QR codes in Canva, Excel & Word

Canva has a QR app buried in its marketplace. Excel has none. Word has none. Google Docs and Sheets have none either. Every one of them, though, lets you insert an image — and a QR code is just an image. So the reliable workflow is the same everywhere: make the code in a real generator, download a PNG, insert it.

The workflow (works in all four)

1. Make the code. In the FreeQrly studio, pick the type (Website for a link, WiFi for a network, vCard for a contact), fill it in, style it if you want.
2. Download PNG. Use the PNG download at 1024 px or higher. PNG keeps the edges crisp in print and on screen; SVG is better if your app accepts it (Word and Docs do not, Canva does).
3. Insert it. Canva: Uploads → Upload files. Excel: Insert → Pictures. Word: Insert → Pictures. Google Docs/Sheets: Insert → Image → Upload from computer.
4. Test it. Point your phone camera at the screen (or a test print). If it scans on the first try, ship it.

Canva

Canva's own QR app works, but it locks the style and the code lives inside Canva. A FreeQrly PNG gives you full control — logo, colors, frame — and the same file works in your flyer, your Instagram post, and your PDF export. Upload once, reuse everywhere. Size it to at least 2 × 2 cm on the final design so phones read it at arm's length.

Excel

Excel has no QR function. The IMAGE function (newer Excel) can display a QR code from a URL, but it needs the image hosted somewhere and breaks in older versions and in print. A pasted PNG is the dependable route: it prints, it survives file sharing, and it works in every Excel version. Place it in a cell corner or floating over the sheet — either way, keep the quiet margin around it clear.

Word

Word has no QR tool either. Insert → Pictures, then set text wrapping to Square or Tight so the paragraph flows around it. For letterheads and invoices, pin the code to a fixed spot (a header, a footer, or a text box) so it lands in the same place on every page. For print, export the document as PDF — the code stays sharp.

Google Docs & Sheets

Same pattern: Insert → Image → Upload from computer. In Docs, use "Wrap text" so the code sits beside the paragraph. In Sheets, float it over a corner cell range. One extra tip: Docs compresses large images on export, so start from a 1024 px PNG and keep the code at a reasonable size — a tiny code on a big page is the most common reason scans fail.

Three mistakes that break scans

• Too small. Under 2 × 2 cm on print, or under ~150 px on screen, phones struggle. When in doubt, go bigger.
• Low contrast. Fancy colors look great and fail quietly. Dark code on a light background, always. See the print size guide for the distance rule.
• Stretching. Dragging a corner distorts the grid. Resize proportionally (hold Shift in most apps) so the squares stay square.