Flyers · Glossary
What is business card size? AU, US and UK dimensions
There is no single world standard. Australia mostly uses 90 by 55 millimetres, the United States and Canada 3.5 by 2 inches, about 89 by 51 millimetres, and the UK and Europe 85 by 55 millimetres. At 300 DPI an Australian card is 1063 by 650 pixels before 3 millimetres of bleed.
Business card sizes grew from local paper and wallet conventions, so the card that looks normal in Sydney looks slightly large in New York and slightly small in London. Getting the size right decides whether it fits the card holders, sleeves and wallets of the people you hand it to.
Nuwan Madhusanka · Co-founder
4 min read · Published
| Region | Trim size | Inches | Pixels at 300 DPI | With 3 mm bleed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and New Zealand | 90 x 55 mm | 3.54 x 2.17 | 1063 x 650 | 96 x 61 mm, 1134 x 720 px |
| United States and Canada | 88.9 x 50.8 mm | 3.5 x 2 | 1050 x 600 | 3.74 x 2.24 in, 1121 x 671 px |
| UK and most of Europe | 85 x 55 mm | 3.35 x 2.17 | 1004 x 650 | 91 x 61 mm, 1075 x 720 px |
| Square card | 65 x 65 mm | 2.56 x 2.56 | 768 x 768 | 71 x 71 mm |
Three regions, three sizes
No ISO standard covers business cards, so each market kept its own printing convention. North American printers use 3.5 by 2 inches, ten of which fit on one letter sheet. The UK and much of Europe use 85 by 55 millimetres. Australian printers such as Paperlust quote 90 by 55 millimetres, which is wider than both the US and European cards and still fits standard holders. Large online printers publish their own figures, and they are not always identical: VistaPrint lists its US standard card at 3.5 by 2 inches, its UK card at 85 by 55 millimetres and its Australian card at 91 by 55 millimetres, while MOO sells an 84 by 55 millimetre card it calls MOO size.
Bleed, safe area and pixels
Every print shop asks for bleed on a card with colour to the edge, usually 3 millimetres on each side, and a safe area of a further 3 to 5 millimetres inside the trim for text. On a 55 millimetre tall card that leaves roughly 45 millimetres of height for type, so a card with a name, title, phone, email, website and address is already full. At 300 DPI the Australian card is 1063 by 650 pixels and 1134 by 720 with bleed; a logo placed on it should be a vector file or at least 600 pixels wide so it does not print soft.
Reading the card in the hand
A card is read at about 30 centimetres, so body text of 7 to 9 points works, with the name at 10 to 14 points. Thin serif fonts below 7 points break up on uncoated card stock. Contrast matters more than on a screen: grey text on white or pale text on a mid tone background prints much weaker than it looks on a monitor. If the card carries a QR code, keep it at least 15 to 20 millimetres square and give it a quiet zone of white around it.
Common mistakes
The first is designing to the wrong country's size and having the printer stretch or crop it. The second is text inside the bleed or so close to the trim that the guillotine clips a letter. The third is a full colour border, which shows the slightest misalignment in cutting as a thicker edge on one side. The fourth is a phone number set in the same weight as everything else, when it is the one detail most people look for.
Business cards and the flyer editor
The flyer editor has no business card canvas. Its eight sizes are A4 portrait and landscape and six social sizes, and none of them matches a card's proportions, so a card is better built in a tool that starts at the card size. The blank PNG linked above is 1063 by 650 pixels, the Australian card at 300 DPI, which any editor can open as a canvas. The DPI calculator converts the other regional sizes to pixels at any resolution, and the bleed and trim calculator gives the canvas size with bleed added. A matching A4 flyer for the same business can come from the generator, using the card's colours and logo through the brand kit.
Questions people ask
What is the standard business card size in Australia?
90 by 55 millimetres is the size Australian printers such as Paperlust quote as standard, and it fits Australian card holders and wallets. Some online printers use a millimetre or so more; VistaPrint Australia lists 91 by 55. Always download the printer's own template, which shows its exact trim, bleed and safe lines.
Will a US business card fit a European card holder?
Usually yes, with a little room. A US card is 3.5 by 2 inches, about 89 by 51 millimetres, which is a few millimetres longer and shorter than the 85 by 55 millimetre European card. Holders and sleeves are generally made with enough clearance for both.
What paper weight is used for business cards?
Most standard cards are printed on 300 to 400 gsm card, with premium cards at 450 gsm or more, sometimes made by laminating two sheets together. Heavier stock feels more substantial and resists bending in a wallet, but it costs more and very thick cards will not fit some card scanners.
Should I put a QR code on a business card?
It helps when the code leads somewhere useful, such as a booking page or a contact file that saves the details to a phone. Keep it at least 15 millimetres square, test it from a print rather than the screen, and do not let it crowd out the phone number and name.
What size should a business card logo file be?
A vector file, such as SVG, EPS or PDF, is best because it scales to any size without losing sharpness. If only a bitmap exists, use one at least 600 pixels wide for a logo that spans about half the card at 300 DPI, saved as PNG so edges stay crisp.
Make one with flyers
The button opens the generator with this use case already described. Change the wording to match your own.
Create a flyer with OneCraftRelated questions
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Step by step in the builder: Choose your flyer template, theme and size.
Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .