To choose business cards, decide three things: the material, which sets how the card looks and feels; the size; and any special finish. We print five materials: Laminated, Uncoated, Letterpress, Plastic and Metal. Laminated and Uncoated cards are made in 2–3 business days before finishes. This guide compares them and walks through ordering.
Which business card material should I choose?
Start with how the card will be used. Full-color designs and photos suit laminated paper. A card people write on, or a quieter look, suits uncoated paper. For a card people keep, letterpress on cotton paper presses your design into a thick sheet. Plastic and metal are for cards that get handled a lot or need to make a statement.
| Material | What it is | Thickness | Best for | Smallest order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laminated | Coated paper with gloss, matte, sparkle or soft-touch lamination | 13pt, 15pt, 32pt | Full color, photos, solid backgrounds | 50 cards (200 at 13pt) |
| Uncoated | Fine paper with no lamination | 13pt, 16pt, 32pt | Text-led designs, a softer look, cards you write on | 50 cards (200 at 13pt) |
| Letterpress | 100% cotton paper, printed by letterpress in up to 3 spot colors a side, or none for a blind impression | 24pt to 39pt (300 to 700 g) | Deboss, painted edges, a card people keep | 50 cards |
| Plastic | PVC, printed in full color | 15, 30 or 33 mil | Membership cards, NFC cards, cards that get handled a lot | 50 cards (10 with NFC) |
| Metal | Metal alloy, engraved, etched or printed | 12pt to 40pt (0.3 to 1 mm) | A statement card for a small number of people | 5 cards |
Each material has its limits. Laminated cards are hard to write on. Uncoated paper prints colors softer and isn’t made for large solid areas. Letterpress prints spot colors, not full color, and each color is priced on its own. Plastic comes in one size with rounded corners. Metal takes 12–15 business days to make, with or without finishes. Prices for every option are on each product page.
What size should a business card be?
- Standard, 3.5 × 2 in (88.9 × 50.8 mm): the US business card size, on Laminated, Uncoated and Letterpress cards.
- Square, 2.56 × 2.56 in (65 × 65 mm): on the same three.
- Custom size: on the same three, from 0.71 × 0.71 in (18 mm) up to 3.54 × 2.13 in (90 × 54 mm), either way round, at the price of the standard size. Custom sizes are upload only: the online designer and templates use the standard sizes.
- Credit card size, 85.5 × 54 mm: plastic cards, with rounded corners.
- 89 × 51, 85 × 54 or 80 × 50 mm: metal cards, with rounded corners.
Paper cards come with square corners, or rounded corners for a little extra; a die-cut letterpress card keeps square corners. If you’re not sure, choose the standard size: it fits card holders and wallets made for the US.
Which finishes can I add?
A finish is anything beyond ink on paper. What you can add depends on the material:
| Finish | What it does | Available on |
|---|---|---|
| Hot foil | Metallic foil pressed in with heat | Laminated, Uncoated, Letterpress, and Plastic at 30 and 33 mil |
| Cold foil | Foil applied during printing, so color can go over it | Laminated 15pt and 32pt |
| Raised UV | A clear gloss you can feel, on the parts you choose | Laminated 15pt and 32pt |
| Flat UV | A flat clear gloss, with matte lamination | Laminated 13pt |
| Deboss and emboss | Your design pressed into the paper, or raised from it | Letterpress |
| Painted edges | Color on the four edges | Uncoated, and Letterpress on Montericca 360g, Montericca 530g and the 700g paper |
| NFC chip | A chip inside the card: tap a phone to open your link | Letterpress on Wilde 300g and Montericca 360g; Plastic at 33 mil, where every card has a chip, included in the price; and Metal |
| Laser engraving, etching, full-color print, screen-printed color, ink coat | How metal cards are decorated, with numbering, die-cut shapes and NFC as extras | Metal |
Our finishes page has the full table, including die-cut shapes, doming and numbering. To set up a file for a finish, see How to prepare files for special finishes.
How long will my business cards take?
Production starts once your file passes our check, which usually takes 1 business day. Then:
| Material | Production, in business days |
|---|---|
| Laminated, Uncoated, Plastic | 2–3, or 5–7 with finishes |
| Letterpress | 5–7 |
| Metal | 12–15 |
Shipping then takes 2–5 business days by Express (DHL Express) or 7–12 by Standard (4PX), both tracked. A Laminated card with no finishes, sent by Express, usually arrives in about 5–9 business days from your order. Your cart shows the estimated arrival date for what you choose, and our Shipping and duties page lists every card.
How do I order business cards?
- Open the product page and choose the size, paper, finish and quantity.
- Design the card in our online designer, start from a template, or upload your file. PDF, AI, EPS or SVG work best, with photos at 300 dpi and 3 mm (0.125 in) of bleed. Each product page has PDF and PNG templates in its File setup section.
- Check the review page, add the card to your cart and check out. You don’t need an account.
We check every file by hand before printing and email you if something needs to change, so there’s no proof for you to approve. Laminated 13pt and Uncoated 13pt are printed on shared sheets, so color can vary slightly between batches; if a reorder must match exactly, choose a digitally printed card: Laminated 15pt or 32pt, or Uncoated 16pt or 32pt. The full steps are in How to place an order.
Can I see the papers before I order?
Yes. Our free sample pack has Laminated, Uncoated, Letterpress and Plastic business cards, so you can feel the thickness and the finishes. Standard shipping is free, and you can get one pack per email address each year.
What if something is wrong when they arrive?
Photograph the parcel and the cards within 48 hours of delivery and contact us. We’ll reprint or refund a damaged order. Make any claim within 14 days of delivery. The full rules are in our shipping policy.
