Business Card Size, Bleed and Print Resolution

Trim size is the finished card after the printer cuts the sheet. US and European cards use different proportions, so pick the region where you will print.

85×55 mm is slightly taller relative to width than a US card. A design composed for 3.5×2 in will need re-layout or scaling for strict 85×55 mm output, not a silent stretch.

Bleed is extra artwork beyond the trim line so a small cut error does not leave a white hairline. US shops commonly ask for 0.125 in bleed on all sides; many European templates use 3 mm per edge.

The safe zone is the inner area where text and logos should stay so they are never trimmed off. Printers publish their own templates; a typical rule is to keep important content at least 3 mm (about 0.125 in) inside the trim.

PiCraft keeps contact type inside a centered safe rectangle on the card front. If you edit the file afterward, respect the same margins. For why bleed exists, see what is bleed in printing.

Print shops expect 300 DPI for crisp small type. The pixel sizes in the table above come from multiplying the bleed dimensions by 300 (for example, 3.75×300 = 1125 px width for US bleed width).

Business cards are almost always designed in landscape orientation: the long edge runs horizontally when you hand the card to someone with the text right-side up.

Card stock weight (for example 14 pt or 16 pt) affects feel and thickness but not the digital file size. Choose stock with your printer; the PDF dimensions stay the same.

Before you order, download the template from your print vendor (Vistaprint, Moo, a local shop, or an online PDF spec). Open it in the tool they recommend and compare trim, bleed and safe guides to your file.

Confirm whether they want a single front PDF with bleed, a flattened JPG, or separate front and back files. Upload the PDF with bleed unless they specify otherwise.

If the template trim size differs from 3.5×2 in or 85×55 mm, do not force-fit your art. Resize the canvas to their trim and adjust the layout, or pick a printer that matches the size you designed.

1. Download the printer's PDF or PNG template for your chosen size.
2. Place your artwork on the front layer and align trim and bleed guides.
3. Verify phone numbers, email and URLs character by character.
4. Order a small test batch or a PDF proof if the shop offers one.

A lower-resolution JPG is useful for email signatures and social profiles; it is not a substitute for the print PDF. PiCraft exports a web JPG near 1050×600 px for US cards and 1020×660 px for European size, plus 300 DPI print files with bleed.

The maker designs the front only. Backs are often a solid brand color or a logo added in the printer's editor. It does not embed QR codes or uploaded logos in the generated front.

The Business Card Maker lets you choose US & Canada (3.5×2 in) or Europe (85×55 mm) and downloads a print PDF and 300 DPI JPG with bleed, plus a web JPG.

For other print pieces at Letter size, see flyer size. Invitations and related specs live under invitations and print.