Business card size is standard for printing. Business card sizes. Why do people want business cards in custom sizes?

A business card is a small piece of cardboard or thick paper on which you can see contact information that the owner would like to communicate about himself to people who are useful or interesting to him. Typically this is your full name, phone number, address Email and place of work. Sometimes you can find a personal website, fax, address and other information on business cards.

In the past, it was customary for men's business cards to be slightly larger than women's. In general, even the role of cards was different then: a person came on a visit and the receptionist or servant took the card from him and brought it to the person to whom the person came to visit.

Men's usually had about the same size as today: 90 x 50 mm. The woman’s business card was made smaller, approximately 80 x 40 mm. But the young girl usually had a very small card, 70 x 35 mm.

The fashion for business cards of different sizes became a thing of the past when business card holders and albums for storing cards were introduced, where a standard pocket was provided for each. An additional argument in favor of a standard size is the very fact that today business cards are printed in a printing house, and there it is easier and cheaper to do everything according to a template than to try different sizes.

There is also a European format, this is 85 x 55 mm. Usually they are ordered by businessmen or scientists when they are going on a visit to European countries. Also, Euro-standard business cards can be useful at international events held in Russia.

Why do people want business cards in custom sizes?

A business card is not only a carrier of information, it also serves to form a person’s image, and this forces people to use the most different types paper, experiment with designs and change card sizes. Sometimes a person comes to a printing house to order a batch of business cards, but the standard size does not suit him, he wants to be original, wants to somehow stand out from the competition.

There are many difficulties associated with this: the printing house needs to change all the cutter settings, and then return them back. This usually requires additional time, but not all employees can cope with such a task, so some printing houses refuse such orders altogether. Another reason more high price The problem with non-standard business cards is that they usually require more designer paper, which is already quite expensive.

If you want to create business cards for use in Russia, but would like to stand out, then it is not recommended to make them larger than 90 x 50 mm, but reducing them a little is acceptable. The fact is that business card holders are exactly this size, so a larger format business card simply will not fit in them. No matter how good your card is, if the customer loses it, it will be of no use.

In order for this attribute of a company to help it develop and increase profits, it must be properly designed. Choosing the right one allows you to make it memorable and attractive to potential clients.

But when developing a design, you should pay attention not only to the general style of the selected elements, but also to the size of the business card. How to choose them and what to pay attention to - you will learn about this and more in this article.

Business card sizes for different countries

Many people prefer to choose standard size business cards. But in the end you can get an unexpected result. This is due to the fact that the so-called “standard” business card size is different in each country.

• America and Canada. The standard size of business cards here is 8.56 × 5.39 cm (3.5 × 2 inches). However, not all companies adhere to these size limits. In these countries you can find many business cards that differ in size from the standard.
• Europe. The size of business cards here is 85 × 55 mm. In addition, this aspect ratio is an international standard. But there are also brand representatives who prefer not to obey this rule.

• Japan. In this country, business cards (or meishi) have a standard size of 91 × 55 mm. You should also study the rules for producing and presenting these cards. In Japan, there are certain rules for these rituals that should not be violated.
• Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Moldova. For business cards of these countries, the standard size is 90 × 50 mm. This is also due to savings when cutting cards: it is believed that less money is spent on the production of such business cards.

Technical parameters of changing the size of a business card

When choosing a size business card you should take into account not only the standards of the country in which you plan to implement them, but also a number of other features.

1. Observe required permission layout in pixels. Typically it is 300 px/dpi. This way you will maintain image quality when printing.
2. Use the function to calculate pixels based on given dimensions in mm or cm. This can be done when working in a graphics editor (for example, Photoshop).
3. Leave 3-5 mm from the edges of the card. This is necessary to avoid damaging the image on the business card during cutting. It doesn’t matter what original business card size you choose - the allowance should be left in any case.

Standard or large business card size

There are two main sizes used in business cards: classic and large. Each of them has its own characteristics and is suitable for different purposes. Next we will tell you more about their characteristics.

Classical

By classic we mean the size of business cards, which is 85.6 × 53.98 mm (sometimes 85 × 55 mm). It is considered such because it is equal to the size of bank credit cards. In addition, such business cards are perfect for the standard connectors of almost all business card holders and wallets. Therefore, most often they are presented within these dimensional boundaries.

