Standard Card Sizes for Greeting, Business, and Post Cards
Every card type has its own standard, from the 3.5 by 2 inch business card to the 5 by 7 folded greeting card. Here is a single reference across business, post, greeting, and invitation cards, with a comparison table and file setup.
The main card standards are 3.5 by 2 inches for a business card, 4 by 6 for a postcard, 5 by 7 folded for a greeting card, and 5 by 7 flat for an invitation. Folded cards are measured at their finished size, and every card needs 0.125 inch of bleed and a safe margin.
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Standard card sizes in one paragraph
Each card type has its own standard size. Business cards are 3.5 by 2 inches, postcards start at 4 by 6, greeting cards are 5 by 7 folded, and invitations are 5 by 7 flat. Folded cards are measured at their finished size and printed on the flat spread. Every card needs 0.125 inch of bleed and a safe margin. The chart below sets them side by side.
Why card size matters, and how the standards work
Card size seems like a small detail until it goes wrong: a business card that will not fit a wallet, an invitation that rattles in the wrong envelope, a postcard that costs more to mail than you planned. Each card type has a well-established standard size for exactly these reasons, set by how the card is held, mailed, or stored.
Knowing the standard for your card type removes the guesswork before you design. It tells you the canvas to build on, the envelope it will fit, and the postage it will earn. And because the standards are widely used, they are also the most economical to print, since they run efficiently on stock.
This guide is a single reference across the main card types, business, post, greeting, invitation, RSVP, and thank-you, with a comparison table and links to each dedicated size guide. When you are ready to print, our greeting cards, business cards, and postcards cover every standard on the right stock.
Standard business card size
The standard business card in the United States is 3.5 by 2 inches, a landscape rectangle sized to slip into a wallet, a card holder, and a card file. It is the near-universal default, and choosing it guarantees your card fits every standard holder someone might use to keep it.
Elsewhere the standard shifts slightly: much of Europe uses 85 by 55 millimeters, about 3.35 by 2.17 inches, and other regions have their own conventions. If your cards will circulate internationally, that difference is worth knowing, though the US size still fits most holders.
When you want to stand out, square cards at 2.5 by 2.5 inches, folded cards, and rounded corners are popular twists on the standard, but they can be pricier and may not fit every holder. Our business card size guide covers every option, and our business cards print them all.
Standard postcard sizes
Postcards come in a small set of standards, and the size you pick affects both impact and postage. The classic is 4 by 6 inches, which mails at the lowest postcard rate and is the economical choice for direct mail. A 5 by 7 inch card gives more room for a photo or message, splitting the difference between cost and presence.
For maximum attention, a 6 by 9 inch or larger oversized postcard stands out in a stack of mail, though it moves up to a first-class letter or flat postage rate rather than the postcard rate. That tradeoff, cheaper postage versus more presence, is the real decision behind the size.
Whatever size you choose, the back follows the standard mailing layout, with the address and stamp on the right. Our postcard sizes guide details each dimension and its mailing rate, and our postcards print the full range.
What is the standard greeting card size?
The standard greeting card is 5 by 7 inches folded, printed on a 10 by 7 inch flat sheet and mailed in an A7 envelope. The common smaller alternatives are 4 by 6 and 4.25 by 5.5 inches folded.
That 5 by 7 finished size is what card racks, envelope lines and retail displays are built around, which makes it the safe default when you are not sure. Because the card folds once, the press sheet is twice the width: 10 by 7 inches flat, folded down the middle, giving you four printable panels, front, inside left, inside right and back. A 4 by 6 inch folded card prints at 8 by 6 inches flat, and a 4.25 by 5.5 inch folded card prints at 8.5 by 5.5 inches flat.
Choose 5 by 7 when the card carries a photo or a long message and has to hold its own in a stack. Choose 4.25 by 5.5 for short notes and thank-yous, where the smaller card reads as more personal and takes a smaller, cheaper envelope. Whichever you pick, design on the flat spread, extend edge art 0.125 inch past the trim, and confirm the envelope before the job goes to press.
Greeting card, invitation, and RSVP sizes
Folded cards work differently from flat ones, because they are measured by their finished folded size but printed on the full flat spread. The standard folded greeting card is 5 by 7 inches, which prints at 10 by 7 inches flat and folds once. Note and thank-you cards are commonly 4.25 by 5.5 inches folded, printed at 8.5 by 5.5 inches flat. A5 and square formats are popular alternatives.
Invitations follow their own standard: a flat 5 by 7 inch card, roomy enough for full event wording and elegant type, sized to fit a standard A7 envelope. The RSVP card that travels with it is smaller, usually 3.5 by 4.875 or 4.25 by 5.5 inches, sized to tuck into its own reply envelope.
