◆ In short
The standard size in Italy is 85 × 55 mm. Your file needs three things: 3 mm of bleed on every side (the guillotine is not surgical), a 4 mm safety margin to keep text and logo inside, and colours in CMYK at 300 dpi. If the file arrives in RGB we convert it, but bright colours — electric blues, fluorescent greens — will dull slightly: better to know in advance. From 100 pieces on 350 gsm coated stock we start at € 15 single-sided, € 20 double-sided.
The size: 85 × 55, and why it matters
In Italy the standard business card is 85 × 55 mm. That is not an aesthetic convention: it is the size that fits wallets, card holders and the pockets of filing binders, and it is what the person receiving it expects.
Other sizes exist and we print them gladly — 90 × 50 mm (European, slightly slimmer), 89 × 51 mm (American, the one in international templates), the 55 × 55 square or mini formats for those who want to stand out. But bear this in mind: a non-standard size does not fit card holders, and a card that cannot be filed gets thrown away.
One tip from the counter: if you are ordering cards for a trade fair abroad, check the local format. In Japan the meishi is 91 × 55 mm and is exchanged with both hands — an Italian card gets noticed there, though not always in the right way.
The three measurements that save your file
Bleed: 3 mm past the edge
The artwork must run over- What it is: the artwork continues past the trim line by 3 mm on every side
- Size with bleed: 91 × 61 mm instead of 85 × 55
- Why it matters: sheets are cut in stacks and the blade has a tolerance of a few tenths. Without bleed, a minimal shift leaves a white sliver along the edge
If the background is white you don't need bleed: white meets white and nobody notices.
Safety: 4 mm inwards
Where NOT to put anything- What it is: an inner frame 4 mm from the trim
- What goes in it: nothing important — no text, no logo, no phone numbers
- Why: the same tolerance that eats the bleed can bring the cut close to your text. A phone number one millimetre from the edge looks like a mistake even when the cut is perfect
If your address runs almost to the edge, the answer is not a better cut: it is moving inwards.
Resolution: 300 dpi at final size
Pixel count alone is not enough- Rule: 300 dpi at print size, not at the file's original size
- In practice: a logo 8 cm wide on the card needs to be at least ~950 pixels across
- A logo grabbed from a website is almost always 72 dpi: crisp on screen, blurry in print
Better still: a vector file (PDF, AI, EPS, SVG). Vectors have no resolution and print sharp at any size. If all you have is a PNG of your logo, we can redraw it.
CMYK, and the black that isn't black
Screens work in RGB and mix light; printing works in CMYK and mixes inks. They are two worlds with different boundaries: the brightest RGB colours — electric cyan, fluorescent green, vivid orange — simply do not exist in four-colour process, and come out slightly duller. That is not a fault of the press: it is the difference between light and pigment. If your brand has an exact colour, bring us the reference (Pantone code or CMYK values) and we will match it.
Then there is the matter of black, which surprises almost everyone. Plain black (K 100, everything else at zero) looks greyish and flat across a large area. Rich black, with some cyan, magenta and yellow underneath (say 60/40/40/100), is deep and full.
⚠️ The opposite is true for small text: 8 pt text in rich black requires four inks to register perfectly, and a tenth of a millimetre of drift shows as a coloured fringe around the letters. Small text always goes in plain black, K 100. Black areas in rich black, lettering in plain black: that one rule fixes 90% of the cards that look "blurry" without being blurry.
Papers and finishes, in plain words
The reference weight is 350 gsm: that is the substance people expect from a card, the one that does not bend between your fingers. Below 300 gsm a card feels flimsy; above 400 gsm it struggles to fit some card holders.
- Gloss coated — colours pop and photographs look their best. It shows fingerprints, and you cannot write on it.
- Matt coated — the most common choice: elegant, no glare, readable under any light.
- Uncoated (wove) — a rough, warm surface, slightly book-like. Beautiful for professional practices and craftspeople; colours come out softer because the paper absorbs.
- Soft-touch matt lamination — the velvety one. It costs more and you feel it in the hand: if the card has to be remembered, touch does more work than the layout.
One detail that gets overlooked: if you plan to write on it — a mobile number, an appointment — avoid gloss and lamination, because the pen slides. Anyone who hands over a card with the appointment time written by hand should print on uncoated stock.
The mistakes we see most often
There are five, they have been repeating for twenty years, and every one of them takes two minutes to avoid.
The file with no bleed
Number one on the list. The coloured background stops exactly at the trim and the job comes out with a white sliver down one side. Fix: rebuild the file at 91 × 61 mm with the background running over.
The PDF without embedded fonts
The file opens on our machine with a different typeface and nobody notices until it is printed. Fix: export as PDF/X, or convert text to outlines.
The logo grabbed from the website
Sharp on screen, pixelated in print: it was 72 dpi. Fix: ask your designer for the vector file, or bring it in and we will redraw it.
Tiny text in rich black
The letters look like they have a coloured shadow. Fix: all text below 12 pt in plain black, K 100.
The back flipped the wrong way
It sounds trivial, but it happens: the back must flip on the long edge, otherwise it prints upside down. Fix: mention it when you send the file, or supply a two-page PDF in the right order.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard business card size in Italy?
85 × 55 mm. It is the size that fits wallets and card holders, and the one we print unless you tell us otherwise. With bleed, build the file at 91 × 61 mm. We also print 90 × 50 mm (European), 89 × 51 mm (American) and square or mini formats, but remember that a non-standard size cannot be filed.
Can I bring a file made with Canva?
Yes, and plenty arrive. Two things: export as print PDF (not a JPG image) and switch on the crop marks and bleed option that Canva offers on export. If a file arrives without bleed we can still print it, but the artwork has to be scaled up slightly and something at the edges is lost: better to export it properly.
How much do 100 business cards cost?
On 350 gsm coated stock we start at € 15 for 100 pieces single-sided and € 20 double-sided. The unit cost drops considerably with quantity: ordering 500 costs far less than five times as much. Special finishes — soft-touch lamination, raised varnish — are quoted separately.
How long do they take?
With a file that is ready to go, same day, and for urgent jobs even within the hour. If the file needs fixing or the logo needs redrawing there is an extra design step: we tell you the time and the cost up front, before starting.
Gloss or matt paper?
Matt if in doubt: readable under any light, no glare, no fingerprints. Gloss if the card carries a photograph or colours that need to pop. Uncoated if you expect someone to write on it, because pens slide on coated stock.
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