What resolution should I use when designing a business card?

Print needs far more detail than a screen, so a file that looks crisp on a monitor can still print soft. Design at 300 DPI minimum at the actual card dimensions to keep text sharp and logos clean. At standard card size that works out to roughly 1,051 x 601 pixels for a North American card.

• Minimum resolution: 300 DPI at final print size, set from the start rather than scaled up after the fact.
• Pixel target: about 1,051 x 601 px for a 3.5 x 2 inch card.
• Color mode: CMYK, not RGB, and export as a CMYK PDF so colors print as intended.
• Use vector artwork for logos and text wherever possible, since vectors stay sharp at any size.
• Avoid upscaling low-resolution images; enlarging adds pixels but not detail and produces soft, blurry results.