The key to a wedding or event suite is matching standards, so every piece fits its envelope and reads as one set. Our guides on greeting card sizes, RSVP card sizes, and thank-you card sizes cover each in detail, and our greeting cards print them on premium stock.
Card size to envelope size
An envelope is cut about a quarter inch larger than the card it holds, so the card slides in and out without creasing a corner. Match the pair before you print, not after:
| Card size | Typical use | Envelope | Envelope size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.25 x 5.5 in folded | Thank-you and note cards | A2 | 4.375 x 5.75 in |
| 4.5 x 6.25 in | Announcements and save the dates | A6 | 4.75 x 6.5 in |
| 5 x 7 in | Greeting cards and invitations | A7 | 5.25 x 7.25 in |
| 5.25 x 5.25 in | Square invitations and photo cards | Square | 5.5 x 5.5 in |
Two things trip people up here. A folded card is measured folded, so a 5 by 7 greeting card that prints at 10 by 7 inches flat still takes the A7 envelope, not a 10 inch one. And square envelopes are treated as nonmachinable mail, so a 5.25 by 5.25 inch suite carries a postage surcharge per piece: price the mailing before you commit to the square.
Choosing your size and setting up the file
Picking the right size is mostly a matter of naming the card type and matching it to its standard, then confirming it fits its envelope or mailing rate. For folded cards, remember the finished size is half the flat spread, so a 5 by 7 greeting card is designed at 10 by 7 inches with a fold line marked down the middle.
Once the size is set, the file setup is the same across every card type. Build at the exact trim dimension so the proportions are true, extend any edge art 0.125 inch past the trim for bleed, and keep text and logos inside a safe margin so the cut never clips them. Work in CMYK, place images at 300 DPI, and export a flattened, press-ready PDF.
For a single reference across every print product, not just cards, our standard print sizes chart pulls the dimensions together in one place. When your file is ready, match it to the right card product and let the free file check confirm it before printing. Browse everything in the standard card collection.
Wally matches the card to its standard
Name the type, pick the size, set the file
Wally never guesses at dimensions. He names the card type first, then reaches for its standard: 3.5 by 2 for a business card, 4 by 6 for a postcard, 5 by 7 folded for a greeting card. He designs folded cards on the full flat spread, adds a bleed on every edge, keeps text in the safe margin, and confirms each card fits its envelope before it prints.
Print your cards →Quick reference
Standard card sizes compared, at a glance
Match your card type to its standard size. Folded cards are listed at their finished, folded dimension.
| Card type | Standard size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Business card | 3.5 x 2 in | The US standard, sized to fit a wallet and a card holder. Also common in Europe at 3.35 x 2.17 in. |
| Postcard | 4 x 6, 5 x 7, 6 x 9 in | 4 x 6 is the classic and cheapest to mail; larger sizes stand out in a stack. |
| Greeting card | 5 x 7 in folded | Printed flat at 10 x 7 in and folded once. A5 and square formats are also common. |
| Invitation | 5 x 7 in flat | The event standard, roomy enough for full wording and elegant type. |
| RSVP card | 3.5 x 4.875 in | Sized to tuck into a reply envelope alongside the invitation. |
| Thank-you card | 4.25 x 5.5 in folded | A compact A2 folded card, the standard for notes and thank-yous. |
Step by step
Pick a card size and set up the file in 7 steps
- Identify the card type Start by naming what you are making, a business card, postcard, greeting card, invitation, RSVP, or thank-you card, because each has its own established standard size.
- Pick the standard for that type Match the type to its standard: 3.5 by 2 inches for a business card, 4 by 6 for a postcard, 5 by 7 folded for a greeting card, and so on. The standard is the safe default.
- Decide flat versus folded For folded cards, remember the finished size is half the flat size. A 5 by 7 folded greeting card is designed and printed at 10 by 7 inches, then folded once.
- Confirm it fits its envelope or use If the card mails, make sure it fits a standard envelope or the postcard rate. A wallet card should fit a card holder, and an invitation should suit its outer envelope.
- Set the document to the exact size Build your file at the precise trim dimension so proportions are true, and design folded cards on the full flat spread with a fold line marked.
- Add bleed and a safe margin Extend any edge art 0.125 inch past the trim for bleed, and keep text and logos inside a safe margin so the cut never clips them.
- Export and order the matching product Flatten the artwork, export a press-ready PDF, and order the card product that matches your type and size. The free file check confirms it is ready before printing.
