What is the standard business card format? Business card sizes What is the standard business card size
It is an essential element of doing business. Every entrepreneur who wants all business partners to know about his company should have it. Of course, you can show creative approach- change the format of a business card, decorate it in different colors, draw catchy pictures on it. However, it is better to leave it to your advertising campaign aimed at target audience. When it comes to a business card, your goal is to concisely and clearly provide basic information that your partner or client might need to contact you. To do this, it is better to follow the standard business card format and the relatively business form of the content.
standard format
Many people who are not in business think that the business card format is completely free - you can make any kind of business cards you want. However, in reality this is far from the case. After all, there are certain standards that should be observed - although, of course, no one is forcing you to do this. So, if you are doing business in Russia, then there the business card format should be as follows: 9 by 5 centimeters. This is a typical size that is used everywhere, so you should stick to it. Firstly, your business card will look neat and familiar to all customers and partners. Secondly, most people put their cards in a business card holder, which has a certain size. And it just fits business cards nine by five centimeters. So don't ignore the rules. Of course, they are not mandatory, but there is a certain business culture, and the standard size of a business card is one of the rules of good taste.
European format
If you are going to print business cards for yourself, then you should contact a specialized company that, for a small fee, will quickly, efficiently and efficiently provide you with the appropriate service. Most often, you need a business card designed on a computer, the format is a Word document. Then you can easily make the required number of cards of a standard size.
There is, however, another format with which you will not have any difficulty. If you are going on a business trip to Europe, then business cards of a slightly different format will come in handy. Their length should be a little less - 8.5 centimeters, and a little more wide - 5.5 centimeters. Similar settings are available in most business card companies, so you can safely apply for the service. Again, all you need is in Word format.
Custom format
As mentioned earlier, the standard format is just a matter of decency, there are no set rules for which your business card should have a specific size. However, you should understand that the production and distribution of non-standard business cards is associated with a number of problems. Not a single card printing company will have the necessary settings for machines and cutting machines. Therefore, you will definitely be required to pay extra for the hassle. When the cards are made, you will greatly lose in the efficiency of their use, since they will not fit in a standard business card holder or will fall out of it, so the likelihood that a client or partner will lose your business card increases greatly.
The size of the finished business card in millimeters. Physical size of the finished business card 90/50 mm (1063/591 px), but the size of the layout file should be 2-4 mm larger, since each polygraphy has different trim sizes. To date, modern printing houses make a crop of 2 mm, respectively, the size of the developed layout should be 92/52 mm (1087/614 px).
The number of pixels per inch. Most printing houses today use printing equipment with print resolution 300 pixels per inch. This format provides excellent quality of finished business cards points. A resolution of 600 pixels per inch is used less often, since the gain in quality is small, but such business cards are more expensive to print.
Resolutions in pixels. In Photoshop (Photoshop) or other imaging programs, the first step is to set the number of pixels per inch (usually 300px / dpi). Further, the image size can be specified in pixels, centimeters or millimeters. After specifying the size, for example, in pixels, the program (Photoshop) will calculate the size in centimeters (cm), or vice versa.
Image file format. The most popular layout file formats are - *.tif, *.eps, *.pdf. The *.tif format makes it possible to convey all the shades and details of the image flawlessly and without loss of quality, but at the same time it is easy to work with. The *.eps and *.pdf formats have their own nuances in saving finished images (sometimes very confusing), but the quality is no better than in the *.tif format, so it is more popular. But photos in *.tif take up much more memory than others, so some professional designers or users with limited Internet speed or limited computer memory sometimes use them.
The color model of the image. Most printing companies require layouts with image color parameters CMYK / 8bit. This format is optimally suited for the main part of printers and allows you to save all the properties.
Business card edges: since business cards are printed not individually, but in a whole roll, they are then cut by a special machine, which has its own errors in cutting (like any equipment), so it is advisable not to place important data, phone numbers, addresses on the edges of a business card (3-5 mm) or important images with logos.
Tips on paper weight, style and cost of business cards
When ordering printing of business cards, you should pay attention to the density of the paper. When printing digitally (circulations up to 1000 pieces), people often choose photo paper or coated paper with a density of 200-250 grams per square meter to save money. Business cards made on photo paper or coated paper have no serious look and subject to rapid mechanical wear.
When ordering offset printing of business cards (circulations from 1000 pieces per layout) in Internet printing wholesale prices You will only be provided with coated paper of the highest density of 350 grams per square meter. At will, business cards can be opened with one-sided glossy or double-sided matte film, which will make them more presentable and durable.
Before creating a business card layout, you need to choose a style presentation of information: graphic or informational. If you try to fit a large number of images and texts on one business card (a piece of paper with an area of 9 by 5 cm), you will most likely get the opposite effect - you will push the reader away. Also, do not use more than three different fonts and primary colors in the layout. It is advisable to keep the front and back sides of the business card in the same style.
