The Standard US Business Card Size in Inches and Pixels
The standard US business card is 3.5 by 2 inches. That single number drives everything else: the pixel dimensions at print resolution, the bleed you add around it, and the safe area you keep your text inside. Here are the exact figures plus a template to build on.
The standard US business card size is 3.5 by 2 inches, which is 1050 by 600 pixels at 300 DPI. Add 0.125 inch of bleed on every side for a 3.75 by 2.25 inch full-bleed size, or 1125 by 675 pixels. Keep text inside a safe area 0.125 inch in from the trim, 3.25 by 1.75 inches or 975 by 525 pixels. Build on those numbers and your card prints without surprises.
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US business card size in one paragraph
A standard US business card is 3.5 by 2 inches, which is 89 by 51 millimeters, or 1050 by 600 pixels at 300 DPI. That is the trim size, the dimension the card is after it is cut, and it is what fits US wallets and cardholders. You design on a slightly larger canvas that adds 0.125 inch of bleed on every edge, 3.75 by 2.25 inches, and you keep text inside a safe area set 0.125 inch in from the cut, 3.25 by 1.75 inches. The diagram below shows the three lines, trim, bleed, and safe area, with their exact measurements in both inches and pixels.
The standard US business card size
In the United States, the standard business card is 3.5 inches wide by 2 inches tall. It is the size that fits every wallet, cardholder, and Rolodex, and it is what people expect when they hand one to you. Sticking to it means your card slots into the readers and holders everyone already owns, which is a quiet but real advantage.
That standard is specifically North American. Much of Europe uses an 85 by 55 millimeter card, and other regions vary slightly, so if you print for an international audience you may want a different size. For a US-facing card, though, 3.5 by 2 inches is the baseline, and it is the default on our standard business cards.
If you want to stand out, you can go bigger, square, or die-cut, but those are deliberate departures from the norm rather than the norm itself. Browse the full business cards range to see standard, square, and custom-shaped options side by side before you decide.
The size in inches and in pixels
Designers work in two different units depending on the tool, so it helps to have both. In inches, the finished card is 3.5 by 2. In pixels, the number depends on resolution, and print needs 300 pixels per inch. Multiply it out and a standard card is 1050 by 600 pixels at 300 DPI. That is the canvas to set if your software works in pixels.
Be careful with the 72 DPI web habit. A card built at 72 DPI would only be 252 by 144 pixels, which looks fine on a screen and prints badly, soft and pixelated. Always design at 300 DPI for print, and if you pull in a photo, make sure it is high enough resolution to hold up at the size it appears on the card, not just on your monitor.
The same math scales to any size you choose. If you order a custom business card at a non-standard dimension, take the width and height in inches and multiply each by 300 to get the pixel canvas. Our online design tool handles this for you, so you can design without doing the arithmetic.
Bleed and safe area around the card
The card does not print on a sheet its exact size. It prints on a larger sheet and is cut down, and the blade can shift by a hair. Two extra lines account for that. Bleed is 0.125 inch of extra artwork past the trim on every side, so a full-bleed card is designed at 3.75 by 2.25 inches, or 1125 by 675 pixels. Any color or photo that reaches the edge should run all the way to the bleed line.
The safe area is the opposite: it is 0.125 inch inside the trim, at 3.25 by 1.75 inches, or 975 by 525 pixels. Keep your name, phone number, logo, and anything you cannot afford to lose inside that inner boundary, well clear of the blade. Text that drifts toward the edge risks getting clipped when the card is cut.
Three lines, then: the bleed on the outside, the trim in the middle at 3.5 by 2, and the safe area on the inside. Our guide on bleed and trim covers how to set them in your software, and the same logic applies to every product, not just cards.
Starting from a free template
The fastest way to get all three lines right is to start from a template that already has them. A correct 3.5 by 2 inch template comes with the bleed line, the trim line, and the safe area marked, so you design between the guides instead of measuring them yourself. It removes the most common setup mistakes before you draw a single element.
