A Minimalist CLI for Custom QR Codes

QR codes are everywhere now, but they don't have to be boring black and white squares. You've probably needed to generate one quickly—for a Wi-Fi login, a link, or contact info—and ended up on some website with ads and download buttons. What if you could just make one from your terminal, exactly how you want it, without the fuss?

That's where qrcode-pretty comes in. It's a minimalist CLI tool that lets you create and manage custom QR codes right from your command line. No browser tabs, no manual formatting, just clean, customizable QR codes generated on the fly.

What It Does

qrcode-pretty is a Node.js-based command-line tool that generates QR codes. You feed it some data (like a URL or text), and it spits out a QR code image. But it goes beyond the basics by giving you control over the appearance—you can adjust colors, add a logo in the center, or change the shape of the modules (those little dots that make up the code). It's designed to be both simple for quick tasks and flexible enough for more polished projects.

Why It's Cool

The real appeal here is the balance between simplicity and customization. You can generate a basic QR code with a single command, which is great for quick tasks. But when you need something that fits a brand or design, you can tweak it without leaving your terminal.

Some of the standout features include:

• Style Customization: Change the colors of both the QR code itself and the background. It supports hex codes, so you can match your brand palette exactly.
• Logo Integration: Add a centered logo to the QR code, a common professional touch that most simple generators don't offer.
• Module Shapes: Swap the standard square modules for dots or rounded squares for a different look.
• Local Management: It saves your generated QR codes locally, so you can easily reuse or manage them for a project.

It's built with developer workflows in mind. You can pipe data into it, use it in scripts, or integrate it into a larger build process. It turns QR code generation from a manual, graphical task into a programmable one.

How to Try It

Getting started is straightforward. You'll need Node.js installed. Then, you can install the CLI globally via npm:

npm install -g qrcode-pretty

Once installed, generating a QR code is as simple as:

qrcode-pretty "https://github.com"

This will create a standard QR code. To explore the customization, check the help menu:

qrcode-pretty --help

You'll see options for setting colors (--color and --bg-color), adding a logo (--logo), and changing the module shape (--shape). The GitHub repository has clear examples and more detailed documentation to help you experiment.

Final Thoughts

qrcode-pretty solves a specific problem neatly. It removes the friction of online QR code generators and puts the functionality where many developers prefer it: in the terminal. It's the kind of tool you might use once and then keep around for those moments when you need a quick, good-looking QR code without breaking your flow.

For developers, it's particularly handy for generating codes for development environments, documentation, internal tools, or even for automating part of a design asset pipeline. It's simple, does its job well, and doesn't overcomplicate things. Definitely worth adding to your toolkit if you find yourself needing QR codes more often than you'd expect.

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