

The result of scaling it up depends on the method used and although sometimes you are given a choice, often you have no options that make the image suitable. This would be too small to see if printed pixel to pixel on most printers and would typically be scaled up. A typical QR code could fit in a 21 x 21 grid. Most barcode generation algorithms will give you a compact barcode usually with the smallest element size being one pixel. Barcode readers generally work faster and more accurately when the edges are crisp and then size of the lines or dots are precise. They are usually made of black dots or lines on a white background.

I've come across this problem many times over the years and still live in hope that there is an easy way to do this that I have missed.
