How to Make a SeedQR & Compact SeedQR for SeedSigner: Step-by-Step Offline Backup Guide
The DIY SeedSigner is widely celebrated in the Bitcoin space for being a completely stateless signing device. It never writes your private keys or seed phrase to persistent onboard flash storage. When you unplug the power cable, its RAM is instantly wiped clean.
However, stateless security introduces an everyday usability challenge: every single time you boot up the device to sign a transaction, you have to re-enter your wallet. Manually dialing in 12 or 24 words using a mini joystick is tedious and time-consuming.
That is where SeedQR and Compact SeedQR cards come in. By transcribing your seed phrase onto a physical paper or cardstock QR grid using an offline, guided process, you can load your wallet into SeedSigner via optical camera scan in less than three seconds. Here is the complete guide on how they work, how to create them, and how to preserve them for decades.
1. Why Stateless Devices Need Optical Backups
Most conventional hardware wallets (like Ledger, Trezor, or Coldcard) store your encrypted master private keys in an onboard secure element or non-volatile flash memory chip. When you power them on, your seed is already sitting inside the device, protected by a PIN.
SeedSigner takes a fundamentally different security posture: it has zero persistent memory for keys. Once power disconnects, the device is an empty shell consisting solely of off-the-shelf Raspberry Pi Zero hardware, an LCD screen, and a camera. If an attacker steals your SeedSigner, there is literally nothing on the hardware for them to extract.
The trade-off is input friction. Re-entering 12 or 24 BIP-39 words with a physical joystick every single transaction quickly gets frustrating. The SeedSigner development team solved this by turning optical QR reading into the primary entry mechanism:
- Instant optical loading: Scanning your custom physical QR card takes 1 to 2 seconds.
- Air-gapped operation: The backup never touches an internet-connected device or digital camera.
- Zero digital trail: The QR is hand-drawn offline on blank templates.
2. Compact SeedQR vs. Standard SeedQR: What Is the Difference?
When creating a QR backup, SeedSigner gives you two format choices: Standard SeedQR and Compact SeedQR. Understanding the difference is crucial before picking your printable template.
Standard SeedQR
Encodes the literal 4-digit numeric BIP-39 index numbers for each word (or alphanumeric characters).
- • 12-word seed: 25×25 grid (625 total modules).
- • 24-word seed: 29×29 grid (841 total modules).
- • Scanning behavior: If scanned by a standard smartphone camera, it immediately displays the actual word index numbers on screen.
Compact SeedQR (Recommended)
Directly encodes the raw binary entropy (128 bits for 12 words, or 256 bits for 24 words).
- • 12-word seed: 21×21 grid (441 total modules: 29% fewer dots to fill!).
- • 24-word seed: 25×25 grid (625 modules instead of 841).
- • Scanning behavior: Scanning with a standard smartphone camera displays raw binary gibberish, not plain english words.
Important Security Note
Compact SeedQR is not encryption. Anyone with Bitcoin knowledge who captures an image of your Compact QR can input the raw data into software that understands SeedQR specs and reconstruct your seed phrase. However, Compact QR has fewer dots to fill out by hand, saves considerable transcription time, and avoids accidental exposure on routine smartphone camera viewfinders.
3. Grid Dimensions Reference Guide
Choose your template based on your seed length and desired format:
| Seed Length | Compact SeedQR | Standard SeedQR | Recommended Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Words | 21 × 21 Grid | 25 × 25 Grid | Double-sided Trading Card (21×21) |
| 24 Words | 25 × 25 Grid | 29 × 29 Grid | Double-sided Trading Card (25×25) |
4. Materials and Physical Preservation Best Practices
Paper backups can degrade over time if treated like ordinary office scraps. If you want your handwritten SeedQR to last for decades without fading or smudging, follow these three essential physical preservation standards:
Heavy Acid-Free Cardstock
Standard copy paper contains residual acids that cause yellowing, brittleness, and structural breakdown over 5 to 10 years. Acid-free, lignin-free cardstock or synthetic rip-resistant waterproof paper (such as Rite in the Rain or Teslin) ensures decades of physical durability.
Black Pigment Ink Fineliner Pens
Never use standard dye-based ballpoint pens or cheap markers, which bleed through paper and fade when exposed to light. Use archival pigment pens (such as the Sakura Pigma Micron 05 or 08). Pigment ink is chemically stable, waterproof, fade-proof, and produces crisp matte contrast that the SeedSigner camera reads effortlessly.
Thermal Lamination
Once your card is drawn and verified, run it through an inexpensive thermal laminator. Sealing the card in plastic shields the ink against water damage, moisture, fingerprints, spills, and dirt.
