Business Card Size
Beta
3.5 by 2 inches of pure first impression. No pressure.
Every size here is one the 4OVER4 configurator offers for standard business cards.
- Finished size
- 3 1/2 x 2 in88.9 x 50.8 mm
- File size with bleed
- 3 3/4 x 2 1/4 in1/8 in on every edge
- Safe area for text
- 3 1/4 x 1 3/4 in1/8 in inside the trim
- Pixels at 300 DPI
- 1125 x 675the whole file, bleed included
Run the background out to the outer dashed line and keep every word inside the inner one. Build the artwork in CMYK: bright screen colours shift on press.
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.
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 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.
How to use the business card size
- Pick a shape, then a size, then landscape or portrait.
- Look at the preview, which draws the bleed, the trim and the safe zone at real proportions.
- Read the finished size, the file size with bleed, the safe area and the pixel count at print resolution.
- Extend the background to the outer dashed line and keep every word inside the inner one.
- Set up your file to match and order the card from 4OVER4.
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.
Much of Europe uses 85 x 55 mm. The credit card size, ISO 7810 ID-1, is 85.6 x 54 mm, and we print it as a 2.125 x 3.375 in Standard Business Card. The 85 x 55 mm card is wider than our custom size range, so send us the exact dimensions and we will quote it.
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. Much of Europe uses 85 x 55 mm, which is close to but not the same as a credit card at 85.6 x 54 mm.
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 card is 85 x 55 mm, and the ISO 7810 ID-1 credit card size is 85.6 x 54 mm. They 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.
Explore more
Where to go next
Postcard Size
Every postcard size, and the USPS rule that decides what it costs to mail.
Sticker Sizes
Every sticker and label size, with the cut line, bleed and safe area drawn.
Rack Card Size
Rack cards, menus, door hangers and table tents, with the sizes and the dies.
Paper Sizes
ISO A, B and C series and the North American sizes, in inches, mm and pixels.