ISO 7810 and trade · Worldwide · 17 sizes
Card sizes
Card sizes span bank cards, business cards, postcards, index cards and playing cards. ISO 7810 ID-1 is 85.6 × 53.98 mm, the US business card is 3.5 × 2 in (88.9 × 50.8 mm), the European card is 85 × 55 mm and a poker playing card is 63.5 × 88.9 mm.
From Trading card (63.5 × 88.9 mm) to ISO 7810 ID-1 (85.6 × 54 mm).
Drawn to scale
Every size in the series
Click a column to sort. Switch units with the toggle on any size page.
| Size | Width × Height (mm) | Centimetres | Inches | Points | Pixels @300 dpi | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 7810 ID-1 Credit card | 85.6 × 54 mm | 8.56 × 5.4 cm | 3.37 × 2.13 in | 243 × 153 pt | 1,011 × 638 px | 1:0.63 |
| US business card 3.5×2 in | 88.9 × 50.8 mm | 8.89 × 5.08 cm | 3.5 × 2 in | 252 × 144 pt | 1,050 × 600 px | 16:9 |
| European business card | 85 × 55 mm | 8.5 × 5.5 cm | 3.35 × 2.17 in | 241 × 156 pt | 1,004 × 650 px | 1:0.65 |
| Japanese business card Meishi | 91 × 55 mm | 9.1 × 5.5 cm | 3.58 × 2.17 in | 258 × 156 pt | 1,075 × 650 px | 5:3 |
| Chinese business card | 90 × 54 mm | 9 × 5.4 cm | 3.54 × 2.13 in | 255 × 153 pt | 1,063 × 638 px | 5:3 |
| Scandinavian business card | 90 × 55 mm | 9 × 5.5 cm | 3.54 × 2.17 in | 255 × 156 pt | 1,063 × 650 px | 5:3 |
| ISO 216 business card A8 | 74 × 52 mm | 7.4 × 5.2 cm | 2.91 × 2.05 in | 210 × 147 pt | 874 × 614 px | 7:5 |
| Iranian business card | 85 × 48 mm | 8.5 × 4.8 cm | 3.35 × 1.89 in | 241 × 136 pt | 1,004 × 567 px | 16:9 |
| Postcard (US) 4×6 in | 152.4 × 101.6 mm | 15.24 × 10.16 cm | 6 × 4 in | 432 × 288 pt | 1,800 × 1,200 px | 3:2 |
| Postcard (A6) A6 | 148 × 105 mm | 14.8 × 10.5 cm | 5.83 × 4.13 in | 420 × 298 pt | 1,748 × 1,240 px | 7:5 |
| Index card 3×5 | 127 × 76.2 mm | 12.7 × 7.62 cm | 5 × 3 in | 360 × 216 pt | 1,500 × 900 px | 5:3 |
| Index card 4×6 | 152.4 × 101.6 mm | 15.24 × 10.16 cm | 6 × 4 in | 432 × 288 pt | 1,800 × 1,200 px | 3:2 |
| Index card 5×8 | 203.2 × 127 mm | 20.32 × 12.7 cm | 8 × 5 in | 576 × 360 pt | 2,400 × 1,500 px | 1:0.63 |
| Playing card (poker) B8-ish | 63.5 × 88.9 mm | 6.35 × 8.89 cm | 2.5 × 3.5 in | 180 × 252 pt | 750 × 1,050 px | 5:7 |
| Playing card (bridge) | 57.2 × 88.9 mm | 5.72 × 8.89 cm | 2.25 × 3.5 in | 162 × 252 pt | 675 × 1,050 px | 1:1.56 |
| Tarot card | 70 × 120 mm | 7 × 12 cm | 2.76 × 4.72 in | 198 × 340 pt | 827 × 1,417 px | 1:1.71 |
| Trading card MTG | 63.5 × 88.9 mm | 6.35 × 8.89 cm | 2.5 × 3.5 in | 180 × 252 pt | 750 × 1,050 px | 5:7 |
Have a measurement instead of a name? Paste it into the paper size finder — it reads 210 x 297, 8.5 x 11 in or 24x36 and names the sheet.
About this series
Cards are small, handled daily and made to fit wallets, holders and machines, so their sizes are more tightly held than most paper. Some are governed by ISO 7810; most are trade conventions that vary by country.
