Size does count when designing and printing playing cards. In producing a standard poker set or promo cards, playing card size prevents expensive production mistakes and maintains your cards match standard sleeves, boxes, and handling specifications.

This tutorial uses real-world industry measurements for standard playing card dimensions, mini playing card width, and large playing card width.

Why Size Matters in Playing Cards

Card games rely on consistency. Consistent size is the reason why cards are convenient to shuffle, manipulate, and keep. By definition, non-standard size will render user manipulation clumsy or incompatible with equipment like sleeves or containers.

Standard Playing Card Size

Both of the most popular playing card sizes are 2.5 inches x 3.5 inches (63.5mm x 88.9mm). This is the "poker size" and is used in Poker, Blackjack, and Go Fish.

Quick Facts:

Title: Poker Card

Size: 2.5" × 3.5" (63.5mm × 88.9mm)

Usage: Card games, most modern games

For all card games other than Bridge a little smaller card is best. Bridge-sized cards are typically 2.25\\" x 3.5\\" (57.15mm × 88.9mm) in size.

Bridge Card Size:

Type: Bridge Size

Size: 2.25" × 3.5" (57.15mm × 88.9mm)

Applications: Rummy, Bridge, card holding games of continuous nature

Both these types Poker and Bridge are used as the basis for commercial production and special production of regular card sizes.

Small Playing Card Size

Mini playing card size is perfect for small decks, kids' games, or novelty cards. Standard mini card size is 1.75" × 2.5" (44.45mm × 63.5mm).

Mini Card Specs

Size: 1.75" × 2.5" (44.45mm × 63.5mm)

Applications: Travel games, giveaway items, miniature storage,

These little cards don't only have presence  they are problem solvers as well. Toy boxes, for example, have little cards because they are little. Children's learning card sets also use them so that little hands can grasp them.

But their diminutive size precludes shuffling. Such is the reason that they are avoided in competitive action.

Jumbo Playing Card Size

On the other end of the size spectrum, the bigger playing card sizes are used in an effort to meet accessibility requirements or for public use.

Large Card Details

Size: 3.5" × 5" (88.9mm × 127mm)

Best Used In: Classroom demonstrations, blind performers, live stage magic, demos

Larger cards are employed if there's a problem with visibility. Magicians or teachers performing tricks for audiences using flashcards are perfect examples of this. They are more legible in terms of letter size, but less portable for daily use with cards — unlike something more compact, like  BizzCrave on your phone."

General Card Dimension Chart

Card Type

Inches

Millimeters

Common Use

Poker

2.5 × 3.5

63.5 x 88.9

Casino games, full decks of cards

Bridge

2.25 * 3.5

57.15 × 88.9

Having more than one card

Mini

1.75 * 2.5

44.45 × 63.5

Small decks, promo cards

Big Large

3.5 * 5

88.9 / 127

Accessibility, demonstrations

This overall chart of card sizes is industry standard sizes. When you order from a manufacturer or ready to send a print file, utilizing these measurements avoids design and printing mistakes.

Getting the proper choice of playing card size

Your choice rests on three broad considerations: Audience: Who is the game being played for? (Children or adults, serious or leisure players) Purpose: Will the cards be played, learned, branded, or performed with? Packaging: Will they be sleeved, boxed, or bundled? For use with casino gamblers or masses in general, use standard playing card sizes. For space-constrained or portability-constrained situations, use mini playing card sizes. For visibility or readability concerns, use large playing card sizes. Printing Considerations Most print shops will accept the standard 2.5" x 3.5 for free. Mini or oversized will require special die cuts and templates that are time and resource-intensive to produce. Design files should include bleed areas, safety zones, and CMYK colors. Always inquire with your printer what playing card size format they will accept so you don't need to do reprints. Final Thoughts In playing cards and packaging, playing card precision isn't so much a design matter it's a matter of usability, consistency, and user experience. In maintaining in mind and following standard playing card sizes, you are following industry standards and user expectations. Whether you are producing a compact poker deck, producing travel cards, or producing the big graphics for stage use, the ideal size makes a finer product.