Do you want to create your very own card game? Are you trying to learn more about official playing card dimensions? Are you perhaps asking how many cards there are in a pack? With so many styles of custom playing cards available, choosing the correct size can feel overwhelming. Make your choice from the selection for the best custom-printed cards with this complete guide regarding card sizes with us! . Be it standard poker cards or tarot cards, this guided post will help you get a piece of complete information on the basics and essentials of playing cards and their dimensions. Now, let’s get into it!
The top element of a successful card game is choosing the correct playing card dimensions. The size of your playing card affects not only its looks but also its readability, hand ability, and usability during gameplay. While standard card sizes tend to be functional, they still provide plenty of room for creative designs.
Whether you are designing cards for poker, bridge, or tarot, size matters, especially when it comes to custom printing. Customized high-quality printing solutions are our aim at We Print Boxes. In this ultimate guide, we will take you through the sizes most commonly used for playing cards so you can make well-informed choices for your custom cards.
Common Playing Card Sizes (With Dimensions)
Keeping the size of a card in mind while designing a game is very important. The dimensions of a playing card has a direct influence on the sight, usability, and readability, allowing for the cards to fit into your custom box or packaging. Maintaining consistent sizes helps in keeping games recognizable to one another and helps in the general qualities of being held and shuffled.
Standard Playing Card Size
The standard popular playing card size is 2.5 x 3.5 inches (63.5 mm x 89 mm). Very few casinos or casual games will use an alternative. This size has become standard for most decks: deck sizes for poker and all-purpose playing cards. It provides enough space for a proper design and allows easy handling.
Mini Playing Cards
Mini-cards are, as their name suggests, very much smaller than the standard size. They are usually used for travel sets, promoting games, or novelty designs because compactness is a major issue. A typical mini card measures about 1.75 x 2.5 inches (44 mm x 64 mm), which is why they can be truly carried around and customized for special games that require limited space or when a smaller hand of cards is preferred.
Poker-Size Playing Cards
Poker cards belong to the standard 2.5 x 3.5-inch pattern. Dedicated toward Texas Hold ‘me and Blackjack, games where cards need to be easily viewed from across the table. This is the professional size for custom poker decks or printed playing card boxes meant for game night or casino-themed events.
European Playing Cards
In Europe, the standard sizes of playing cards may be a bit different, more so from their American counterparts. For example, French cards and German decks may just be a bit taller and narrower. A common European size of playing cards is about 2.4 x 3.8 inches (61 mm x 97 mm), giving it a distinct feel in hand but firm enough to be useful for most traditional games.
Bicycle Playing Cards
Bicycle is often the first name that comes to mind when you consider fine quality playing cards. Known for durability and a design that withstands the test of time, Bicycle cards are also to those dimensions of 2.5 x 3.5 inches poker size. Bicycle decks, from classic Rider Back to collectors’ edition decks, maintain precise measurements for consistency and playability. Whether you’re a pro or just an occasional player, they hit that sweet spot between form and function.
Tarot Cards
The average dimensions of tarot cards go over standard cards by being 2.75 x 4.75 inches (70 mm x 120 mm). The additional room created by enlarged dimensions lets the artwork of each card shine.
Bridge Cards
Each bridge card fits the dimensions of 2.25 x 3.5 inches (57 mm x 89 mm), and that is narrower than the typical poker card size. The narrow bridge and canasta-size format provide better hand comfort when playing Bridge or Canasta games, particularly with larger hands.
Jumbo Playing Cards
Using jumbo cards stands as the superior choice. Such large playing cards are available in A5 and A4 dimensions and A4 sizes and larger because people use them for promotional events together with standard gaming options.
Educational Cards
Educational cards occupy bigger dimensions, measuring 3.5 x 5.75 inches, which fit between 89 mm x 146 mm. This size creates enough space for pictures alongside written content and interactive materials, which benefits institutions using flash cards and language education and classroom activities.
Custom-Sized Game Cards
No two games are exactly alike; their cards shouldn’t be either! Custom-sized cards allow you to make any format you want for the game in question, both aesthetically and functionally. Whether or not you have an idea about the size to go for, our design templates and professional printing will support you every step of the way.
Trump Cards
The standard size for trump cards used in games with falls to 2.44 x 3.94 inches (62 mm x 100 mm). Custom printing allows you to enhance your deck through eye-catching special feature highlighting and bold artwork display along with innovative game mechanics that create unique gaming experiences.
Flash Cards
The purpose of flash cards is education which requires the standard dimensions of 5.8 x 4.1 inches (148.5 mm x 105 mm) to accommodate important content including pictures or questions and answers.
Double Poker Cards
The oversized poker cards measure at 3.5 x 5.0 inches (89 mm x 127 mm) dimensions which suit novelty decks or promotion giveaways requirements perfectly. Through customized printing solutions they transform into unique products that work well as corporate brand items and party giveaways and collector issues.
Card Stock Thickness: Why It Matters
For high-quality playing cards, thickness is as much a factor as dimensions and design. Card stock directly affects how your cards feel in hand, how they shuffle, and how durable they are.Here’s a list of different common types of card stocks together with typical thicknesses:
Linen (GL29) Approx. 0.33 mm thickness
GL29 is a staple of board games and card games. In this blend, the players’ favorite linen texture and a blue core center to reduce transparency have been added. The texture is just enough for grip and handling making it ideal for a gaming deck that takes heavy usage.
Premium Smooth (PS30) Approx. 0.33 mm thickness
It’s a clean, smooth finish with blue cores durable enough to prevent see-through cards. It’s the most versatile option of all and is great from playing cards down to elegant invitations. And of course ideal for photo printing or classy high-end designs.
Deluxe Smooth (DS33) Approx. 0.31 mm thickness
Slightly thinner but brighter in visual impact, DS33 offers superb clarity of color and a smooth surface. It’s built to the feel as well as looks, making it an excellent choice for very high-quality professional-grade card games or any custom deck in which quality comes as the top priority.
Casino Linen (CL31) Approx. 0.31 mm thickness
This stock is made for performance, having a textured linen finish with subtle air pockets, it provides great durability and smooth handling on packs. The dark core keeps cards opaque under light, making it a trusted favorite in gambling and professional card gaming.
Custom Playing Cards with Premium Quality Only at We Print Boxes
At We Print Boxes, our area of specialization is making custom playing card ideas, giving elegance and accuracy to every venture. Whether it’s a poker deck, educational game cards, tarot set, or entirely a different style for a new card game, we will provide the appropriate printing solution to meet your creative needs. With our expertise in stock selection and box-designing techniques, the latest printing technology, and a lot of possibilities in customization, your cards will turn out just as you imagined. Make one deck that will be hard to forget because every good game starts with a perfect print!
Conclusion
Creating your own set of playing cards and wondering if it’s too much of a hassle? you’ll soon realize that everything from dimensions to thickness is important. Whether no matter if you are working on poker cards, tarot decks, flash cards, or something else entirely, the size, feel, and finish will completely change how your cards are experienced and used. While standard cards are easy to handle, jumbo or mini cards are perfect for a special event or game. Smoother finishes or perhaps a linen finish is sure to add that final professional touch while also ensuring longer life for your cards. Some even include special cores for the prevention of light shining through!
At We Print Boxes all you would have to do is have all of your concepts and ideas made into reality with us. We provide all sizes of card stock, box designs, and even all types of prints, all of which are largely superior quality. It doesn’t matter whether it’s designing something fun, serious, or just totally different, we’re here to help you design a deck that’s beautiful and even better to play with. Let’s get going on custom cards today!