Business Card Thickness & Size Guide
Understand common business card thicknesses, standard sizes, and custom size options before requesting a quote. This guide helps you choose a practical card structure based on brand feel, artwork layout, finishing requirements, and production direction.
Common business card thickness options
PT is a thickness reference, not a paper weight. The final hand feel depends on paper stock, surface treatment, card structure, and whether the card is single-layer, duplex, or triplex.
| Thickness | Approx. mm | Typical Direction | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16PT | Approx. 0.4mm | Standard premium card thickness | Clean business cards, soft touch cards, simple premium layouts, and regular brand use. |
| 30PT | Approx. 0.75mm | Thicker premium card body | Luxury cards with stronger hand feel, executive cards, minimal designs with foil or UV. |
| 32PT | Approx. 0.8mm | Entry-level ultra thick / layered cards | Brands that want a noticeably thicker card without going to the maximum thickness. |
| 36PT | Approx. 0.9mm | Heavy premium card structure | Firm cards with more presence, suitable for thicker duplex or layered builds. |
| 40PT | Approx. 1.0mm | Very thick premium card body | Premium service brands, hospitality, finance, design studios, and high-touch sales use. |
| 48PT | Approx. 1.2mm | Ultra thick card body; structure varies | A strong thickness impression for luxury custom cards; a colored core is a separate construction choice. |
Standard and custom business card sizes
Standard sizes are useful for most brand projects, but ZIVFY can also support custom business card sizes when your layout, brand system, or finishing direction needs a special format.
3.5" × 2"
A safe default for most international business card projects, brand identity cards, and general business use.
3.5" × 1.75"
A narrower format for minimal, modern, and refined layouts with less text and stronger spacing.
85 × 55mm
A common international size for export orders and general business card projects.
Custom Size
Available for square, mini, oversized, shaped, or special layout cards. Final price depends on size, quantity, material, and finish setup.
Choose thickness and size by project goal
There is no single best thickness for every card. The right specification depends on your brand positioning, design complexity, finish requirements, and budget direction.
Need a clean premium card?
Start with 16PT or 30PT. This works well for soft touch cards, matte layouts, simple foil details, and corporate brand use.
Need a heavier card body?
Consider 32PT, 36PT, or 40PT when you want a thicker, firmer card. Thickness alone does not determine whether the card has a visible colored core.
Need visible layered edges?
Choose a triplex or color core structure when the colored middle layer is part of the brand effect. ZIVFY's Color Core directions include 32PT, 36PT, 40PT and 48PT references; choose thickness separately and confirm the paper, core and finish combination after artwork review.
Need unique dimensions?
Use custom size for square cards, slim cards, oversized cards, shaped cards, or special presentation formats.
Match the specification with the right card type
After choosing a basic thickness and size direction, compare card structure, paper surface, and finishing options.
Common questions about business card thickness and size
Can I order a custom business card size?
Is 48PT always better than 16PT or 30PT?
Does the same PT always feel the same?
Which size should I choose if I am not sure?
Will custom size affect the price?
What file setup is needed for custom size cards?
Not sure which thickness or size fits your business card?
Send your artwork, reference images, quantity, target size, paper direction, and finishing requirements. We can recommend a practical thickness and size before quoting.