Big

Large business cards are those that measure 89 by 64 mm. Last years They are gaining popularity due to the convenience of placing information on them. Large business cards can display more useful information about the company. In addition, business cards of this size stand out among standard cards from other companies. But when using them you can encounter a number of difficulties.

What to look for when choosing

When choosing between a standard and large size business card, you should consider the pros and cons of each.

1. Small business cards are more convenient to hold in your hand, and also to store in the slots of a wallet or business card holder. But you can always think about the design of folding business cards that will be convenient to use. In addition, the production of such business cards will cost much less.
2. Preference should be given to non-standard sizes when creating personal cards. They may not obey generally accepted rules, but can have almost any size and shape. And for corporate and representative business cards, it is advisable to choose standard characteristics. However, you can create two versions of business cards at once - with a creative and a classic design.
3. When choosing non-standard card sizes, you should keep in mind that not every printing studio will undertake their production. Sometimes printing houses simply do not have the equipment and materials to print business cards of unusual shapes or sizes.
4. Cutting custom business cards will incur additional costs. Thus, you will need to allocate more budget for this service.

It is optimal to create business cards of a standard size and shape for general use. And cards with an unusual design are best printed in limited quantities and used only for special occasions. This way, you will save the company money and at the same time be able to demonstrate an unusual approach to design with the help of “special” business cards.

Stages of creating a business card

Business card development consists of several steps. Let's look at each in more detail below.

Step 1 - material selection

A business card can be created from various types of materials. Below are the most common ones. However, you can also find business cards made of fabric, rubber, stone, etc. on the market.

Step 2 - choosing a shape

The shape of a business card is no less important than its size. This detail should also be given due attention when developing the design.

1. Geometric shapes.
   
   
   These include business cards in the form of an oval, circle, triangle, polygon, square and standard rectangle. Most often, the last two forms are used for cards. If you decide to choose a square business card, then it is advisable to present it in size 63.5x63.5 mm. In the case of a rectangular card, you can add originality by rounding the corners. In addition, when choosing a figure, you should study the features of the influence of each of them on human perception. In this way, you can achieve the desired associations among potential clients.
2. Curly.
   
   
   You can give your business card a creative look using a curly shape. It must correspond to the direction of the company’s work and reflect the products or services being sold. However, keep in mind that small details may come off and distort the overall impression of the card. Therefore, for such business cards you should choose high-quality materials that are distinguished by their durability and strength.
3. Transformable business cards.
   
   These business cards can change their shape when folded. Using this trick, you can effectively attract the attention of customers, as well as clearly communicate the company’s services. For example, for an airline, you can use a business card that, when folded, takes the shape of an airplane.
4. Embossed.
   
   
   Although this type of design is distinguished by its simplicity, it is well remembered. On such business cards you can make the company and name prominent. It is better to leave the remaining details in the classic printed form. In addition, such a relief can be created not only on paper, but also on wood and metal.

Step 3 - Add Additional Features

In addition to basic actions, a business card can perform a number of special functions.

1. Motivational business cards.
   
   Such cards are great for companies that help people become slimmer and healthier. They effectively present the services of fitness industry workers, nutritionists, stylists, and plastic surgeons. An additional purpose of such business cards is to show clients how they will look after using the services of the presented company. Thus, people are more motivated to turn to the organization to obtain such results.
2. Entertaining business cards.
   
   Typically, business cards of this type are used by companies that operate in relevant fields. You can perform certain manipulations with these business cards: add something, tear it off, fold it, or cut it out. If the card has an entertaining design, then one will definitely be remembered by potential customers and will leave a positive impression of the company.
3. Practical business cards.
   
   
   Such business cards not only provide customers with information about the company, but also perform some additional function. In other words, they can be used for other purposes. With this move, you can earn the trust of the people to whom the business card was issued.
4. Business cards magnets.
   
   
   Business cards of this type are easy to store, as they do not need to be carried in a wallet. In addition, they can serve as a decoration for the surface on which the magnet will be attached (for example, a refrigerator, cabinet, mirror, etc.). Another advantage of such business cards is that they are always in front of your eyes. Thus, potential clients will remember the name of the company well and are more likely to want to use its services. It is advisable to use this type of business cards for organizations that are often in demand in everyday life.

