• Home
• 
• Standard Sizes
• 
• Business Card Size

Standard Business Card Dimensions

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.

Standard Sizes

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.

Dimensions by Country & Standard

The table below lists the standard dimensions for business cards used by country.

Aspect ratios range from 1.42 to 1.8.

Printing Guide for business cards

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.

Typical Bleed size:

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:

• Total document size (incl. bleed): 3.75 x 2.25 inches (95.25 x 57.15 mm - 1/8 in bleeds)
• Standard cut size: 3.5 inches by 2 inches (88.9mm x 50.8mm)

For European cards:

• Total document size (incl bleed): 91 x 61 mm (3.58 x 2.40 inches)
• Standard cut size: 85 x 55 mm (3.35 x 2.17 inches)

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.

Paper Weight for Business Cards

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.

About the Author

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.


Follow

Related Posts

» 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.

Best Deals

Recent Customer Reviews

• 07Oct 2014

  Printingforless is my favorite online printer. Thanks for sharing these wonderful discounts!

  Coupons & Deals from Printingforless
  Rating: 5 / 5
  by Shannon

• 29Jul 2014

  Im quite happy with my photo book from Snapfish. It was delivered in good time (took 6 days) and the quality is excellent.
  
  All images look bright and clear, there is no un-sharpness anywhere. The cover photo worried me as it looked out of focus on the computer screen, but turned out sharp and vibrant on the book itself.
  
  Unfortunately there were a few restrictions when i placed the order. It is impossible to add frames or borders to the images and there is only a small selection of clip art. The selection of backgrounds however is very extensive.
  
  If you are a simple computer user like me i recommend the Snapfish photo book service.

  Coupons & Deals from Snapfish
  Rating: 4 / 5
  by Natalie

• 17Nov 2014

  Im not happy with Cafepress: I ordered a long sleeve tee shirt, but the design was off center. The print is shifted to the left of the shirt instead of centered. Also the fabric is low quality, the shirt already has a hole in the front.

  Coupons & Deals from Cafepress
  Rating: 2 / 5
  by Jody

• 17Oct 2014

  Nice company to work with. Im an actual customer of PS Print and they never failed me. Their pricing is much better compared to local print shops. Good quality products, quick turn arounds and very good support (if needed).
  
  I've worked with them on multiple projectsand always had good success. Just my heads up!

  Coupons & Deals from Psprint
  Rating: 5 / 5
  by Robert

• 31Jul 2017

  Hello, I called customer service a few days ago with questions regarding the wedding cards I was attempting to order. A customer service representative by the name of Samara, not only navigated me through the site but informed me how to change colors, fonts, where to find offers, how and where to request the quick shipping (fasting shipping) and information on how to ask the designer for minor changes. She was extremely efficient, professional, knowledgeable, competent and friendly. Like I stated to her, I am extremely stress prone so to have such a pleasant experience and smoother process with ordering my wedding invites, that call truly made my week! I will be referring any and all contacts to order from this company, as she was just so helpful and resolved all my issues.

  Coupons & Deals from Tinyprints
  Rating: 5 / 5
  by Porche' Berry