ID CARD SIZE & CR80 DIMENSIONS
ID card sizes.
Worth getting right.
Start with the finished card size. Then choose image resolution and the print sheet. Those are three different decisions.
8.560 × 5.398 cm
A familiar starting point.
The commonly used ID-1 format measures 85.60 × 53.98 mm, approximately 3.370 × 2.125 inches. “CR80” is a common card-industry size label. Check your holder and supplier rather than assuming every badge uses this size.
Dimension reference: NSAI’s ISO/IEC 7810 listing. See also the ISO standard record. This guide does not certify standards compliance.
A USEFUL LITTLE TOOL
Millimetres to pixels.
Enter the finished size and your export resolution. This calculation runs only in your browser.
Resolution does not change the physical size
The formula is pixels = millimetres ÷ 25.4 × DPI. Round each result to a whole pixel for a raster image. At 300 DPI, 85.60 × 53.98 mm becomes approximately 1,011 × 638 pixels. At 600 DPI it becomes approximately 2,022 × 1,275 pixels.
A PDF can retain text and shapes as vectors. A PNG has a fixed pixel grid. Neither format automatically fixes a printer dialog that is set to fit the page.
Trim, bleed and a safe text area
Trim is the final cut edge. Bleed is extra artwork outside that edge, specified by your printer. The safe area is inside the trim, where important text and photos are less likely to be cut.
For example, a supplier requesting 3 mm bleed on every edge needs artwork 6 mm wider and 6 mm taller than the trim. That would be 91.60 × 59.98 mm around an 85.60 × 53.98 mm card. This is an example, not a universal bleed requirement.
Card size is different from paper size
A4 measures 210 × 297 mm. US Letter measures 8.5 × 11 inches (215.9 × 279.4 mm). Several cards may fit on a sheet, but margins, gaps, bleed and the printer’s printable area determine the actual layout.
Portrait cards swap the long and short dimensions. A plastic holder or slot-punched lanyard may need additional clear space. Use the actual holder and stock specification before finalising a design.
Measure one real output
Print at 100% or Actual size, turn off fit/shrink scaling and measure the test with a ruler. Browser zoom and screen pixel density make an on-screen ruler unreliable.
Download a calibration sample