What Size is an ID Card?

When designing an ID card or purchasing badge accessories, it’s important to know the size of an ID card. There are three primary ID card sizes available:

ID Card Dimensions in Inches

CR80: The standard, most popular ID card size is 3.375″ x 2.125″. The CR80 card is also the same size as a credit card.

CR79: Slightly smaller than a standard size card, the CR79 card is 3.303″ x 2.051″. CR79 cards typically have an adhesive back and are commonly used for printing and adhering to a clamshell proximity card. Not all card printers are capable of printing on a CR79 card.

CR100: The CR100 card is 42% larger than a standard card, measuring 3.88″ x 2.63″. Often called “oversize” or “military-size” cards, CR100 cards are designed to be easy to see from a distance. Very few card printers are capable of printing on a CR100 card.

Learn more about standard ID card sizes >>

Helpful Tip
When designing an ID card, you may or may not be able to print to the very edge of the card. Direct-to-card ID card printers leave a small unprinted border around the perimeter of the card. If you are using a retransfer printer, however, you can print over the edge of the card with no issues.

What is the Thickness of an ID Card?

Standard ID Card Thicknesses

If you know anything about ID cards, then you probably already know that a “CR8030” card is the industry standard size for everything from credit cards to access control and ID cards, membership cards, gift cards…you get the idea.

To dissect this rather mundane naming convention, the “CR80” portion pertains to a card’s actual dimensions or its overall size. CR80 cards have the following dimensions: 3.370 inches × 2.125 inches (or 85.60mm × 53.98mm), complete with rounded corners and a radius that ranges from 2.88 to 3.48 mm.

But what is the thickness of an ID card? Are there more than a single thickness for ID cards? Absolutely! ID card thickness is calibrated by a unit of measurement called a “mil,” which is equal to 0.001 inch.

We carry the three most popular card sizes: CR79, CR80, and CR100. Each of these sizes come in various thicknesses, depending on your specific requirements. We can also special order other card thicknesses, based on your request, with 5,000-card minimum orders. The most commonly ordered cards are offered in several different materials including PVC and composite. Please keep in mind that cards can actually vary in thickness – only by a couple of mils, however – depending on the manufacturer.

The following are the most common card thicknesses, complete with referencing examples of how each can be used:

10-mil cards – most often used as a business card instead of an ID badge. It’s important to note that if you try to use 10-mil cards with a retransfer printer or any printer with laminating or dual-sized printing capabilities, you’ll end up melting your cards. This can do serious damage to your printer by gumming up the printhead and internal components, putting your ID card printing program on hold. In addition, not every ID card printer can print on a 10-mil card. It’s best to check the card thickness specifications of the printer that you own to make sure.

What Information Should I Put on My ID Cards?

Before designing your ID cards, it’s important to list the information that will be placed on the card. The design of the card should revolve around this data. It may be obvious to place the employee photo and name on an ID badge, but what other information should you consider?

ID Card Content Ideas

Here is a list of ideas to get you thinking about what information could be on the front or back of your ID cards:

• Company Logo
• Company Contact Info
• Cardholder Name
• Cardholder Photo
• Cardholder Signature
• Cardholder Fingerprint
• Cardholder Title (such as student, priority member, or sales director)
• Employee, Student, or Customer ID Number
• Issue and/or Expiration Date
• Barcode
• HoloMark Seal (or other visual identification marker)
• Security Access Level
• Identifying Info (such as height, weight, eye color, and sex)
• How to Return a Lost Card
• How to Replace a Lost Card
• Disclaimer and Property Information
• Cardholder Responsibilities