Business Card Size Guide: World Tour
How big IS a business card?
The size of a business card is not something most people think about until they need to print one. Even business owners who ve done it before tend to forget what the standard business card size is when it comes time to create a new design.
What most people don't realize is that there really isn't a global standard for acceptable business card dimensions. Instead, they vary from one region to the next. The common denominator for the majority of accepted size standards is that the card should fit comfortably in your wallet.
If you do business with foreign clients or have international offices, creating business cards that fit in with the local standards can show both cultural appreciation and awareness. This article will discuss everything you need to know about the business card size options around the globe, complete with some essential size-related business card printing considerations. Join us on our business card world tour!
USA & Canada
Design via MyCreativeShop Music Lessons Business Card Template
If you're primarily doing business in the United States and Canada, most of the business cards you come across will measure 3.5" wide by 2" tall (or 89mm wide by 51mm tall if you're not in an imperial state of mind).
Countries included: Canada, United States of America
United Kingdom & Western Europe
Design via MyCreativeShop Mailbox Business Card Template
Business cards in the UK and most of Western Europe are primarily 85mm x 55mm (approximately 3.346" x 2.165"). This is roughly the size of a typical credit or debit card, which is 3.37 x 2.125 inches (85.6 x 53.98 mm).
Countries included: United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey
Australia, New Zealand, & Scandinavia
Design via MyCreativeShop Relaxing Yoga Business Card Template
Australia and New Zealand, along with most of Scandinavia, Taiwan, and a handful of other countries utilize a 90mm x 55mm (3.54" x 2.165") business card.
Countries included: Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, India (also uses 90mm x 50mm), Taiwan, Vietnam, Colombia
Japan
The people of Japan call business cards "meishi." The paper size the meishi are printed on is called "yongo," measuring 91mm x 55m (3.582" x 2.165").
Country included: Japan
China, Hong Kong, & Singapore
The standard size for business cards in China and a few neighboring countries is 90mm x 54mm or 3.543" x 2.125."
Countries included: China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore
South & Central America, Eastern Europe, & South Africa
The standard business card size in the countries of South America, Central America, and Eastern Europe is 90mm x 50mm (3.543" x 1.968"). South Africa, along with parts of the Middle East and Asia, also employs this size.
Countries included: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, India (also uses 90mm x 55mm), Israel, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
Iran
The country of Iran utilizes a standard business card size of 85mm x 48mm or 3.582" x 2.165."
Country included: Iran
A Global [Print] Economy
After reading through our summary of business card sizes around the world, you may be struck by the realization that we're really not all that different from our international neighbors. A millimeter here or there still leaves a business card with a common design and purpose. We can all appreciate the unique details that make us who we are, along with the bigger ideas we share as we navigate our global economy
Ensuring a Perfectly Printed Project
When designing your card, determine if your printer assumes an 1/8 inch bleed in your layout and then update the dimensions of your design accordingly (adding 1/4 inch to both the total height and width). The "bleed" is the area of your design that gets cut off after printing. To avoid any awkward and unprofessional unintended white space around the edge of your business card, extend your design elements past the trim line to the edge of the bleed area. If so, you should take this into account by adding 0.25 inches to your total height and width dimension. When you design with MyCreativeShop, all of our business card templates automatically include a bleed of 1/8 inch on all sides.
Any critical design element or text needs to stay clear of the bleed, or it will get cut off from the final card. In most cases, your business card s "sweet spot" or safe area is a centered rectangle measuring 3.34" x 1.84" (approximately 85mm x 46.7mm).
If you have design elements (such as a background color or image) that extends to the edge of your card, it must continue on the bleed area as well. Be careful with thin borders near the bleed area, as they can get cut unevenly and give an off-center look. To avoid this, either thicken up the border or place them within the safe area. In the end, keeping these print guidelines in mind can ensure your printed business card looks as fabulous as you intend!
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Begin Your Journey with MyCreativeShop
Remembering the correct card size is essential whenever you want to design a business card. With our MyCreativeShop design platform, you can simply click on a business card template with preset sizes and never have to worry about dimensions. Plus, when you utilize a pre-made design, you don t have to start from scratch, streamlining your overall design process.
Get started today to create your perfect business card in minutes!