Business Card Size and Artwork Areas
Short answer
In Georgia the standard business card size is 90x50 mm. The European format is 85x55 mm and the American one 89x51 mm. Artwork is prepared with 2 mm bleed per side (a 94x54 mm full canvas), and text must sit at least 3 mm inside the trim edge. The accepted cutting deviation is ±0.5 mm.
Size is the business card parameter people get wrong most often — not the size itself, but the three areas that surround it: bleed, trim line and safe area. If those three are not set correctly in the artwork, the printed card will either show a white sliver or have text cut off at the edge. This page covers every common format, gives exact figures for bleed and safe area, and explains why a cutting tolerance exists at all.
Key facts
- Georgian standard
- 90x50 mm
- European format
- 85x55 mm
- American format
- 89x51 mm
- Full canvas with bleed
- 94x54 mm (for 90x50)
- Bleed
- 2 mm per side
- Safe area
- 3 mm from the edge
- Cutting tolerance
- ±0.5 mm
- Rounded corner radius
- 3 mm (standard)
The three areas you need to know
Artwork has three concentric areas. The outer one is bleed: background and background imagery must extend 2 mm beyond the card size on each side. The middle one is the trim line, where the card is actually cut — 90x50 mm. The inner one is the safe area, 3 mm inside the trim line, where all text and important elements must sit. Logo, name, phone — all inside that inner area. The background, conversely, must run out to the outer edge.
- Bleed: 94x54 mm — background only
- Trim line: 90x50 mm — final size
- Safe area: 84x44 mm — for text
Why a cutting tolerance exists
After printing, cards are cut in stacks on a guillotine. The stack shifts by fractions of a millimetre during cutting, and the sheet itself expands or contracts slightly with humidity. The real cut therefore lands within ±0.5 mm of the mark — this is normal and true of any print shop. That is exactly why bleed and safe areas exist: they absorb the deviation. If a frame or rule is drawn 1 mm from the edge, the tolerance will make it look thicker on one side than the other — which is why thin frames near the edge are inadvisable.
Non-standard sizes and shapes
The standard 90x50 mm is the most practical because it fits every card holder. Square (50x50 mm), elongated (90x40 mm) or rounded-corner variants are all possible. The standard corner radius is 3 mm. Bear in mind that a non-standard shape requires a separate cutting die or plotter cutting, which increases both lead time and cost. A square card stands out visually but sits badly in a wallet — a trade-off worth weighing in advance.
Sizes and artwork areas
| Format | Trim size | Full canvas (with bleed) | Safe area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgian standard | 90x50 mm | 94x54 mm | 84x44 mm |
| European | 85x55 mm | 89x59 mm | 79x49 mm |
| American | 89x51 mm | 93x55 mm | 83x45 mm |
| Square | 50x50 mm | 54x54 mm | 44x44 mm |
| Elongated | 90x40 mm | 94x44 mm | 84x34 mm |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which size should I choose?
What happens if I skip the bleed?
Can I send artwork at exactly 90x50 mm?
What radius are the corners rounded to?
Can I draw a thin frame at the edge?
Is a vertical card possible?
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