The cost of printing digital (from 40 to 180 UAH for 96 pcs) and offset (from 95 to 280 UAH for 1000 pcs) way is vastly different. At the same time, the quality of offset printing is often higher than digital. There is no point in overpaying for digital printing if you don’t “burn” to receive business cards today. Moreover, to order business cards in the online printing industry at wholesale prices, you do not need to come to the office, it is enough to create a task for developing a layout or send ready layout with your contact details to our e-mail and the printing manager will contact you to clarify the details of the order. Terms of production of business cards in offset way in Internet printing vary from 2 to 7 working days depending on the circulation and type of lamination.
A business card is one of the oldest ways of self-presentation in the business world, which plays an important role in shaping the image of a businessman or an entire company. Correctly, a well-designed business card can contribute to the growth of the company's popularity, increase the number of customers and partners. A bad one, on the contrary, can ruin even the most impeccable reputation. Therefore, everyone should treat the design of their business card with special trepidation and responsibility. It concerns absolutely everything: the general design concepts, selected colors, fonts, the size of the business card itself, the quality of the paper on which it will be printed.
Of course, if you want your business card to be special, different from all that you have ever seen. No one can forbid you to make it the way you see fit. But for the manifestation of a bright individuality, it is better to experiment with color, design, fonts, but not the size of the product itself.
Business card standards in different countries
AT Europe The standard business card size is 85x55 mm. A batch of business cards of this format and, accordingly, on English language, we advise you to get it if you have European partners.
"Across the Ocean" traditionally use business cards of the following sizes:
- USA- 88.9x50.8 mm
- Japan- 91x55 mm
Interestingly, the accuracy of jewelry in the size of business cards for the Japanese plays a huge role. Are you going to establish business relationships with Japanese businessmen? It makes sense to think about how to print cards in the size traditional for their country.
AT Russia and countries CIS generally accepted for business cards is the size of 90x50 mm. It is this size of business cards that are most often found in our country, therefore, in printing houses and printing shops, the equipment for cutting cards is “by default” set up for this size, and any non-standard order, accordingly, leads to the need to reconfigure the equipment parameters.
Why exactly 9 by 5 centimeters? This tradition has been carried on since the times of the USSR, where they liked to keep strict records of everything in the world. Paper was expensive (in fact, now it cannot be called cheap either), so every millimeter counted. Industry experts have calculated that this is the size of business cards that leaves the least amount of waste.
A very interesting approach to the design of business cards in China. Russian entrepreneurs who have business contacts with representatives of this country will do well to take them into account. Everyone knows that for life, the Chinese are guided in everything by the Taoist practice of Feng Shui. According to her, certain numbers are considered lucky, while others, on the contrary, bring trouble. For example, they avoid the number 9. Considering that this number appears in the business card parameters adopted by us, we need to level it negative impact, for example, by dividing a business card with a color into two unequal parts.
Non-standard business card: pros and cons
In the practice of every printing house and printing workshop, at least once there was a client who wanted to make business cards larger or smaller than the “standard”. Basically, they are driven by the desire to stand out from the rest. But whether such a move will play into the hands is a huge question. The fact is that business card holders and other accessories for storing business cards, up to special “pockets” in wallets and purses, are made under the standard size of 9x5 cm for Russia, larger business cards simply won’t fit into them, and smaller ones risk falling out. That is, the most rational decision would still be to give preference to the usual size, and to make a business card unusual due to design.
- This value is not constant. Of course, there is a business card standard generally accepted in Russia, it is 90x50 mm.
However, there are customers who ask to make the business card format larger or smaller. Most likely, the departure from the standard size for them means a way to be original.
You can change the format, but for this you need to change all the settings on the cutter twice, cut a non-standard set of business cards separately. All this takes a lot of time and not all printers agree to this. Those who agree require an additional fee for this, which is quite fair. It turns out quite expensive and often leads to disproportion.
It is clear when an order for euro-format business cards is made. This is the European standard business card size 85x55 mm. Specialists and individuals who travel on business and leisure to European countries and are going to expand their circle of acquaintances, order euro-format business cards. Besides, international exhibitions and symposiums held in Russia oblige our businessmen and scientists to acquire Business Cards in Western format in foreign languages. When using some types of equipment, printing such products will require more expensive design paper, which, accordingly, increases the cost and final cost of euro-sized business cards. Yet it is justified and cost-effective.
It is still worth cautioning business people who are trying to stand out by changing the format of business cards. The fact is that all business card holders and other specialized accessories for storing business cards are made to fit the Russian business card size in cm 9x5. Smaller business cards simply fall out of the cells of the business card holder, and larger business cards simply cannot be placed in a small pocket. Thus, it turns out that it is more rational in all respects to order business cards of the standard Russian size 90x50 mm:
1. It's cheaper.
2. Your business card will be placed in a business card holder, and not put in a pocket or on a table, where it will get lost among many other things.
There is one more important aspect of this issue: business card designers working with two main sizes 90x50mm and 85x55mm perfectly “feel” these sizes and almost never have problems with proportions. Non-standard business cards are often a little awkward precisely because of the unusual card format.
Polygrand company offers printing business cards both standard size and Euro format. Designers of our company will offer several options for the layout of the layout, and you will be satisfied with the quality and timing of the order. When designing business cards, you can use the section.