Conclusion

An original business card will certainly attract attention target audience and will be effectively remembered. However, in pursuit of uniqueness, one should not forget about the main functions of a business card. It should, first of all, reflect all the necessary information about the company.

Many clients, when talking with a printing house employee, often find themselves in a difficult situation when it comes to the format of the product. Specialists, as a rule, operate with standard international sizes. In this article we want to take a closer look at what standard sizes are, what they look like and what they are used for.

Standard ISO paper sizes A, B and C series

ISO was created in 1946 by twenty-five national standards organizations. The abbreviation stands for International Organization for Standardization - International organization on standardization. ISO standards are advisory in nature. It is worth paying attention to the fact that in more than 90 countries around the world these standards have been adopted as national ones. In Russia, some of them are adopted as state standards (GOST). ISO develops standards in many areas, but we'll look at those specific to paper:

ISO 216 – A and B series paper standards
ISO 217 – RA, SRA series paper standards
ISO 269 – C series envelope standards

Paper sizes in printing

For the use of paper in the printing industry, the ISO 217 standard specifies two series of sizes: RA and SRA. In these series, the sheet sizes are slightly larger than in series A and B, so that the printing house can accommodate the required technical information. After trimming, a finished product of standard size A or B is obtained. In Russia, printers use the paper sizes established in GOST 5773-90. First of all, this GOST is aimed at book and magazine production, but standard size paper is also used for the production of any other product.

Book publications

Magazine publications

Standard envelope sizes

Envelope sizes are set in ISO 269 and are based on standard A and B paper series

Business card sizes

Most countries in the world use the metric measurement system and adhere to ISO standards for paper sizes. However, in the UK and especially in the US, the inch-based system is still widespread. Many countries have to deal with these dimensions, especially when using computer equipment. Often American titles formats are found in printer settings and graphics packages, for example, CorelDraw. Therefore, it is also useful to familiarize yourself with them.

English and American paper and envelope sizes

There are currently no standards for business card sizes. You can choose the size that is most convenient for you. Nevertheless, in many countries there is an internal idea of ​​a convenient business card, the standard size of which is adhered to by the majority of residents. In addition, manufacturers of other products are guided by the established size of a business card: business card holders, wallets, envelopes for business cards, folders with space for business cards, etc. Below are the sizes of business cards accepted in various countries.

We hope that our article will help you navigate the complex world of formats and standards and make it easier to communicate with printing representatives!

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From this article you will learn

• What is the standard business card size
• What size to choose for printing business cards
• What are the requirements for layouts for printing business cards?
• Why take into account flares and flares when printing business cards?

An important attribute of modern business man is a business card. When ordering it, special attention should be paid to choosing its size. It will only be able to fully fulfill its purpose when it can be easily found at the right moment. Usually people store received business cards in special bookkeepers with transparent cells or in the credit card compartment of their wallet. In both those and others, the cells for cards have certain sizes that correspond to accepted templates. What are these standards and what should be the size of a business card for printing, you will learn from this article.

Standard business card size for printing

A business card is one of the components of its owner’s image, so his desire to make the card original is understandable. However, even the most creative person needs to follow some size traditions. So, in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine there is a standard size for a rectangular business card: 50×90 mm (5×9 cm). Currently, layouts for printing them are usually performed on a computer in one of many graphic applications, for example, Illustrator or Photoshop.

Standard size business card in the mentioned applications is:

in inches – 1.97×3.54 inches (Illustrator);

in pixels, at a resolution of 72 ppi – 142×255 pixels (Illustrator);

in pixels, at a resolution of 300 ppi – 591×1063 pixels (Photoshop).

Maintaining these sizes of business cards for printing allows you to minimize paper waste during their production.

If we take printing paper standards as a basis, in particular, ISO or DIN standard formats, then the closest formats to the mentioned size of business cards will be A8 (52x74 mm) and C8 (57x81 mm). However, such sizes are now increasingly used for business cards. The reason for this is most likely the inconvenience of storing them.

Thus, it is desirable that the business card measures 50 mm in height and 90 mm in width. At the same time, women are allowed to have cards slightly smaller - 40x80 mm, which corresponds to the size of business cards that existed back in the days of the Soviet Union.

