A business card is usually the first physical thing a client holds from your brand — and in Hong Kong it still changes hands with both hands and a small pause. This guide covers what you need to get cards designed and printed here: the standard sizes used in Hong Kong and overseas, how to set up bleed and safe zones so nothing important gets trimmed off, which paper stocks and finishes work, and the layout details that keep a card readable.
Why the setup details matter
A card is no longer just a way to exchange contact details — it carries the brand. Before you design one, it pays to know the printing requirements: the finished size, the bleed your printer expects, and the finishing options available. A card that follows the standard proportions slips into any wallet or card holder and keeps working for you long after the handshake; a card with a QR code or a personal touch can route people to your site, your booking system, or your portfolio.
Standard business card sizes — Hong Kong and overseas
Card sizes differ by region. The table below lists the common standards and the artwork size once bleed is added — useful when your card has to match a stack printed in another market.
| Region / use | Finished size (W × H) | With bleed* | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong / Mainland China | 90 × 54 mm | 96 × 60 mm | The default across Asia — fits wallets and card books. If you place an order in Hong Kong with no size specified, this is what you will get. |
| Japan | 91 × 55 mm | 97 × 61 mm | Slightly longer and narrower — an elegant ratio common in formal business settings. |
| US / Canada | 3.5 × 2 in (≈ 89 × 51 mm) | 3.75 × 2.25 in | North-American standard; allow 1/8 in (≈ 3 mm) bleed. |
| UK / EU | 85 × 55 mm | 91 × 61 mm | The credit-card-adjacent European standard, between the US and Japanese ratios. |
| Custom / creative | Any | Depends on the die | Squares, folded cards and die-cut shapes are all possible — just think about how they will be stored and mailed. |
*Finished size plus 3 mm of bleed on each edge.
Most designers stay with the landscape format — it is easier to lay out and matches how cards are stored. A portrait card stands out, but confirm the client is happy with the unusual ratio before committing a print run to it.
Popular alternative sizes in Hong Kong
Beyond the regional standards, two slimmer variants have become popular with Hong Kong designers in recent years: 90 × 50 mm and 90 × 45 mm. Both keep the standard width but trim the height, which reads as more refined without breaking wallet compatibility.
If you want to push further, square cards (around 50 × 50 mm), slim formats (85 × 40 mm or 90 × 48 mm), and die-cut shapes — rounded, leaf-shaped, arched — all print well. They earn a second look, but they need a custom cutting die, cost more to finish, and are less convenient to store and post. Larger formats also cost more: size and price move together.
In short, there is no rule that says you must use a standard size — if the design fits the brand, the message is clear and the budget works, go for it. Left unspecified, Hong Kong printers will default to 90 × 54 mm.
Bleed and safe zones: the 3 mm rule
Bleed is the extra margin of artwork that extends past the finished size and is trimmed away after printing — it exists so that a tiny shift on the cutting line never leaves a white sliver on the edge. The standard in Hong Kong is 3 mm on each edge: a 90 × 54 mm card is designed as a 96 × 60 mm file. Cards with special die-cuts or fold lines should carry 4–5 mm instead.
The safe zone is the opposite: an inset area that protects your name, logo and contact details from the trim. Keep all text and key elements at least 3 mm inside the trim line — for the Hong Kong standard size, that is roughly an 84 × 48 mm working area. Add another 1–2 mm of inset for rounded corners, die-cut shapes or folds.
Make sure background colours and images extend all the way to the bleed edge, while everything you need to read stays inside the safe zone. Do both and a 1.5 mm cutting tolerance will never be visible in the result.
Layout and typography that stay readable
Type sizes and fonts
- Minimum 8 pt for any text on the card — smaller than that is a squint.
- Name and company at 10–11 pt, bold or in a heavier cut, so the most important line reads first.
- Contact details at 8–9 pt — secondary, but still clearly legible.
- Two typefaces maximum. Decorative or hand-written faces may need an extra 1–2 pt to stay readable.
- Keep similar information at the same size and weight — three sizes of phone number is clutter, not hierarchy.
Colour and contrast
- Stick to the brand's main colour plus one or two supporting colours.
- Design in CMYK, not RGB, so what you approve on screen is what the press reproduces.
- Use real contrast: light type on dark ground or dark type on light ground — never mid-grey on mid-grey.
Hong Kong specifics
- It is common here to print English on one side and Traditional Chinese on the other. Treat each side as its own layout with the same hierarchy, rather than cramming both languages onto one face.
- Adding a QR code? Reserve at least 15 × 15 mm, keep it off busy background art, hold it 3 mm clear of the trim — and test-scan a proof before the full run.
Paper stocks and finishes
Paper is half the impression. The workhorse choices in Hong Kong are coated art cards in gloss or matte, clean uncoated stocks like white business cards, and premium textured stocks such as cotton cards, which take letterpress-style impressions beautifully. FSC-certified recycled stocks are widely available if sustainability is part of the brand story.
On top of the stock, finishing is where a card becomes memorable:
- Rounded corners and die-cutting — rounder corners wear better and feel friendlier; custom shapes turn heads but add die costs.
- Embossing and debossing — pressing the surface into relief for a tactile, premium feel; works best on thicker, softer stocks.
- Hot foil stamping — metallic gold, silver or coloured foil for logos and names; combines well with embossing for extra depth.
- Spot UV — a glossy clear coat over selected areas, so a pattern flashes when the card catches the light.
- Matte or soft-touch lamination — a velvet-feel, scuff-resistant film across the whole card.
These can be layered — foil over an emboss, or spot UV over a matte laminate — but agree the finishing order with your printer first, and match the ambition to the budget.
Case study: a personalised card that pulled 70% scan-through
Background: a beauty salon wanted to stand out in a crowded market and decided to rebuild its card as an interactive, personalised tool that also carried its sustainability message.
What they did:
- Stock: FSC-certified recycled paper in a natural tone, matching the brand's positioning.
- Layout: a clean landscape front with the brand mark; a QR code on the back linking to the online portfolio and booking system, with a first-visit discount attached.
- Finishing: rose-gold foil on the brand name, matte lamination for feel, spot UV on the key graphic.
- Personalisation: each card printed with the client's own name and an exclusive discount code.
Result: around 70% of recipients scanned the QR code, bookings rose roughly 20%, and new customers arrived through cards shared by friends — a card doing genuine marketing work, not just carrying a phone number.
FAQ
How much bleed does a business card need?
3 mm on each edge as standard. Go to 4–5 mm for special die-cuts, very thick stocks or folded cards.
What is the standard business card size in Hong Kong?
90 × 54 mm (96 × 60 mm with bleed). Japan uses 91 × 55 mm, North America 3.5 × 2 inches, the UK and EU 85 × 55 mm.
Are vertical (portrait) business cards practical?
They look distinctive and suit creative fields. Keep the information in clear top-to-bottom blocks, and make sure the card still stores easily.
How do I put a QR code on a card?
Reserve a square of at least 15 × 15 mm on a quiet background, keep it 3 mm from the trim edge, and always test-scan a printed proof before approving the run.
Ordering business cards in Hong Kong, in English
You can browse and order business card printing options online at Printing Banana, with delivery across Hong Kong and Macau. Send us your artwork as a PDF with 3 mm bleed in CMYK — and if anything in this guide needs a second opinion, WhatsApp us at +852 3001 5678. English is fine.