The anchor is ISO 7810 ID-1, the credit-card size: 85.6 × 53.98 mm (3.37 × 2.13 in) with 3 mm corner radii. It is the same for bank cards, driving licences and most ID cards, and it sets the size of card slots in wallets and readers. Business cards cluster around it: 88.9 × 50.8 mm (3.5 × 2 in) in the United States and Canada, 85 × 55 mm across most of Europe, 91 × 55 mm in Japan (meishi), 90 × 54 mm in China, 90 × 55 mm in Scandinavia and 74 × 52 mm (A8) where designers follow ISO 216.
Postcards come in two sizes: 152.4 × 101.6 mm (6 × 4 in) in North America and A6 (148 × 105 mm) in ISO countries. Index cards follow inches everywhere: 3 × 5, 4 × 6 and 5 × 8 in. Playing cards are 63.5 × 88.9 mm (2.5 × 3.5 in) for poker and 57.15 × 88.9 mm (2.25 × 3.5 in) for bridge, and trading-card games use the poker size. Tarot cards are usually 70 × 120 mm.
Card sizes relate to paper sizes only loosely. A6 postcards are one quarter of A4. The ISO 216 business card is A8. ID-1 is close to, but not the same as, the European business card.
A practical tip: print business cards with 3 mm bleed and keep text 3 mm inside the trim, on 300 to 400 gsm board. A card 1 mm larger than the local norm will not fit standard holders, so match the country you are handing it out in.
Which size to print
Match the country where the card will be handed over, not the country where it is designed. A US card at 3.5 × 2 in will not sit flush in a European cardholder, and a European 85 × 55 mm card rattles in a US one. In Japan the 91 × 55 mm meishi is close to non-negotiable, and handing over the wrong size is noticed.
If cards will be given out in several countries, the European 85 × 55 mm is the safest compromise: it is closest to the ID-1 credit card that every wallet is built around.
What to send the printer
Add 3 mm of bleed on every edge if any colour reaches the edge, and keep text at least 3 mm inside the trim. Guillotines drift by up to a millimetre through a stack, and a card is small enough that a millimetre shows.
At 300 dpi a US card artboard is 1,050 × 600 pixels before bleed, and 1,121 × 671 with it. Supply the file with crop marks if the printer asks for them, and in CMYK rather than RGB unless they say otherwise.
Stock and finish
Between 300 and 400 gsm is the range that feels like a business card rather than a postcard. Below 300 gsm a card bends in a pocket; above 400 gsm it stops fitting standard holders and costs noticeably more to cut.
Finish is where the cost goes: matte lamination, soft touch, spot UV and foil each add a pass. Rounded corners add a die. None of them change the size, but soft touch and lamination each add a fraction of a millimetre, which matters if you are already at 400 gsm.
What drives the price
Quantity dominates, because setup is most of the cost of a short run and cards are printed many-up on a large sheet. Doubling the order rarely doubles the price. After that it is finish, then stock weight, then whether the back is printed at all.
Questions about this series
What size is a standard business card?
88.9 × 50.8 mm (3.5 × 2 in) in the US and Canada; 85 × 55 mm in the UK and most of Europe; 91 × 55 mm in Japan; 90 × 54 mm in China; 90 × 55 mm in Scandinavia.
What size is a credit card?
85.6 × 53.98 mm (3.37 × 2.13 in), the ISO 7810 ID-1 format, with corners rounded to a 3 mm radius. Bank cards, driving licences and most ID cards use it.
What size is a standard postcard?
In the US, 6 × 4 in (152.4 × 101.6 mm). In ISO countries, A6, 148 × 105 mm. Both are close enough to share racks, but A6 is 4 mm narrower and 3 mm taller.
What size are playing cards?
Poker size is 63.5 × 88.9 mm (2.5 × 3.5 in), used for standard decks and trading-card games. Bridge size is 57.15 × 88.9 mm (2.25 × 3.5 in). Tarot cards are usually 70 × 120 mm.
What size business card should I print?
Match the country where you will hand it out: 3.5 × 2 in in the United States and Canada, 85 × 55 mm across most of Europe, 91 × 55 mm in Japan. For international use, 85 × 55 mm is the safest choice.
What size should my business card artwork be?
1,050 × 600 pixels at 300 dpi for a US card, or 1,121 × 671 with 3 mm bleed on every edge. Keep text at least 3 mm inside the trim.
What paper weight should a business card be?
Between 300 and 400 gsm. Below 300 the card bends in a pocket; above 400 it may not fit standard cardholders.
Why do my cards not fit my cardholder?
Almost always because they were printed to a different country’s standard. A 3.5 × 2 in US card is 4 mm wider and 4 mm shorter than the European 85 × 55 mm, which is enough to bind or rattle.