Abroad, business cards are made in smaller sizes. When producing them, they are often guided by the ISO 7810 ID-1 standard, which regulates the production of plastic cards, driver's licenses and identity cards.

In accordance with this standard, the card dimensions are 85.6x53.98 mm. Manufacturers of accessories in creating the most popular models of purses, purses and wallets, use this format when determining the size of pockets for storing credit and discount cards.

It is also rare to find business cards abroad in sizes that meet the printing standards of A8 (defined by ISO as 1/16 A4, which is 74x52 mm or 2.913x2.047 inches) or C8 (according to DIN is 1/16 C4 , which is equal to 81×57 mm).

In European countries, the most popular business card size for printing is 85x55 mm. And in the USA, cards measuring 3½x2 inches (88.9x50.8 mm) are often found.

In Japan, business cards are slightly larger - 91x55 mm. If you are going to visit this country, take business cards with these dimensions. For the Japanese, size is very important in this regard.

In Europe, only Germany pays attention to the size of a business card. The Germans react painfully if the card does not fit well in the cell.

In other EU countries this is easier.

For example, in Italy business cards in the form of booklets are now fashionable.

And in England, narrow and long business cards are often found.

Not long ago, original business cards of non-standard sizes appeared with a magnetic strip designed to attach them to metal surfaces. Such cards can be attached to the refrigerator or computer. They will hang in a prominent place and contain useful advertising information.

Such business cards are effective for representatives of the service industry, for example, for a repairman household appliances, taxi driver or computer assistance specialist.

For those who need a business card solely to advertise the services they provide, we can recommend making it a little longer than the standard. This will make it stand out from the pile on the table or in the box. It will be easier to find it among other similar ones. However, the main thing here is not to overdo it!

How to choose the size of a business card to print

When choosing the size of a business card, we will focus on its purpose. There are executive, business, personal and corporate business cards.

It is advisable for any person doing business to have their own business card. It should have the shape of a rectangle with dimensions suitable for the size of a standard bookcase (in Russia it is 50x90 mm). At the same time, the business card should be stylishly designed. It is desirable that it is somehow different from others. Thus, we can recommend not experimenting with the format and size of the card, but rather “playing” with colors, background and font, and pictures.

For example, one way to show originality in card design would be to replace the standard horizontal orientation with a vertical one. In this case, you should take into account the peculiarity of placing contact information on a short line.

Requirements for the size of a business card in the layout

As already noted, preparing a layout for printing business cards is currently done on a computer in one of the many graphics applications. The sample is a file completely prepared for printing.

Files are transferred from computer to computer using standard methods (USB Flash cards, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-R W, email).

File formats can be of the following types:

*.cdr (Corel Draw);

*.ai, *.eps (Adobe Illustrator);

*.tiff (Adobe Photoshop);

*.pdf (Adobe Acrobat).

Depending on the application used to prepare the layout, requirements for ready-made samples, on which the beauty of your business card depends. Below are the basic rules for preparing layouts in the most popular graphics programs: Corel Draw, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator.

Corel Draw

Business cards should be arranged in the file page by page: each card on its own sheet. If the business card is double-sided, the “face” should be placed on the first page, and the back side on the second.

The page size is set to the business card size.

Text should be placed no closer than 4 mm to the trimmed format. Thus, for a card measuring 90x50 mm, all information needs to be placed in a rectangle measuring 82x42 mm.

Fonts need to be converted to curves. To do this, first completely ungroup all elements (Ctrl + U), then redraw (using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Q).

The logo and other brand marks must be drawn in vector mode.

All raster images included in the business card layout must have a resolution of 300 dpi, and all special effects should be converted to raster graphics (BitMaps → Convert to Bitmap – 300 dpi CMYK).

Adobe Illustrator

The file extension must be *.eps.

Each card (or its side) is made in a separate file with a transparent frame equal in size to the dimensions of the business card.

All text information should be placed no closer than 4 mm to the edge.

All “overhang” elements must protrude beyond the cut boundaries by 2 mm or more.

Fonts must be converted to curves (Type → Create Outlines).

The brand name and company logo are depicted using vector graphics.

Where transparency was used in the layout, all parts of it need to be converted to one layer of the CMYK color model.

Photoshop

Unlike the two programs already described that specialize in vector graphics, Photoshop is designed to work with raster graphics.

