Business card in Canva: how to make a print-ready layout

Step 1

Choose the size and orientation

Search for the Business Cards design type in Canva. The standard card size differs from country to country, so before you start, ask your print shop which format they print and, if needed, set a custom size in millimeters. Decide the orientation right away: horizontal is the most common, vertical helps you stand out.

• •for a double-sided card, make both sides as two pages of one design;
• •pick a template with the same orientation as your layout: Canva warns that a portrait design on a landscape template can print with the back side in the wrong orientation;
• •standard cards fit wallets and card holders, so choose unusual sizes on purpose.

Step 2

Keep only what matters

A card is a small surface, and every line competes for attention. Canva suggests this order: company name, first and last name, job title, contacts (phone, email, website, social handles). More than that clutters the card. A logo isn't required but helps people recognize the brand; social handles can go on the back.

• •your name is the most visible text after the company name or logo;
• •contacts share one style and sit in one block so they're easy to find;
• •if you're unsure about a line, ask whether anyone will look for it.

💡 Test the hierarchy: show the card for two seconds and take it away. The person should be able to say your name and what you do. If only the decoration stuck, the layout is overloaded.

Step 3

Fonts, colors and readability

On a business card, legibility beats flair. Canva gives an example: in a fancy script font it's hard to tell the letter "s" from the number "5", which matters for a phone number. Use one font for the name and one for the contacts, both supporting your language. Match colors to your field: a bright layout may not suit someone in finance, and a very muted one may undersell an artist.

• •Canva recommends not going below font size 7 for print and checking text at 100% zoom;
• •light text on light or dark on dark reads even worse on paper than on screen;
• •photos and images for print should be at least 300 DPI or they'll come out blurry.

Step 4

Add a QR code that scans

Add a QR code from Apps or Elements by searching "QR code". Canva offers two kinds: static (the link can't be changed after creation) and dynamic (you can update the link without reprinting). Canva's QR code rules:

• •at least 2 × 2 cm;
• •a shorter link scans more reliably;
• •contrasting colors, no transparency;
• •a quiet zone around the code at least four times the width of one module, with nothing else close to it.

💡 Before printing, scan the code from the screen with your phone and make sure it goes where it should. Reprinting 200 cards costs more than checking.

Step 5

Bleed and the print file

Cards are printed on a large sheet and then cut, so the cut can shift slightly. Turn on File → Rulers and guides → Show margins and Show print bleed. Stretch the background to the bleed edge and keep text in the safe zone: Canva recommends at least 5 mm from the edge. Borders along the edge make any cutting error obvious. For Canva Print, bleed is fixed at 3.175 mm on each side; for another print shop, check their requirements.

• •download via Share → Download → PDF, preset Print;
• •in Advanced settings, turn on Crop marks and bleed (off by default);
• •the CMYK profile in PDF Print is a paid feature, so ask the print shop whether RGB works.

💡 Proofread everything again: name, phone, email, handles. Better yet, have someone else check: a typo on a business card lives as long as the whole print run.