Custom Printed Business Cards
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Professional business cards printed in the UK on the standard 85 × 55mm format — the size used across the UK and Europe, sized to sit neatly in a wallet alongside bank cards. Choose from five finishes to match your brand, from clean uncoated stock to gold foil.
Key Features
- Standard UK size 85 × 55mm (folded: 110 × 85mm or 170 × 55mm flat)
- Silk or uncoated FSC-certified stocks
- Matt, gloss or velvet soft-touch lamination
- Spot UV and hot-stamped metallic foil available
- Single or double-sided full-colour print
- Multiple names/designs in one order
Choosing Your Finish
| Variant | Best for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (silk, laminated) | Vibrant logos, photos, everyday professional use | Laminated surface resists most pens |
| Uncoated | Craft, artisan and eco brands; appointment cards you write on | Colours print slightly softer; cannot be laminated |
| Rounded Corners | A modern, premium feel with no sharp edges | Keep text slightly further from the corners |
| Gold Foil | Luxury brands, weddings, high-end hospitality | Foil areas supplied as a separate artwork layer; laminated stock only |
| Folded | Mini-menus, loyalty/stamp cards, price lists | Double the space — keep key text clear of the crease |
What Card Weight Actually Means (GSM vs Thickness)
GSM (grams per square metre) measures weight, not thickness. Physical thickness is called caliper, measured in microns — and two stocks of the same GSM can feel slightly different because denser pulp adds weight faster than bulk. As a rough guide, 350gsm silk sits around 0.35mm thick and 450gsm around 0.45mm. For most professional cards, 350gsm is the practical standard; 450gsm with matt lamination is the premium upgrade — noticeably stiffer and resistant to dog-earing. Lamination is applied to stocks above 250gsm (thinner card would curl) and can't be applied to uncoated. For the full plain-English breakdown of silk, gloss and uncoated, see our guide to what GSM means and how to choose paper stock.
Design Minimums That Stop Cards Failing
- Text size: keep body text at 7–8pt minimum for legibility at 85 × 55mm; 6pt only for fine print
- QR codes: print at 20 × 20mm minimum (25 × 25mm is safer) with a clear 3–4mm quiet zone around the code; matt finishes scan more reliably than gloss because they don't throw glare
- Blacks: use a rich black build for large solid areas so they print deep rather than grey; keep small text at 100% K only to avoid ghosting
Artwork Requirements
Supply a print-ready PDF in CMYK at 300 DPI with 3mm bleed on every edge, keeping text at least 3–5mm inside the trim. Fonts should be outlined or embedded. The most common problems we see are RGB files, low-resolution logos and missing bleed — send us your file and we'll check it before anything is printed. UK card sizes differ from US templates — see our UK print sizes guide before downloading a template.
FAQs
What weight should a business card be? 350gsm is the reliable professional standard — sturdy without being flimsy. Choose 450gsm for a premium, substantial feel. Below 300gsm a card starts to feel disposable.
How thick is a 350gsm card in mm? Roughly 0.35mm (350 microns) on typical silk stock — GSM is a weight measure, so exact thickness varies slightly by paper.
Can you write on a laminated card? Not reliably — lamination seals the surface, so ballpoint and gel inks smudge or won't take. If people need to write on your card (appointments, notes), choose uncoated.
Can I have different names in one order? Yes — each name is printed as a separate version. Tell us the quantity per name when you request your quote.
Gloss, matt or soft-touch? Gloss is vivid and shiny, matt is modern and glare-free, velvet soft-touch adds a premium tactile feel.
Litho or digital? Digital for normal quantities — no setup cost, excellent quality. For very large corporate runs or exact Pantone matching, litho can become more economical; here's our honest guide to litho vs digital printing.
Do QR codes print clearly? Yes — at 300 DPI with a clear margin, and ideally 20mm+ in size.
Will the colour match my screen exactly? Screens show RGB; print is CMYK, so slight variation is normal. We print from your CMYK file for the most faithful result.
Get a Quote
Message us on WhatsApp: +44 7950 243399 or email hello@fabricforge.co.uk with your quantity, finish and artwork — we'll come back with a price and check your file for free. Pairs with our compliment slips and letterheads as a matched stationery set.