Standard ID Card Size in India — The Complete Guide (CR-80)

The Standard ID Card Size in India: CR-80

The standard ID card size used in India — and worldwide — is CR-80. The dimensions are 85.6 mm × 54 mm (approximately 3.375 inches × 2.125 inches). This is exactly the same size as a bank debit card, credit card, or ATM card.

CR-80 is an ISO standard (ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1). Every PVC ID card, RFID card, visiting card, event pass, and membership card printed at PrintedCards uses this standard size — unless you specifically request a custom size.

The thickness of a standard PVC ID card is 0.76 mm — also matching the CR-80 specification. This thickness ensures the card slides smoothly into all standard card holders, badge sleeves, and lanyards.

Why the CR-80 Standard Matters

The CR-80 standard matters for three practical reasons. First, card holders and badge sleeves are manufactured to fit CR-80 cards — a non-standard size card will either not fit or will slide out. Second, lanyards with swivel clips are designed for the punched hole position at the top of a CR-80 card. Third, RFID readers and contactless card systems are calibrated for the antenna dimensions embedded in a CR-80 card.

When you order from PrintedCards, every card is printed to the exact CR-80 specification. You never need to specify the card size — it is always 85.6 × 54 mm at 0.76 mm thickness.

What is the Visiting Card Size in India?

Visiting cards (business cards) in India also follow the CR-80 standard — 85.6 × 54 mm. Despite the common misconception that business cards are a different size, the international standard for business cards and ID cards is the same format.

Some printing services offer slightly smaller visiting cards (88 × 55 mm with bleed, or 80 × 50 mm for compact cards) but the dominant standard in India — used by most professionals and accepted by all card wallet and organiser manufacturers — is the CR-80 size.

What Resolution Should ID Card Designs Be?

For professional print quality, ID card artwork should be designed at 600 DPI (dots per inch) at the final print size (85.6 × 54 mm). At 600 DPI, this translates to approximately 2013 × 1275 pixels.

PrintedCards prints at 600 DPI. When you use our free design service, our team creates artwork at the correct resolution and dimensions automatically. If you provide your own print-ready artwork, ensure it is at 300 DPI minimum at the full print size — 600 DPI preferred for the sharpest text and photo print quality.

Include a 2 mm bleed on all sides (89.6 × 58 mm total canvas with bleed) and keep important content at least 3 mm from the edge to avoid trimming.

Lanyard Hole Position on ID Cards

Standard ID cards have a 5 mm diameter punched hole centred 5 mm from the top edge and centred horizontally. This is the standard position accepted by all swivel-clip lanyards and badge holders.

Event cards from PrintedCards are pre-punched with this standard lanyard hole. For regular ID cards and visiting cards, the hole is not standard — contact us when placing your order if you need a punched hole added to a non-event card.