When discussing Business card sizes the first thing to note is: there is no set standard for business card dimensions.
Business card sizes in fact vary from country to country.
In most countries business card shapes and sizes also vary outside the standard range (from micro-business card at just 1 by 3 inches, to square and foldable business cards). As a designer you have freedom in choosing the shape and size you wish to use.
This resource will discuss the standard (most commonly used) sizes by country only.
In the USA and Canada standard business card size is 3.5 inches by 2 inches (88.9mm x 50.8mm).
Setup your US business card in Photoshop at 300 PPI the document size is 1050 pixels x 600 pixels.
For easier storage with banking cards the standard business card size in Europe is 85mm x 55mm.
3.346 x 2.165 inches) Size in Pixels at 300 PPI for EU cards = 1004 pixels x 650 pixels.
Standard business card size for USA and Europe.
The table below lists the standard dimensions for business cards used by country.
| Standard | Size in Millimeters | Size in Inches | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 7810 ID-1 | W: 85.60 | H: 53.98 | W: 3.370 | H: 2.125 |
| ISO 216 - A8 sized | W: 74 | H: 52 | W: 2.913 | H: 2.047 |
| Australia | W:90 | H:55 | W: 3.543 | H: 1.968 |
| United States | W: 88.9 | H: 50.8 | W: 3.5 | H: 2 |
| Canada | W: 89 | H: 51 | W: 3.5 | H: 2 |
| China | W: 90 | H: 54 | W: 3.543 | H: 2.125 |
| Czech Republic | W: 90 | H: 50 | W: 3.543 | H: 1.968 |
| France | W: 85 | H: 55 | W: 3.346 | H: 2.165 |
| Germany | W: 85 | H: 55 | W: 3.346 | H: 2.165 |
| Hungary | W: 90 | H: 50 | W: 3.543 | H: 1.968 |
| Italy | W: 85 | H: 55 | W: 3.346 | H: 2.165 |
| Netherlands | W: 85 | H: 55 | W: 3.346 | H: 2.165 |
| Japan | W:91 | H:55 | W: 3.582 | H: 2.165 |
| Russia | W: 90 | H: 50 | W: 3.543 | H: 1.968 |
| Scandinavia | W: 90 | H: 55 | W: 3.54 | H: 2.165 |
| Slovakia | W: 90 | H: 50 | W: 3.543 | H: 1.968 |
| Spain | W: 85 | H: 55 | W: 3.346 | H: 2.165 |
| Switzerland | W: 85 | H: 55 | W: 3.346 | H: 2.165 |
| United Kingdom | W: 85 | H: 55 | W: 3.346 | H: 2.165 |
Aspect ratios range from 1.42 to 1.8.
Quick Tip: Need great looking business cards? Check out our reviews of the best business card printing services.
When designing business cards, pick the correct dimension for the corresponding country from the table above and do not forget to add bleeds to your document.
A bleed refers to printing that goes beyond the edge of the sheet before trimming. In other words, the bleed is the area to be trimmed off.
To prevent white edges or parts of your being design cut off by the blade in the cutting process it is essential that you add bleeds on all 4 sides of your document before sending it to the printer.
Bleeds are typically an extra 3.175 mm (1/8 inch) to 6.35 mm (1/4 inch) to all sides of the card.
When creating your business card, always add a bleed on 4 sizes, and use a resolution of 300 ppi. The list below shows your document size including bleed:
For USA cards:
For European cards:
For a folded business card with bleed the document should be 3.75 inches x 4.25 inches - Generally these cards will fold to the standard size.
Business cards are printed on heavy card stock, generally the rule is to use stock that is at least 350 g/m2 (density), 45 kg (100 lb - weight), or 12 pt in thickness.
The stock you choose may depend on various variables: the printing method, the desired visual effect, the available budget and other organizational norms or preferences.
We strongly advise to use stock that is at least 350 g/m2 or heavier for professional looking business cards.
Pascal Smits is an expert in graphic design, print quality accuracy, product analysis and production process. With a background in print process management and printer development, Pascal is an all round expert.
» Inspirational Business Card designs.
» NFC Business Cards 101 - Everything you need to know about NFC Business Cards.
» Reviews of the best business card printing services.
I been using a local print shop for my business card printing needs, while quality was high, prices were also very high. I heard about Moo from a friend and decided to give them a try. I just received the business cards and I'm pleased: Quality is great, color is correct and the cards have a nice "thick" feel to it, also the packaging is very nice. Overall the quality i got from MOO is even better then the local print shop i used, and the price is a lot friendlier. I hope these guys will stay for a while!
Rating: 5 / 5
We had a wonderful experience with Overnight Prints. My husband and me wanted a new business card design, and after creating the perfect design with their online design tool we decided to give them a go and placed an order.
Unforunately we had made an error in the design that we noticed a couple of hours after ordering. We gave them a call and spoke to a friendly person who immediately corrected the error for us.
Our new business cards do make a good impression, and we are impressed by overnight prints good old fashioned customer service.
Rating: 5 / 5
I received my business card order this morning, quite some days sooner than my order tracker emails said they would arrive and honestly i do not remember ever being this impressed by a product i ordered online.
Well done Moo... The whole experience with you was great: how everything was packaged, the quality, the service, the site. Everything. Super super super.
Rating: 5 / 5
I love Cafepress, this company has the best customer service: My sister ordered a printed sweatshirt for my son from them. Unfortunately it didn't fit him (the sweatshirt was to large). We contacted RMA and within a few hours they replied: we will send you a new one in the correct size. we didn't have to ship the old one back, which saved me postage and a trip to the postoffice. I never had this happen before, very impressed by Cafepress!
Rating: 5 / 5
Overnight Prints rocks when it comes to turnaround times and reliability!
It was Wednesday evening and i needed print material for a Friday evening event. I needed the prints to be ready and delivered to my office on Friday afternoon at the latest. None of the printing companies on this site were able to deliver this quickly, but Overnight Prints.
I did contact 2 local print shops as well - time wise they could schedule my prints to be delivered on time - but the price was 2 times higher compared to Overnight Prints.
Before i placed the order i contacted Overnight Prints over the phone, and they assured me they could meet the delivery time that was mentioned on their website.
After placing the order i read some negative reviews on Yelp about Overnight Prints, which made me very nervous and left me thinking i would seriously regret going with them.
Friday morning the prints were delivered at my office (11:00) and the quality was excellent! Just what i needed: good prints delivered on time.
I rarely use reviews on the web, but Overnight Prints saved my life on this-one. Thank you for that!
Rating: 5 / 5
Copyright © 2017 - Printingdeals.org