5. Downloading the Official Templates
All SeedQR templates are open-source and free to download directly from the SeedSigner GitHub repository:
- Navigate to the SeedSigner GitHub repository under
docs/seed_qr/. - Select your preferred PDF:
- Trading Card Format (Recommended): Pre-formatted for double-sided printing. One side features the blank QR grid with alignment guides and notes; the back side has numbered lines for your 12 or 24 human-readable BIP-39 words.
- Full-Page Format: Features larger grids (21×21, 25×25, or 29×29) if you prefer larger squares that are easier to fill in.
- Click Download Raw File and print at 100% scale (disable "Fit to Page" to keep precise alignment guides).
- Use scissors or a paper trimmer along the corner crop marks to cut out your card.
6. Step-by-Step: Transcribing Your Compact SeedQR
Step A: Generate or Load Your Seed on SeedSigner
Boot your SeedSigner, navigate to Seeds, and either load an existing seed phrase or create a new one using camera entropy (photo capture), dice rolls, or coins. In the video tutorial, Forrest uses the camera image generator to calculate a fresh 12-word seed.
Step B: Write Down the Human-Readable Words First
Flip your card to the mnemonic side and write down all 12 (or 24) words in clear print. Complete the SeedSigner's verification challenge (which prompts you to confirm selected random words).
Step C: Record the Master Key Fingerprint (MFP)
Once verified, the device displays your 8-character hex Master Fingerprint (e.g., D8DA6D04). Write this down in the notes or header section of your card. The fingerprint lets you instantly confirm that you are loading the exact right wallet later without needing to check individual addresses.
Step D: Enter the Guided QR Transcription Mode
Select Backup Seed → Export as SeedQR → Compact 21x21. SeedSigner will present a warning reminder: "SeedQR is your private key. Never photograph or scan it with internet-connected devices." Click Begin.
Step E: Fill In the Coordinate Modules
SeedSigner zooms into individual sections and provides grid coordinate callouts (e.g., Row A, Column 1 → A1, A2, B3, etc.).
- Use your pigment pen to fill in the squares that match the pattern displayed on the SeedSigner LCD.
- Take your time and fill the squares solidly without bleeding into neighboring cells.
- Use the joystick to advance across the rows. If you make a mistake, don't panic: you already have the human-readable words written on the reverse side, so you can always discard and transcribe a fresh blank card.
7. Testing and Verifying Your Handwritten QR
Never consider a backup complete until you have rigorously tested it under zero-memory conditions:
- Immediate Optical Confirmation: When you finish the last coordinate block, click exit. SeedSigner immediately prompts: Confirm SeedQR. Hold your newly drawn card in front of the SeedSigner camera. The device should scan it instantly and display: "Success! Your transcribed SeedQR successfully scanned and yielded the same seed."
- The Power-Pull Test: Navigate to the main menu and select Settings → Power Off. Unplug the USB cable completely. This flushes the Raspberry Pi's RAM.
- Cold Boot Optical Load: Plug the power cable back in. On the fresh menu, go to Seeds → Scan SeedQR. Point the camera at your laminated card. Within 1 to 2 seconds, the device will parse the QR and display your master fingerprint. Compare the displayed fingerprint with the MFP written on your card to confirm a 100% match.
8. Threat Modeling: Single-Sig vs. Multisig Backups
While laminated cardstock offers excellent protection against moisture, handling wear, and humidity, paper remains vulnerable to two catastrophic events: theft and house fires. How you safeguard your SeedQRs depends on your wallet architecture:
Single-Signature Wallets (Always Add an Optional Passphrase)
If you use a single-sig wallet, anyone who discovers your SeedQR card holds your funds. You can dramatically upgrade security by applying an unwritten, memorized (or separately stored) BIP-39 Passphrase (often referred to as the "13th or 25th word"). With a passphrase, the SeedQR card alone is useless without the second factor.
For fire protection, create multiple backup copies and store them in geodistributed, secure physical locations (such as a fireproof safe, safety deposit box, or trusted family vault).
Multisig Quorums (Inherent Redundancy)
In a 2-of-3 multisig setup, physical redundancy is built into the protocol math. If one SeedQR card is destroyed in a fire or compromised, your Bitcoin remains secure. You can simply use your remaining two signers and wallet descriptor file to sweep your UTXOs to a fresh setup.
Need Help Designing Your Bitcoin Custody Architecture?
Whether you are assembling your first SeedSigner, creating long-term physical backups, or designing a rock-solid multisig quorum, private coaching gives you clarity and confidence every step of the way. Book a private 1-on-1 session to eliminate single points of failure and secure your Bitcoin for generations.
Book a 1:1 Coaching Session with ForrestWatch the Full SeedQR Tutorial on YouTube
Follow along step-by-step as Forrest HODL cuts, prints, transcribes, and tests a 21×21 Compact SeedQR card on the SeedSigner hardware wallet.