other linear & 2d barcodes in Microsoft Word.

OnBarcode provides several QR Code Generator components and software, including QR Code .NET, QR Code Java, QR Code VB.NET, QR Code ASP.NET, QR Code Excel, QR Code Word, QR Code Android, QR Code Generator, Online QR Code Barcode Generator.

This document is providing a detailed C# source code about generating QR Code barcodes in C# class using C# Barcode generation component. Complete QR Code custmoization settings is included in C# QR Code generation guide.

QR Code Basic Characteristics

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Encode character set & QR Code Data Mode in C#

Numeric data (digits 0 - 9)
Alphanumeric data (digits 0 - 9; upper case letters A -Z; nine other characters: space, $ % * + - . / : )
Byte data (default: ISO/IEC 8859-1; or other sets as otherwise defined)
Kanji characters. Kanji characters in QR Code can be compacted into 13 bits.

In QR Code generator C# library, there are five data mode options: Auto, Numeric, AlphaNumeric, Byte, Kanji.

If you set the DataMode value to QRCodeDataMode.Auto, C# QR Code generator sdk will choose the best data encoding modes for you.

            /*
                QRCodeDataMode.Numeric: for numeric QR Code data
                QRCodeDataMode.AlphaNumeric: for alphanumeric QR Code data
                QRCodeDataMode.Byte: for byte array QR Code data
                QRCodeDataMode.Kanji: for Kanji characters QR Code data
             */

            barcode.DataMode = QRCodeDataMode.Auto;

Maximum data length

Maximum data characters per QR Code symbol with Version 40-L

numeric data: 7,089 characters
alphanumeric data: 4,296 characters
byte data: 2,953 characters
Kanji data: 1,817 characters

QR Code error correction mode in C#

Four levels of Reed-Solomon error correction (referred to as L, M, Q and H in increasing order of capacity) allowing recovery of the QR Code barcode data.

L: 7%
M: 15%
Q: 25%
H: 30%

Using QR Code generator C# library, you shall set QR Code error correction mode through property "ECL". Here is the sample C# source code.

            QRCode barcode = new QRCode();

            barcode.Data = "QR Code";
            barcode.DataMode = QRCodeDataMode.Auto;

            /*
             QRCode Error Correction Level. Default is QRCodeECL.L (0).
                    QRCodeECL.L (0)
                    QRCodeECL.M (1)
                    QRCodeECL.Q (2)
                    QRCodeECL.H (3) 
             * 
             */
            barcode.ECL = QRCodeECL.M;

QR Code Barcode Dimension Size in C#

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Barcode size & QR Code Version in C#

There are forty sizes of QR Code barcode referred to as Version 1, Version 2 ... Version 40.

Version 1 measures 21 modules x 21 modules, Version 2 measures 25 modules x 25 modules and so on increasing in steps of 4 modules per side up to Version 40 which measures 177 modules x 177 modules.

The image below illustrates a QR Code with size Version 1

Using C# QR Code generator, you shall set property Version with 40 options, from QRCodeVersion.V1 to QRCodeVersion.V40.

            //  Selecte format mode
            //  from V1 to V40
            barcode.Version = QRCodeVersion.V3;

Quiet Zone

Four sides on the QR Code barcode should be surrounded by quiet zones.

For QR Code barcodes, its quiet zone width shall be 4X. (4 times of module size)

Using QR Code barcode generator C# library, you can set quiet zones for QR Code using properties:

LeftMargin
RightMargin
TopMargin
BottomMargin

            barcode.LeftMargin = 50;
            barcode.RightMargin = 50;
            barcode.TopMargin = 50;
            barcode.BottomMargin = 50;

Generate GS1 QR Code barcode images using C#

The foundational GS1 standard that defines how identification keys, data attributes and barcodes must be used in business applications.

GS1 QR Code barcode is a standalone, two-dimensional matrix symbology that is made up of square modules arranged in an overall square pattern, including a unique finder pattern located at three corners of the symbol.

QR Code is the only member of the QR Code family that supports GS1 system data structures, including Function 1 Symbol Character. ISO/IEC QR Code also contains specifications for Micro QR Code, but this symbology is not supported for the GS1 system. QR Code uses Reed-Solomon error correction (four selectable levels of error correction are specified), and this feature helps correct for partially damaged symbols.

