Example finished card size
Print preparation guide
Business Card Print Setup: Trim, Bleed and Safe Area
Work through an 85 × 55 mm example, calculate a 3 mm bleed canvas and keep names, logos and QR codes away from the cut.
Quick answer
For an illustrative 85 × 55 mm card with 3 mm bleed, prepare a 91 × 61 mm artwork canvas. With a 4 mm safe margin inside trim, critical content fits within 77 × 47 mm. Confirm these values with the printer, extend backgrounds into bleed, and keep text and code clear zones inside the safe region.
85 × 55 mm + 2 × 3 mm = 91 × 61 mm canvasWith 3 mm on every edge
With 4 mm inside each trim edge
Decision table
This card at a 300 PPI raster target
| Region | Physical size | Pixels, rounded |
|---|---|---|
| Trim | 85 × 55 mm | 1004 × 650 px |
| Bleed canvas | 91 × 61 mm | 1075 × 720 px |
| Safe region | 77 × 47 mm | 909 × 555 px |
Use the printer’s card template
Business cards have several regional and product-specific sizes. The example here is 85 × 55 mm; another provider may use 90 × 50 mm or 3.5 × 2 inches. Rounded corners, folded cards and special finishes can change the placement rules. Download the exact template for the ordered product and check its trim, bleed and safe margin labels.
Set the physical document dimensions first. Use vector text and logos where possible rather than making the entire design a screenshot. A raster PPI target describes placed images; sharp vector lettering is not improved by inventing a universal pixel size for every card.
Calculate each region independently
Bleed is outside the trim. Adding 3 mm twice to each dimension gives 91 × 61 mm. Safe margin is inside trim: subtracting 4 mm twice gives 77 × 47 mm. A background should fill the larger canvas, but a name or logo should stay in the smaller protected region. Bleed is not extra room for text.
At 300 PPI, the 91 mm canvas width is 91 ÷ 25.4 × 300 = 1074.8 pixels, rounded to 1075. The 61 mm height becomes 720 pixels. These rounded raster values describe this example only. A PDF can retain exact physical page dimensions without converting the entire card to a raster image.
Protect small text and QR codes
Inspect the card at actual size. Contact details that look comfortable on a large monitor may be hard to read on a small printed card. Keep contrast strong and avoid critical text close to trim. Fine borders can make small cutting variation conspicuous even when the artwork includes bleed.
A QR code needs its quiet zone and must remain easy to scan after printing. Do not crop that blank zone to fit a tight layout. Test the exported code and a printed sample at final size on more than one device. Avoid claiming a fixed minimum size for every code; density, error correction, print process and use conditions vary.
Check both sides before ordering
Confirm whether the provider wants separate front and back files or a two-page PDF. Check the back’s orientation against the chosen flip direction, then inspect both sides for equal safe margins and the correct contact details. Do not rely on a screen mockup to prove the page order and orientation of the delivery files.
Order a proof or short test run when alignment, fine lettering or a special finish is critical. Record the approved version and avoid changes after approval without repeating the relevant checks. The geometry calculator prepares numbers; the printer’s proof confirms how those numbers behave in production.
Practical workflow
Use this order before you export.
- Download the exact product template.
- Set trim and calculate bleed and safe area separately.
- Check text and scan the code at actual size.
- Verify front/back order and approve a printed sample.
Sources and method
Check the requirement behind the number.
These guides explain repeatable calculations and planning ranges. The print provider's written specification remains the final production requirement.
Put the guide into practice
Calculate your card’s margins →The printer’s template defines the card; popular dimensions are examples, not universal standards.
Use the linked calculator with your own dimensions, then verify the result against the provider's production requirement.