You have two easy routes. Use our design templates as a starting layout, or build directly in the online design tool, which sets the size, bleed, and safe area for you and previews the card as you go. Either way the print-ready dimensions are handled, and you focus on the content.
If you prefer to build in your own software, set the document to 3.75 by 2.25 inches at 300 DPI to include the bleed, then pull guides in 0.125 inch on each side for the trim and another 0.125 inch for the safe area. Export a flattened PDF and your file matches exactly what the press expects.
Choosing stock and finish for the size
Size is settled at 3.5 by 2, so the remaining decisions are stock and finish, which change how the card feels without changing the dimensions. A heavier stock feels substantial and resists bending, while specialty options like soft touch, spot gloss, or foil add a tactile or visual accent that makes a standard-size card memorable. The footprint stays the same; the impression changes.
Match the finish to the impression you want. A premium business card on a thick stock with a soft touch coating reads high-end, while a standard card keeps things clean and economical for high-volume handouts. The full business cards range lays out the stocks and finishes so you can weigh feel against budget.
Whatever you choose, the setup numbers from this guide stay identical. Design at 3.5 by 2 with 0.125 inch bleed and a safe area, then pick the stock and finish that fit the card's job, and order it knowing the file already fits.
Wally measures once so the press cuts right
3.5 by 2 inches, 1050 by 600 pixels, plus bleed
Wally builds every card on three lines: trim at 3.5 by 2 inches, bleed 0.125 inch past it, and a safe area 0.125 inch inside. At 300 DPI that is 1050 by 600 pixels, or 1125 by 675 with bleed. Start from a correct template, keep text in the safe zone, export a flattened PDF, and 4OVER4 prints it sharp and cuts it clean.
Order business cards →Quick reference
US business card dimensions at a glance
Every measurement you need for a standard US card, in both inches and pixels at 300 DPI.
| Measurement | Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Trim size | 3.5 x 2 in | The finished dimension of a standard US business card after cutting. |
| Trim in pixels | 1050 x 600 px at 300 DPI | The pixel canvas to set if your software works in pixels, at print resolution. |
| Full-bleed size | 3.75 x 2.25 in | The working canvas including 0.125 in bleed on every side. |
| Bleed in pixels | 1125 x 675 px | The full-bleed pixel canvas at 300 DPI. |
| Safe area | 3.25 x 1.75 in | Keep text and logos inside this inner boundary, clear of the blade. |
| Safe area in pixels | 975 x 525 px | The safe zone in pixels at 300 DPI. |
| Resolution | 300 DPI | Print resolution that keeps photos and logos sharp on paper. |
| File format | Flattened PDF | A press-ready PDF at the full-bleed size prints predictably. |
The same three lines converted, so you can set the file up in whatever unit your software works in: inches, millimeters, or pixels at 300 DPI.
| Line | Inches | Millimeters | Pixels at 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trim, the finished card | 3.5 x 2 in | 88.9 x 50.8 mm, usually written 89 x 51 mm | 1050 x 600 px |
| Full bleed, the canvas you design on | 3.75 x 2.25 in | 95.25 x 57.15 mm | 1125 x 675 px |
| Safe area, keep text inside it | 3.25 x 1.75 in | 82.55 x 44.45 mm | 975 x 525 px |
| Bleed on each edge | 0.125 in | 3.175 mm | 37.5 px |
Step by step
Set up a US business card file in 6 steps
- Set the document to full-bleed size Start a new file at 3.75 by 2.25 inches at 300 DPI, which is 1125 by 675 pixels, so the bleed is built in from the start.
- Mark the trim at 3.5 by 2 Pull guides in 0.125 inch on every side to show the trim line, where the card is actually cut.
- Pull the safe area in another eighth Set a second set of guides 0.125 inch inside the trim, at 3.25 by 1.75 inches, for your text and logo.
- Run backgrounds to the bleed Extend any color, photo, or pattern that touches an edge all the way to the outer bleed line, not just to the trim.