Specs and pricing
Greeting card specs and live pricing
Once you have your size, the print decisions come down to stock and finish. Here are the live specs and price-per-unit for greeting cards at 4OVER4.COM, straight from the configurator.
| Quantity | Price Per Unit | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | $1.12 | $56.02 |
| 100 | 78.0¢ | $77.99 |
| 200 | 50.0¢ | $99.95 |
| 300 | 40.6¢ | $121.92 |
| 400 | 36.0¢ | $143.89 |
| 500 | 33.2¢ | $165.86 |
| 600 | 31.9¢ | $191.12 |
| 700 | 30.9¢ | $216.38 |
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Common Questions
Common questions about standard card sizes
What envelope fits a 5 x 7 card?
An A7 envelope, 5.25 by 7.25 inches, fits a 5 by 7 inch card, whether that card is a flat invitation or a folded greeting card that prints at 10 by 7 inches and folds once. The card is measured folded, so the flat printing size never changes the envelope you buy. The quarter inch of extra width and height is what lets the card slide in and out without bending a corner. Step down a size and the pairing follows the same rule: a 4.5 by 6.25 inch card takes an A6 envelope at 4.75 by 6.5 inches, a 4.25 by 5.5 inch folded card takes an A2 at 4.375 by 5.75 inches, and a 5.25 by 5.25 inch square card takes a 5.5 by 5.5 inch square envelope.
What size is an A2 envelope?
An A2 envelope measures 4.375 by 5.75 inches and is built for a 4.25 by 5.5 inch card, the standard folded thank-you or note card that prints at 8.5 by 5.5 inches flat and folds once. It is the smallest of the A series envelopes commonly used for cards, sitting below the A6 at 4.75 by 6.5 inches and the A7 at 5.25 by 7.25 inches. If your card is larger than 4.25 by 5.5 inches in either direction, move up to the A6 or A7 rather than forcing the fit, because a card that fills the envelope edge to edge scuffs at the corners in the mail.
What is the standard card size?
There is no single card size, because different cards have different standards. The most common are 3.5 by 2 inches for a business card, 4 by 6 inches for a postcard, 5 by 7 inches for a folded greeting card or an invitation, 4.25 by 5.5 inches for a folded thank-you or note card, and 3.5 by 4.875 inches for an RSVP card. Each standard is set by how the card is used, whether it fits a wallet, mails at a certain rate, or tucks into a specific envelope. Pick the standard that matches your card type and you will rarely go wrong.
What is the standard business card size?
In the United States, the standard business card is 3.5 by 2 inches, a landscape rectangle sized to fit neatly in a wallet, a card holder, and a Rolodex. It is the near-universal default. In much of Europe the standard is slightly different at 85 by 55 millimeters, roughly 3.35 by 2.17 inches, and other regions have their own conventions. Square business cards at 2.5 by 2.5 inches and folded cards are popular alternatives when you want to stand out, but for a card that fits every standard holder, 3.5 by 2 inches is the one to choose.
What are the standard postcard sizes?
The most common postcard sizes are 4 by 6, 5 by 7, and 6 by 9 inches. A 4 by 6 inch card is the classic and mails at the lowest postcard rate, making it the economical choice for direct mail. A 5 by 7 gives more room for a photo or message, and a 6 by 9 or larger oversized postcard stands out in a stack of mail but moves up to a letter or flat postage rate. Size the card to the balance you want between postage cost and presence. Our postcard sizes guide details every dimension and its mailing impact.
How are folded greeting card sizes measured?
Folded cards are measured by their finished, folded size, but designed and printed on the full flat spread. A standard 5 by 7 inch greeting card is actually printed at 10 by 7 inches and folded once down the middle to 5 by 7. Likewise, a 4.25 by 5.5 inch A2 note or thank-you card prints at 8.5 by 5.5 inches flat. When you set up the file, build the full flat spread with the fold line marked, and keep in mind which panels become the front, inside, and back as the card folds. Our greeting card size guide walks through each format.
What size are invitations and RSVP cards?
The standard invitation size is 5 by 7 inches, a flat card roomy enough for full event wording and elegant type, and it fits a standard A7 envelope. RSVP cards, which travel inside the invitation suite, are smaller, commonly 3.5 by 4.875 inches or 4.25 by 5.5 inches, sized to tuck into their own reply envelope. Thank-you and note cards are typically 4.25 by 5.5 inches folded. Printing the whole suite at matching standard sizes on the same stock keeps everything cohesive and ensures each piece fits its envelope. Our RSVP and thank-you size guides cover the details.
How do I set up any card size for print?
Whatever the card, build your file at the exact trim size so the proportions are true, and for folded cards design the full flat spread with the fold marked. Extend any artwork that reaches an edge 0.125 inch past the trim for bleed, and keep text and logos inside a safe margin about 0.125 inch in, so the cut never clips them. Work in CMYK color, place images at 300 DPI at final size, and export a flattened, press-ready PDF. Confirm the card fits its envelope or mailing rate before ordering, and let the free file check catch anything before it prints.
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