GS1 QR Code symbols are read by two-dimensional imaging scanners or vision systems. Most other scanners that are not two-dimensional imagers cannot read GS1 QR Code. GS1 QR Code symbols are restricted for use with applications that will involve imaging scanners throughout the supply chain.

In QR Code generator C# library, there are two key properties to create GS1 QR Code.

FNC1: Value should be "FNC1.FNC1_1ST_POS"
Data: GS1 data should be pair of Application Identifier code (AI code) and data message (AI data), and AI code should be surrounded by parentheses.

Sample C# source code to encode GS1 QR Code barcode

            QRCode barcode = new QRCode();

            //  It could encode GS1 element(s) by inserting a FNC1 symbol before all data characters.
            //  Each element contains a GS1 prefix (in parentheses) and fixed (or variable) length data content.
            //  Set FNC1 to FNC1.FNC1_1ST_POS to enable this feature.
            barcode.Data = "(17)050101(10)ABC123";
            barcode.FNC1 = FNC1.FNC1_1ST_POS;

            barcode.DataMode = QRCodeDataMode.Auto;

            //  Selecte format mode
            barcode.Version = QRCodeVersion.V3;

            // Barcode Size Related Settings
            barcode.UOM = UnitOfMeasure.PIXEL;
            barcode.X = 5;
            barcode.LeftMargin = 50;
            barcode.RightMargin = 50;
            barcode.TopMargin = 50;
            barcode.BottomMargin = 50;
            barcode.Resolution = 96;

            // Image format setting
            barcode.ImageFormat = System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Png;

            barcode.drawBarcode("C://Projects//Test-Output//OnBarcode.com//csharp-qrcode-mode-gs1.png");

QR Code Extended Channel Interpretation (ECI) in C#

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The Extended Channel Interpretation (ECI) protocol defined in the AIM Inc. ECI allows the output data stream to have interpretations different from that of the default character set.

The default interpretation for QR Code is ECI 000003 representing the ISO/IEC 8859-1 character set.

In QR Code generator C# library, to change encoding character set using ECI, you need apply the following property:

ECI: Six digits ECI value for the new character set defined by the AIM. For example: 000013 for ISO/IEC 8859-11

ProcessTilde: Set the ProcessTilde property to true. You need convert new character data to byte array.

Complete C# sample code to encode Thai text in QR Code barcode, using ECI.

QRCode barcode = new QRCode();
//  Set to Byte mode
barcode.DataMode = QRCodeDataMode.Byte;
barcode.ECL = QRCodeECL.M;

//  Use ECI 000013 (ISO/IEC 8859-11) for 8-bit data bytes.
barcode.ECI = 13;

//  ISO/IEC 8859-11 Latin/Thai alphabet
//  Byte values from 0xA0 to 0xFF are used for Thai characters.
//  Eg. ก - 0xA1 - 161
String bytesInISO8859_11 = "~161";

//  Set flag to enable '~' in data message.
barcode.ProcessTilde = true;
barcode.Data = bytesInISO8859_11;

//  Barcode size related settings
barcode.UOM = UnitOfMeasure.PIXEL;
barcode.X = 5;
barcode.LeftMargin = 50;
barcode.RightMargin = 50;
barcode.TopMargin = 50;
barcode.BottomMargin = 50;
barcode.Resolution = 96;

//  Image format setting
barcode.ImageFormat = System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Png;
barcode.drawBarcode(@"C:\QRCode_ECI000013.png");

QR Code Structure Append using C#

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A QR Code data message can be divided and stored in up to 16 QR Code barcodes in a structured format.

In QR Code generator C# library, to implement Structure Append feature, you should apply the following property settings.

StructuredAppend: Set value to true, to enable Structured Append

SymbolCount: Total number of symbols for one QR Code data message

SymbolIndex: The position of current symbol in the sequence (The first symbol index is 0)

            barcode.StructuredAppend = true;
            barcode.SymbolCount = 3; // The data message will be stored in three QR Code barcodes
            barcode.SymbolIndex = 0; // This symbol is the first one

C# QR Code: Encoding Special Characters

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Encode Japanese (Kanji) text in QR Code barcode using C#

Key property settings to encode Kanji characters in QR Code C# barcode generator library:

ProcessTilde : Set value to true, to enable '~' in data message.