- Keep key content in the safe area Place your name, title, phone, and logo inside the safe boundary so nothing important is clipped when the card is cut.
- Export a flattened PDF and order Flatten the artwork, export a press-ready PDF at the full-bleed size, and upload it to order your standard business cards.
Specs and pricing
Business card specs and live pricing
With the size settled at 3.5 by 2, the print decisions come down to stock, finish, and quantity. Here are the live specs and price-per-unit for standard business cards at 4OVER4, straight from the configurator.
| Quantity | Price Per Unit | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 17.6¢ | $17.57 |
| 200 | 11.5¢ | $23.07 |
| 300 | 9.15¢ | $27.46 |
| 400 | 7.96¢ | $31.86 |
| 500 | 7.25¢ | $36.26 |
| 600 | 6.77¢ | $40.64 |
| 700 | 6.43¢ | $45.04 |
| 800 | 6.18¢ | $49.43 |
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Common Questions
Common questions about US business card size
What is the standard US business card size?
The standard US business card size is 3.5 inches wide by 2 inches tall, measured at the finished trim. That is the dimension that fits standard wallets, cardholders, and card readers across North America. At print resolution of 300 DPI it works out to 1050 by 600 pixels. Europe and some other regions use different standards, such as 85 by 55 millimeters, so 3.5 by 2 inches specifically applies to US cards.
What is the business card size in pixels?
At 300 DPI, the print standard, a 3.5 by 2 inch business card is 1050 by 600 pixels. If you include the 0.125 inch bleed on each side, the full-bleed canvas is 3.75 by 2.25 inches, or 1125 by 675 pixels. Avoid designing at 72 DPI, which would give only 252 by 144 pixels and print soft and pixelated. Always build at 300 DPI so your card is sharp on paper, and to convert any size to pixels, multiply the width and height in inches by 300.
How much do business cards cost and how is it priced?
Business card price scales with quantity, stock, and finish rather than the size, since 3.5 by 2 inches is standard. A larger run lowers the unit price, a heavier stock or a specialty finish like soft touch or foil raises it, and double-sided printing adds a little over single-sided. You set each option in the configurator and the total updates live as you adjust it, so you can see exactly how stock and finish change the number before you order.
What sizes, stocks, and finishes are available for business cards?
The standard is 3.5 by 2 inches, but you can also order square, oversized, or custom die-cut shapes for a card that stands out. Stocks range from everyday weights to thick premium boards and specialty materials, and finishes include matte and gloss lamination, soft touch coatings, spot gloss, foil, and painted or gilded edges. The live specs on each product page show the exact sizes, stocks, and finishes available for that card so you can match feel to budget.
How long do business cards take to print and ship?
Turnaround depends on the stock, the finish, and the quantity, with specialty finishes like foil or painted edges taking a little longer than a standard card. Each product page shows the production and shipping options at checkout so you can pick a timeline that fits your needs. Because the cards are printed in-house, standard orders move quickly once your press-ready file is uploaded and approved.
Do I need bleed on a business card?
If any color, photo, or background on your card touches an edge, then yes, you need bleed. Add 0.125 inch of artwork past the trim on every side, giving a full-bleed canvas of 3.75 by 2.25 inches, so a slight shift in the cut never leaves a thin white sliver along an edge. If your design has a genuine white border built in, you can technically build to the trim, but adding bleed and watching the safe area is still the safer habit for a clean, professional result.
Get Started
Ready to print a perfectly sized business card?
Build on the standard 3.5 by 2 inch size with bleed and a safe area, then pick the stock and finish that fit your brand. Adjust every option and watch your price update live at 4OVER4.
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Gold Standard guarantees apply to all standard orders placed through 4over4.com. Price match requires verifiable proof of a competitor's published price for an equivalent product with matching specifications and turnaround time. Satisfaction guarantee covers manufacturing defects and print quality issues. Contact support with order number and documentation. On-time delivery rate based on tracked orders 1999 to 2026. Individual results may vary based on shipping carrier performance.
