A Buyer's Guide to Visiting Cards: Size, Paper and Finish

People judge a visiting card in seconds: how it feels, whether the number is readable, whether it bends in a wallet. If you are planning visiting card printing in Vellore or anywhere in India, here is what matters, explained as we would at the counter.

Size: standard, square or round

• Standard: 3.5 × 2 inches (88.9 × 50.8 mm), landscape or portrait. It fits standard wallets and card holders, and suits most businesses.
• Square: usually 2.5 × 2.5 inches (63.5 × 63.5 mm). It stands out and suits designers, boutiques and cafés, but it will not sit neatly in a standard holder.
• Round: die-cut after printing. Memorable, but keep text short and centred.

Whatever the shape, your file needs bleed. Extend the background 2 mm past the trim line on every side, so a standard card file measures 92.9 × 54.8 mm. Keep text and logos at least 3.5 mm inside the trim on a standard card, 4 mm on a square card and 5 mm on a round one. Cutting has a small tolerance; this margin prevents white slivers on the edge and clipped phone numbers.

Paper GSM: how thick should the card be

GSM means grams per square metre: the weight of the paper, and a fair guide to its thickness.

• 300 GSM: the everyday visiting card. Firm, and good value in larger quantities.
• 350–400 GSM: noticeably stiffer. Less likely to bend or curl in a wallet, and more substantial in the hand.
• 600 GSM duplex: two sheets pasted back to back. Thick and rigid, suited to senior roles, architects, jewellers and premium brands.

If your card is your main sales tool, premium thick visiting cards are worth the extra.

Matte or glossy lamination

Lamination is a thin plastic film bonded over the print. It guards the ink against scuffs and moisture, and changes the look.

• Glossy: brighter colours and punchier photos, but it reflects light and shows fingerprints. Suits food, retail and colourful designs.
• Matte (matt): soft, no glare, a quieter look that stays readable under shop lights. Dark full-colour backgrounds can show rub marks over time.
• No lamination: a plain paper feel. Choose it if you write appointment times on cards; ballpoint does not take well on laminated film.

Single side or double side

Single side is simpler and usually costs less. Double side gives you room without crowding the front. Use the back for:

• a list of services or products
• a map, landmark or branch addresses
• the same details in Tamil for local customers
• a QR code for your website, WhatsApp or Google Maps location, at least 2 cm square

Keep the front clean: logo, name, one phone number. Let the back do the explaining.

What to put on your visiting card

Only what someone needs to reach you:

• Name and designation
• Business name and logo
• Mobile number, marking which one is on WhatsApp
• Email and website
• Address with a landmark and pin code
• GSTIN, if you sell to other businesses

Keep small text at 7–8 pt or larger, set colours in CMYK (bright screen colours are RGB and can print duller) and use images at 300 dpi. Then check every digit on the proof. One wrong number wastes a whole box of cards.

How many cards to order

• 100–200: a new business, or details that may change soon.
• 500: a professional who hands out cards most days.
• 1,000 or more: shops, clinics and sales teams that hand one out with every bill.

Long runs go on offset, where the cost per card drops as quantity rises. Short runs go on digital, so small orders stay practical.

Visiting card printing in Vellore: how ordering works

Himalaya Offset has been printing in Vellore since 1991, from our press at 14, Chunnambukara Street. For the design, you can:

• pick one of our templates and edit it in the online editor
• upload your own file
• ask our team to design it for you

We send a free digital proof first, and nothing prints until you approve it. Prices are shown live and before GST, which is added at checkout. The GST invoice is emailed, and business buyers can add their GSTIN. Collect from our Vellore store, choose local delivery, or courier anywhere in India, with charges and dates shown at checkout. For an urgent job in Vellore, call +91 88384 35916 to ask about same-day options.

For a regular 3.5 × 2 inch card, the standard visiting cards page has the options and the live price.