DataMode: It should be QRCodeDataMode.Kanji

Sample C# source code to encode Japanese (Kanji) text in QR Code barcode.

            QRCode barcode = new QRCode();

            //  Kanji mode encodes Kanji characters defined in JIS X 0208 and valid character values are in the ranges
            //  0x8140 ~ 0x9FFC and 0xE040 ~ 0xEBBF. Each character (SJIS value) should be represented in format "~9ddddd",
            //  which "ddddd" is a decimal number in ranges 33088 (0x8140) ~ 40956 (0x9FFC) and 57408 (0xE040) ~ 60351 (0xEBBF).
            //  ProcessTilde must be enable to support this feature.
            barcode.Data = "~937727~958538";    //  0x935F0xE4AA - "点茗"
            barcode.ProcessTilde = true;

            barcode.DataMode = QRCodeDataMode.Kanji;

            //  Selecte format mode
            barcode.Version = QRCodeVersion.V1;

            // Barcode Size Related Settings
            barcode.UOM = UnitOfMeasure.PIXEL;
            barcode.X = 5;
            barcode.LeftMargin = 50;
            barcode.RightMargin = 50;
            barcode.TopMargin = 50;
            barcode.BottomMargin = 50;
            barcode.Resolution = 96;

            // Image format setting
            barcode.ImageFormat = System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Png;

            barcode.drawBarcode("C://Projects//Test-Output//OnBarcode.com//csharp-qrcode-mode-kanji.png");

Encode International (Non-English) text in QR Code barcode using C#

QR Code barcode does not support international text by default. If you need encode Arabic, Greek, Thai text. There are two solutions for you.

Convert internation text to byte array using UTF-8 encode, and generate QR Code using byte mode

Use ECI to encode international text in QR Code barcode

Key property settings to encode international characters in QR Code C# barcode generator library:

ProcessTilde : Set value to true, to enable '~' in data message.

DataMode: It should be QRCodeDataMode.Byte

Data: The non-English text should be converted to byte array using UTF8 encoding.

Sample C# source code to encode Thai Text in QR Code barcode

            QRCode barcode = new QRCode();

            //  It may encode any Unicode characters after converting them to bytes in UTF-8 encode.
            //  And then, use Byte encodation to encode these byte data.
            String message = "สวัสดี";
            byte[] bytes = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(message);
            StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
            foreach (byte b in bytes)
                sb.Append("~" + b.ToString().PadLeft(3, '0'));
            barcode.Data = sb.ToString();
            barcode.ProcessTilde = true;

            barcode.DataMode = QRCodeDataMode.Byte;

            //  Selecte format mode
            barcode.Version = QRCodeVersion.V3;

            // Barcode Size Related Settings
            barcode.UOM = UnitOfMeasure.PIXEL;
            barcode.X = 5;
            barcode.LeftMargin = 50;
            barcode.RightMargin = 50;
            barcode.TopMargin = 50;
            barcode.BottomMargin = 50;
            barcode.Resolution = 96;

            // Image format setting
            barcode.ImageFormat = System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Png;

            barcode.drawBarcode("C://Projects//Test-Output//OnBarcode.com//csharp-qrcode-mode-thai.png");

Encode Non-Printable chars in QR Code barcode using C#

Key property settings to encode non printable characters '[CR]' (Carriage Return) using QR Code C# barcode generator library:

ProcessTilde : Set value to true, to enable '~' in data message.

