What size should my design file be for a business card?

Build your business card file slightly larger than the finished size so the artwork extends into the bleed. For a standard 3.5 x 2 inch card, the size accepted by commercial printers in the US, set the document to 3.625 x 2.125 inches, which adds a 0.0625 inch bleed on every side.

Any background color or image meant to reach the edge should extend all the way out to the bleed boundary, because the cutting blade drifts slightly on every pass and a short background leaves a thin white line. Keep essential text and logos inside a safe zone about 0.125 inch from the trim so nothing important gets cut. Flatten or outline fonts before exporting a print-ready PDF so type does not shift. If you are working from a template that calls for a larger 0.125 inch bleed per side, the same card is built on a 3.75 x 2.25 inch canvas, so in Photoshop or any other tool always set your canvas to the full bleed size in your template, never the trimmed size. Downloadable templates with bleed and safe-zone guides already marked make this setup nearly foolproof.