The image should be the size of a business card, including full-length margins. The “overhang” margins provide for at least 4 mm.

Information on the layout is placed no closer than 4 mm to the trimmed format.

Layout made in Photoshop program, should not have additional paths and layers, crop marks.

When creating a sample, keep in mind that a raster of less than 5% will not be noticeable when printing, and accordingly, lines less than 0.03 mm thick will not be printed. In general, we recommend using lines with a thickness of 0.2 mm or more.

Black text should be printed in one black ink (100% K). And large headings and large black areas are used in composite black (50% C, 40% M, 40% Y, 100% K).

When creating a business card layout, it is recommended to use one of two color models– CMYK or Grayscale. Remember also about the greatest total colorfulness, a characteristic defined as the sum of: % Cyan + % Magenta + % Yellow + % Black. When printing on coated paper, its value should be 320%, and on uncoated paper - 280%.

If the layout provides additional requirements for some (indexed) colors, then the color should be indicated according to the Panton Process palette, and its content (in %) in the CMYK model.

To ensure consistent color quality when printing different complex images, it is advisable to attach a color profile to the layout.

Why do you need to take into account overhangs and inflows when choosing the size of a business card to print?

It’s not enough to print a business card well; you also need to cut it evenly. Both largely depend on how the layout is made. Any equipment has its own limit of accuracy. Even minor cutting errors can cause the card to look sloppy. Using “flights” and “flights” when creating layouts allows you to avoid these shortcomings.

In printing houses, “overshoots” and “overshoots” are called allowances for the trimming format, which must be created when the cutting line does not pass along the empty field of unprinted paper, but along the picture.

For a standard business card (90x50 mm), as a rule, the overhangs are 2 mm on each side, and the overhangs are 5 mm, respectively:

overhangs of 5 mm - mean that we must step back from the edge of the business card (inward) 5 mm on each side;

overhangs of 2 mm mean that we must add 2 mm to the file on each side (make allowances).

Create a file with a page size of 94x54 mm (including overhangs) and set:

horizontal guides for 2 mm, 7 mm, 87 mm, 92 mm;

vertical guides for 2 mm, 7 mm, 47 mm, 52 mm.

In the image below, the dark frame is part of the program’s working field (in which we create the business card layout), which is not any element of the layout. The white rectangle is the document we created (94x54 mm), which will later become a business card layout.

We place the text, logo and other information in the inner rectangle formed by the guides. Anything that crosses these guides is considered background. He must go to the edge of the working field. TO in the background may belong to photos, dies, etc.

If the overhangs are not left, then after inaccurate cutting, stripes of unprinted paper may form along the edges of the sheet, with different widths in different parts of it. This creates the effect of an oblique cut. In addition, these areas will be of different sizes on each side, which will enhance the impression of sloppiness.

If we don’t provide for intrusions, then we risk that when trimming, some of the important information will fall under the knife.

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Initially, all business cards varied in size, and men's cards were slightly larger than women's ones. Business card size standard - 9×5 cm became relevant only with the advent of business card holders, in which pockets for storing cards are made to a single template. Accordingly, storing too large or small business cards in them is either inconvenient or simply impossible.

Why do you need to know the standard business card size in pixels?

The standard for business card size in pixels in Russia is considered to be 141.73×255.12 px. Why is it important to know it before and start self-production design? It's simple - pixels are the main factor in the quality of typographic printing. In Photoshop programs you can also see the size in pixels 591×1063 px.

It is useful to know that for women the standard size of a business card in cm is still not a strictly established value, and is often equal to 8x4 cm. This is due to the small compartments for storing cards in the wallet.

How to prepare a custom-sized business card for printing

To make and save a custom-sized business card layout for printing yourself, download and install the Business Card Master program on your computer. Through the main menu, enter new data on the card, through the “Design” tab, new design elements are added, the layout is saved by clicking on the floppy disk icon.

Widely popular among travelers business purposes uses euro business card size, which is equal to 8.5×5.5 cm. Abroad they are trying to adjust it to the size of bank cards and driver’s licenses, and you can often find business cards of a non-standard size for us - 8.6×5.6 cm.

Preparing these and any other business card formats is not particularly difficult if you have the skills to work with the Business Card Wizard. We recommend that you master its functions through simple step-by-step instructions.

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