DataMode: It should be QRCodeDataMode.Auto

Data: The non printable character should be converted to three digits (in ASCII value)

Sample C# source code to encode non printable chars '[CR]' (Carriage Return) in QR Code

            QRCode barcode = new QRCode();

            //  It could encode non-printable chars by converting char ascii value to THREE digits, in format "~ddd",
            //  Set ProcessTilde to true to enable this feature.
            barcode.Data = "~013"; // char '[CR]' or carriage return   
            barcode.ProcessTilde = true;

            barcode.DataMode = QRCodeDataMode.Auto;

            //  Selecte format mode
            barcode.Version = QRCodeVersion.V3;

            // Barcode Size Related Settings
            barcode.UOM = UnitOfMeasure.PIXEL;
            barcode.X = 5;
            barcode.LeftMargin = 50;
            barcode.RightMargin = 50;
            barcode.TopMargin = 50;
            barcode.BottomMargin = 50;
            barcode.Resolution = 96;

            // Image format setting
            barcode.ImageFormat = System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Png;

            barcode.drawBarcode("W://Projects//Test-Output//OnBarcode.com//csharp-qrcode-mode-non-print.png");

Generate QR Code in .NET Projects

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Creating QR-Code barcode in C# class example

   using System;
   using System.Collections.Generic;
   using System.Text;
   using OnBarcode.Barcode;
   using System.Drawing.Imaging;
   using System.Drawing;


   QRCode qrcode = new QRCode();

   // Barcode data to encode
   qrcode.Data = "ONBARCODE";
   // QR-Code data mode
   qrcode.DataMode = QRCodeDataMode.AlphaNumeric;
   // QR-Code format mode
   //qrcode.Version = QRCodeVersion.V10;

   /*
   * Barcode Image Related Settings
   */
   // Unit of meature for all size related setting in the library. 
   qrcode.UOM = UnitOfMeasure.PIXEL;
   // Bar module size (X), default is 3 pixel;
   qrcode.X = 3;
   // Barcode image left, right, top, bottom margins. Defaults are 0.
   qrcode.LeftMargin = 0;
   qrcode.RightMargin = 0;
   qrcode.TopMargin = 0;
   qrcode.BottomMargin = 0;
   // Image resolution in dpi, default is 72 dpi.
   qrcode.Resolution = 72;
   // Created barcode orientation.
   //4 options are: facing left, facing right, facing bottom, and facing top
   qrcode.Rotate = Rotate.Rotate0;

   // Generate QR-Code and encode barcode to gif format
   qrcode.ImageFormat = System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Gif;
   qrcode.drawBarcode("C:\\qrcode.gif");

   /*
   You can also call other drawing methods to generate barcodes
             
   public void drawBarcode(Graphics graphics);
    
   public void drawBarcode(string filename);
    
   public Bitmap drawBarcode();
    
   public void drawBarcode(Stream stream);
             
   */

Creating QR-Code barcode in ASP.NET MVC web applications

Under demo package, copy barcode folder and its contents to your IIS, and create a new virtual directory.

Restart IIS, navigate to http://YourDomain:Port/barcode/qrcode.aspx?DATA=0123456789.

To create barcode QR-Code image in html or aspx pages, you can insert a image tag (img) into your page.
For example, <img src="http://YourDomain:Port/barcode/qrcode.aspx?DATA=0123456789" />

Creating QR-Code using ASP.NET Barcode Controller

Add OnBarcode.Barcode.ASPNET.dll to asp.net project reference.

Add .NET Barcode to .NET Visual Studio Toolbox.

Right click .NET Visual Studio Toolbox, select menu Choose Items...

In "Choose Toolbox Items" form, click button "Browse...", and select dll OnBarcode.Barcode.ASPNET.dll.

After selection, you will find four items under "Components" section: LinearWebForm, DataMatrixWebForm, PDF417WebForm, and QRCodeWebForm.

Creating QR-Code in C#.NET WinForms Windows Application

Add OnBarcode.Barcode.WinForms.dll to .net project reference.

Add .NET Barcode to .NET Visual Studio Toolbox.

Right click .NET Visual Studio Toolbox, select menu Choose Items...

In "Choose Toolbox Items" form, click button "Browse...", and select dll OnBarcode.Barcode.WinForms.dll.

After selection, you will find four items under "Components" section: LinearWinForm, DataMatrixWinForm, PDF417WinForm, and QRCodeWinForm.

QR Code Barcode Property Settings in C#.NET

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View complete list of QR Code barcode property setting in C#

More C# Barcode Generation Tutorials for Each Barcode

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