Business Card Types
Compare size, material and finish for your design and intended use.
Short answer
Choose a business card for readability, intended use and required quantity. The finished size must hold the contact text, while stock and finish should suit the logo, QR code and any handwritten area. This page compares card types; send the chosen specification for a printing quotation and timeline.
- Finished format
- Agree exact width and height; 90×50 and 85×55 mm are common options
- Text
- Approved name, role, phone, email and links
- Paper
- Choose stock type, weight and surface for the intended use
- Finish
- Request lamination, foil or varnish as separate requirements
- Artwork
- Final size, agreed bleed and safe area
- QR code
- A working destination and actual-size scan check
Use the size guide for dimensions and artwork margins, the paper guides for surface and feel, and the finishing guides for individual effects. Appoint one person to approve names, roles, phone numbers and links. For staff versions, retain a common layout and a separate checked list of each person’s information.
Choose a topic
Printing and production
Design, size and artwork
Post-press finishing
Business and location
Which business card should you choose?
Choose the card for how you hand it over, the information it needs to carry and the impression you want. Size, material and finish work together. Compare the options below and follow the relevant guide for the details.
Size, portrait and landscape layouts
90×50 mm and 85×55 mm are common rectangular formats, not mandatory standards for every order. Specify the finished width and height and check the holder in which the card needs to fit.
A portrait design does not always require a different format: it may use the same dimensions rotated. Square, mini or folded cards need their own size and production assessment. Match the format to the content instead of fitting everything by shrinking the type.
| Format | Practical check |
|---|---|
| 90×50 mm | Long text lines, contact information and holder fit |
| 85×55 mm | Vertical distribution of content and exact finished size |
| Custom shape | Outline, handling area, safe margins and manufacturing feasibility |
Paper: classic, canvas-textured, kraft and laminated
Paper weight in gsm is mass per unit area, not a precise thickness measurement. Two stocks with the same gsm can differ in stiffness, thickness and surface. Assess surface consistency and contrast for small text and QR codes.
Colour and detail behave differently on smooth white paper, brown kraft and textured stock. Canvas-textured paper changes the feel but is not canvas fabric. A brown kraft appearance alone does not establish recycled content or environmental certification.
| Paper type | Why consider it | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Classic | A clear text and logo layout | Surface, colour proof and handwriting |
| Canvas-textured | A tactile impression | Fine lines and QR codes on the texture |
| Kraft | A brown background and simple contrasting design | Colour shift and the feasibility of printing light elements |
| Laminated | A selected paper with an additional film | Stock and film specified separately; reflection and handwriting |
Matte, gloss, soft-touch, foil and spot UV
Lamination covers a surface; spot varnish or foil highlights selected elements. Matte and gloss finishes reflect light differently, while soft-touch is principally a tactile choice. None of these labels guarantees universal pen compatibility, scratch resistance or colour behaviour.
A foil-finished card is not a metal card. A gold-coloured element may use different processes: establish whether the brief calls for metallic foil, ordinary printed colour, relief or another effect. Blind embossing, letterpress and raised effects are separate processes whose availability must be confirmed.
Corners, cuts and custom shapes
Rounded corners change the edge of a rectangular card; they do not mean a circular or arbitrary die-cut card. The corner radius and clearance to nearby text depend on the chosen cutting process.
For a custom contour, provide its exact outline and finished dimensions. Assess fragile projections, safe edges, handling, packaging and holder fit. Acceptance depends on a technical review of the shape and material.
Paper, plastic or metal?
Paper, plastic and metal cards use different materials, but the material name alone does not establish the finished performance. The background affects a transparent plastic card; fine lettering on metal depends on the surface and marking process.
A plastic contact card is not automatically compatible with an access, banking or loyalty system. Wood, acrylic and other unusual material requests need a separate project review rather than being assumed to be standard stock.
| Material | What to assess |
|---|---|
| Paper | Readability, stiffness, finish and quantity |
| Plastic | Exact material, thickness, opacity and print durability |
| Metal | Exact metal, thickness, edges and marking contrast |
Make the final choice and prepare the order
For everyday contact sharing, start with readable wording, a simple layout and the quantity you need. Add an effect when it helps distinguish the logo or another important element. For handwritten appointment cards, testing the actual surface is often more useful than extra decoration.
Compare a real sample or an agreed proof and record the final size, material, sides and finish. Use the ordering guide for price comparisons, design, QR/NFC differences, staff versions and handover requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Are a business card and a contact card different products?
In this context both refer to a card sharing a person’s or company’s contact details. Size, material and design may vary. This page concerns contact cards, not a bank’s business payment card.
Must every business card be 90×50 mm?
No. 90×50 and 85×55 mm are common formats. Choose exact finished dimensions for the content and holder; agree the feasibility of custom shapes before production.
Is heavier paper always thicker?
Gsm describes mass per unit area. Thickness and stiffness also depend on composition and processing; weight alone cannot establish how the finished card will feel.
Can I write on matte or soft-touch cards?
That depends on the actual coating and pen. Leave space and test ink drying and smudging on the selected sample. A matte appearance does not guarantee suitability for handwriting.
Are gold foil cards and metal cards the same?
No. Foil is an effect applied to a selected surface; a metal card has a metal substrate. Ordinary gold-coloured printing also differs from metallic foil.
Do QR or NFC cards need a special format?
A QR can appear on different cards when its size, contrast and quiet zone are suitable. NFC additionally requires a chip and compatibility assessment. A digital profile and its ongoing service are separate requirements to clarify before ordering.
How should I compare material samples?
Assess actual-size text, contrast, handling, surface and QR scanning. Agree sample availability, type and cost beforehand; an illustrative photo is not evidence of a completed project.
Order your business cards
Timing is agreed after the project review. Send the card dimensions, stock, printed sides, finish and quantity, required date and collection or delivery location.
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