Updated: 6 June 2022
The standard business card size in the UK is 85mm x 55mm (or 8.5cm x 5.5cm). This will be the finished, printed size of your card and is also the same size as a standard credit or debit card, meaning it’ll fit perfectly in your wallet.
Making sure your business card is the standard business card size for your country is highly beneficial. It means it’ll fit perfectly into your business card holder without damaging the corners and will slot into your new contact’s wallet easily too. Here’s a quick guide to choosing a business card size.
Standard Business Card Size UK
The standard business card size in mm in the UK is 85mm x 55mm (or 8.5cm x 5.5cm).
When uploading your artwork for print, you’ll be asked to supply it with a ‘bleed area’. In the UK, bleed is an extra 3mm added to each side to allow for cutting to make sure your design runs to the edge of the document. Without this, you’ll risk having a white border on your business card design.
To make your design with bleed, set your business card size to 91mm x 61mm.
This is also the European standard business card size.
US Business Card Size
The finished, printed size of a standard business card in the US is 3.5” x 2”. This equates to 88.9mm x 50.8mm when using the metric system.
Like in the UK, you’ll need to add a bleed area to your design if you’re planning on getting it professionally printed. Bleed is 1/8th of an inch. Make sure you keep all your important information well within the bleed zone to ensure it isn’t snipped off after printing.
Your finished artwork size with bleed will be 3.75” x 2.25”.
Standard business card sizes in Canada are the same as in the US.
Singapore Business Card Size
The business card size in mm used in Singapore, China and Hong Kong is 90mm x 54mm, which is slightly wider and shorter than the European standard business card size.
Again, you’ll need to add 3mm of bleed to each side of your design to avoid a white outline appearing around your design.
The finished dimensions of your artwork with bleed should be 96mm x 60mm.
Although standard business card sizes from around the world have different dimensions, they should all fit in a standard wallet or business card holder.
Tips for Handing Out Business Cards
We've covered what size a business card is in multiple countries, so here are a few tips for how to effectively hand out your business cards.
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Always keep them with you
You never know when you’ll come across a contact who needs the help of your business. Keep your cards in your wallet or a holder in your bag/pocket for when the opportunity arises to introduce yourself and your business.
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Make sure they look professional
By using professionally printed and designed business cards, you’re showing you care about your business and how you present yourself. It’ll also vastly improve your chances of getting a call back from it. Here’s everything you need to know to create a professional business card.
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Start a conversation
Get to know a little bit about the person before handing out your business card. Building rapport is a great way of making a memorable impression. Your business card will then be used to remind them of you and allow them to get in touch.
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Ask for one in return
Whenever you hand your business card out, ask for one in return. As well as being good etiquette, it shows that you’re interested in the other person and will make them feel important.
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Be creative
To get maximum exposure from your business cards, you’ll need to think outside of the box when it comes to distributing them. Including them in customer orders, tying them to balloons or jars at events and making the most of these fun hacks are just a few ways of using business cards creatively.
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Follow up
Keep note of who you’ve handed your cards out to and after a few days send a message to them. You could connect with them on social media, send them a link to your business page or just let them know that it was a pleasure to meet them.
Need Some Help?
Now you know the standard size of a UK business card, all that’s left to do is design your own. Check out our free designs page and customise them to create your own. We’ve already added the bleed and safety, so all that’s left for you to do is add your contact details.
Show us your finished printed business cards on social media by tagging us @instantprintuk or #instantprintuk for a chance to be featured.
Need some more advice on the standard business card size or need to know our business card sizes in pixels? Contact our friendly team and they will be more than happy to help.
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