What Is The Size Of A Business Card?

Your business card presentation is the first impression of your business for many. Hence, you should choose properties that are congruent with your ideals, like color, paper type, and business card shape. But your card’s size is just as important. So what is the size of a business card, and what are your options?

Understanding the Importance of Business Card Size

Your business card size has several significance, namely: 

• Portability: The standard size (3.5 inches by 2 inches) will fit in most wallets or holders and are thus easy and convenient to carry around. 
• Design: A business card's size impacts its design. So while some designs look good on a standard card, others are better on square-shaped (2 inches by 2 inches) or Foldover business cards. 
• Cost: Standard-sized cards are a cost-effective option than larger or custom-sized cards. Consider your budget when deciding on size. 
• Professionalism or uniqueness: A standard-sized business card may signal professionalism. However, a custom-shaped card helps convey remarkability and creativity.  

 So what is the size of a business card, and what are your options?

What Is The Size Of A Business Card?

Some of the popular business card sizes include the following (in inches): 

• 3.5 x 2 (Standard size)

• 3.5 x 1.5 

• 3.375 x 2.125 (European standard size)

• 2 x 2 (Square cards)

• Custom size

The standard size in the United States and Canada is 3.5" by 2" (or 89 mm by 51 mm).  However, checking with your printer or designer is vital since this standard varies for different locations. For example, the standard size in Europe is 3.375" x 2.125" (or 85.725 by 53.975). 

Standard Business Card Sizes: What You Need to Know

Standard sizes are professional-looking and will adequately represent your brand. But here are other noteworthy points on standard card sizes:

• Size variations: 3.5” by 2” is the standard size, but there are variations in size and dimensions depending on the location and specific printer requirements. For example, they can be slightly larger or smaller than the standard size in Europe and other parts of the world.
• Bleed area: The bleed area is the extra space around the edge of your design that is trimmed off during printing. Leave at least 0.125 inches (3 mm) of bleed area as useful padding to enhance readability and avoid information getting chopped off.
• Font size: We advise using a font size of at least 8 pt to ensure your information is easy to read. 

Orientation: Landscape is the general layout, but there's also the portrait orientation. Remember, you can choose a layout to match your preference and design requirements.

Unconventional Business Card Sizes: Are They Effective?

Standard business card sizes may be safe and reliable, but unconventional sizes can help your card stand out and make a lasting impression on potential customers. You should consider these few points when deciding on an unconventional business card size:

• Purpose: A larger or Foldover business card can help to showcase your products, services, or offers. 
• Printing: Unconventional sizes cost more to print than standard sizes. But the cost difference is minimal for this type of investment. 
• Functionality: Oversized cards may be too large to fit in a wallet or cardholder. So we advise moderate-sized cards instead. 
• Design: An unconventional business card size looks novel and will help your brand stand out. Still, you want to avoid cluttering your card design since this will detract from its overall effectiveness. 

Choosing the Right Business Card Size for Your Needs

A few factors should play out when considering a business card size. Usually, these should include your:

• Purpose,

• Industry,

• Budget,

• Design, and

• Practicality.

So what is the size of a business card going to be? Whatever you decide, consider using an online printing service like 4OVER4. We offer high-quality, customizable business card products at great prices and fast turnaround times.