Business Card Size

Beta
Wally, the 4OVER4 mascot

3.5 by 2 inches of pure first impression. No pressure.

Every size below is one the 4OVER4 configurator offers. The preview redraws at the real proportions, with the bleed, the trim and the safe zone on it.

Card format
2 in2 in
Bleed 1/8 inTrimSafe 1/8 in
Trim size (finished)
2 x 2 in
In millimetres
50.8 x 50.8 mm
Document size with bleed
2 1/4 x 2 1/4 in
Safe area
1 3/4 x 1 3/4 in
Pixels at 300 DPI
675 x 675 px
Printed as
Standard Business Cards

4OVER4 asks for 1/8 in of bleed on standard print and 1/4 in on large format. This page uses the standard figure because the configurator marks this product as standard print.

Extend the background to the outer dashed line and keep every word inside the inner one. Build the artwork in CMYK: vivid screen colours shift on press.

BetaThis is in beta, so some things may not work yet. We’d love your feedback.Send feedback

What the Standard Business Cards configurator says about size

Sizes
The configurator offers 4 sizes for this product. Every one of them is listed above, exactly as the configurator lists it.
Custom size
This product takes a custom size. The configurator accepts 1.5 to 2.125 in on the width and 2 to 3.5 in on the height, in steps of 0.1 in.
Press limits
On top of the product limits the press bounds apply: the shorter side must be 1.5 to 22 in and the longer side 1.5 to 28 in. The configurator turns the size the same way round before it checks, so 11 x 2.5 and 2.5 x 11 are the same size to it.
If it is out of range
This custom size is currently not available for this product. Please select a different combination (switch between width and height values) or try selecting another product from the Print Products Menu. Contact us if you have a Custom Order.

Enjoying this tool?

You might also like Standard Business Cards

The size, bleed and safe zone you just saw are exactly what our standard business cards print at.

Standard Business CardsStandard Business CardsFrom $17.574.9·303 reviewsShop now

About the business card size

Pick a format and see the bleed, the trim and the safe zone drawn on it at real proportions, with the dimensions in inches, millimetres and pixels.

The standard US business card is 3.5 x 2 inches. Set the file up at 3.75 x 2.25 in to carry 1/8 in of bleed, keep every word 1/8 in inside the trim, and build it at 300 DPI in CMYK.

Free blank templates

The standard business card size

In the United States and Canada the standard business card is 3.5 x 2 inches, which is 88.9 x 50.8 mm. It is the size your wallet, your card holder and every Rolodex sleeve were built around, and it is what you get unless you ask for something else.

Most of the rest of the world uses 85 x 55 mm, the ISO 7810 ID-1 format, which is the size of a credit card. 4OVER4 prints the US sizes, so if you need the European card, send us the exact dimensions and we will quote it as a custom cut.

Bleed, trim and safe zone

A press does not cut one card at a time. It prints a sheet of many cards and guillotines the stack, and the stack moves a fraction of a millimetre as the blade comes down. Bleed is the insurance: you extend the background 0.125 in past the edge on all four sides so the blade never finds white paper.

So a 3.5 x 2 in card is set up as a 3.75 x 2.25 in document. Then you pull every piece of text and your logo 0.125 in back inside the trim, into the safe zone, so nothing important sits where the blade might land. The preview above draws all three lines on whatever format you choose.

Resolution and colour

Business cards print at 300 DPI. At that resolution a 3.75 x 2.25 in document with bleed is 1125 x 675 pixels. Anything smaller will look soft, and no amount of enlarging in Photoshop adds detail that was never captured.

Build the file in CMYK. Screens are RGB and can show colours a press cannot mix, so a neon green that glows on your monitor prints as a flat olive. If the colour is your brand and it has to be exact, order a proof before the full run.

Common questions

Questions about business card size

What is the standard business card size?

3.5 x 2 inches, or 88.9 x 50.8 mm, in the United States and Canada. The European and UK standard is 85 x 55 mm, the same footprint as a credit card.

What size should my business card file be with bleed?

3.75 x 2.25 inches. You add 0.125 in of bleed to each of the four edges of a 3.5 x 2 in card, then keep all text and logos 0.125 in inside the trim line.

What size is a business card in pixels?

At 300 DPI a 3.5 x 2 in card is 1050 x 600 pixels, and 1125 x 675 pixels once you add the 0.125 in bleed on every edge. Anything below 300 DPI prints soft.

What are the business card dimensions in mm?

The US card is 88.9 x 50.8 mm. The European and ISO 7810 ID-1 card is 85 x 55 mm. The two are close but not interchangeable in a cardholder.

Can I order a square or rounded business card?

Yes. The configurator offers square cards at 2 x 2, 2.5 x 2.5 and 3 x 3 in, and rounded corners on a die at 1/8 in and 3/8 in radius. Pick a format above to see its exact dimensions and safe area.

FSC CertifiedPrinter #C013635
G7 CertifiedColor Accuracy
25+ YearsSince 1999
150,000+Businesses Served