Business Card JPG Specs for Vistaprint, Moo, and Local Printers

A consultant I work with had a Vistaprint order rejected three times in a single afternoon. First because the file was 1080 x 600 pixels instead of 1125 x 675. Second because she fixed the dimensions but did not add bleed, leaving white slivers on two edges. Third because her dark blue text printed as purple when Vistaprint converted RGB to CMYK during preflight. The fourth upload finally went through. By that time she had missed the print-by-3pm cutoff for next-day delivery, and her client meeting on Friday went without business cards. Every problem was specific, documented in Vistaprint's spec sheet, and avoidable with a 15-minute prep checklist.

Business card printing is unforgiving. A file that looks crisp on your phone might come back from the printer with blurry text, cropped logos, or a stripe of magenta where you expected dark blue. The good news is that every major printer publishes exact specifications, and once you know them, hitting "approved" on the first upload is straightforward. Here are the current numbers for Vistaprint, Moo, and the most common local-printer requirements, plus a copy-paste checklist for converting Canva or Illustrator designs into print-safe JPGs.

Background: Why Business Cards Are So Picky

Two reasons. First, the print size is tiny (3.5 x 2 inches in the US, 85 x 55 mm in Europe), so any DPI shortfall is immediately visible. A logo that looks fine at 150 DPI on a flyer looks blurry on a business card. Second, the cutting tolerance is wide: industrial guillotines cut a stack of 250 cards with ±0.0625 inch variance. That means every card edge gets trimmed inside the bleed area, so anything within 0.125 inch of the edge risks getting cut off.

The combination demands high resolution (300 DPI minimum), extended bleed (0.125 inch beyond the trim line), and a safe zone (0.125 inch inside the trim line where text and logos must stay). Get those three right and most printers accept the file on first submission.

Vistaprint Specifications

Standard US business card size at Vistaprint is 3.5 x 2 inches. The required upload specification is 1075 x 625 pixels at 300 DPI with 0.125 inch bleed on all sides. That works out to 1125 x 675 pixels for the full bleed canvas. Vistaprint accepts JPG, PNG, and PDF. JPGs must be at quality 90 or higher to pass their automated preflight, which checks for blocking artifacts on solid color areas.

If your source is a Canva or Figma file at the standard 3.5x2 size, you need to upscale before exporting. Canva's "Print Quality" option exports at 300 DPI but does not always add bleed; verify the dimensions match 1125 x 675 before upload. Our DPI converter handles the upscale-to-300 step if your source is too low.

Moo Specifications

Moo uses metric internally but accepts US Standard at the upload step. Their spec for US Standard cards is 1100 x 650 pixels at 300 DPI with 0.125 inch (3.18 mm) bleed. The safe zone (keep all text and logos inside this) is 1000 x 550 pixels. Moo accepts PDF, JPG, and PNG. JPGs must include an embedded sRGB or CMYK ICC profile; missing color profiles trigger a manual review that adds 1 to 2 business days to your order.

Moo's Luxe cards (32pt thick stock) have additional spec requirements for the side-color seam, but the front and back artwork follow the same 1100 x 650 spec as standard cards.

Step-by-Step: Building a Print-Safe Business Card JPG

1. Choose your printer and verify the spec. Vistaprint, Moo, FedEx Office, or local. Each has slightly different pixel counts.
2. Build the design in your tool of choice at the right dimensions. Canva Pro at 3.5 x 2 inches plus bleed, or Illustrator at exact pixel dimensions.
3. Verify DPI is 300 throughout. Any embedded image must also be 300 DPI; logos imported at 72 DPI will look terrible.
4. Position content inside the safe zone. All text and logos at least 0.125 inch from the trim line.
5. Extend background colors to the full bleed area. Any color block should run to the canvas edge with no white gaps.
6. Set color mode appropriately. RGB for Vistaprint/Moo (they convert internally). CMYK for FedEx Office and most local shops.
7. Export as JPG at quality 92 with embedded color profile.
8. Verify with image info. Confirm dimensions, DPI, color profile, file size.
9. If file size exceeds upload cap, run through compress JPG at quality 88-90.
10. Upload, preview in the printer's online proofing tool, approve.

Local and FedEx Office Printers

Local print shops vary, but FedEx Office (the most common chain in the US) publishes a uniform spec: 1050 x 600 pixels at 300 DPI with 0.0625 inch bleed (1075 x 625 final canvas). They prefer PDF but accept high-quality JPG. The 0.0625 inch bleed is half what Vistaprint and Moo require, which can matter if your design has bleed-to-edge color blocks.

For any local printer not on this list, ask for their "press-ready" spec sheet. It will list dimensions, bleed, DPI, and color mode. If they say "we can work with anything", default to 1125 x 675 at 300 DPI with 0.125 inch bleed; that exceeds most requirements.

Common Mistakes and the Fix

• Mistake: Designing at 96 DPI in Canva Free. Fix: Upgrade to Canva Pro or use the DPI converter to upscale to 300 DPI before upload.
• Mistake: No bleed. Fix: Extend background to canvas edges. Add 37.5 pixels per side on a 1050 x 600 base to reach 1125 x 675.
• Mistake: Text within 0.0625 inch of the edge. Fix: Move all text and logos at least 0.125 inch inward.
• Mistake: Rich black not specified. Fix: Use C30 M30 Y30 K100 instead of plain K100 for solid black blocks.
• Mistake: Using a JPG that has already been compressed. Fix: Re-export from source at quality 92. Recompressing a quality-80 JPG produces visible artifacts.
• Mistake: Missing color profile. Fix: Always embed sRGB or CMYK profile at export. Verify with image info.

Real-World Examples

Example 1: The Architect. Bashir orders 500 cards quarterly from Moo. His template lives in Figma at exact pixel dimensions with bleed pre-extended. Export to JPG quality 92, run through compress JPG to land at 1.4 MB (well under Moo's 25 MB cap), upload, approve. Total time from "I need new cards" to "ordered": 8 minutes.

Example 2: The Real-Estate Agent. Yuki updates her cards three times a year with new market data. She designs in Canva Pro, exports as PDF, converts to JPG via PDF to JPG at 300 DPI to ensure embedded text renders correctly, and uploads to Vistaprint. The PDF-to-JPG step eliminates any font-embedding issues.

Example 3: The Freelance Designer. Sofia produces cards for her clients. She builds in Illustrator with all the bleed and crop marks, exports JPG for any printer that requires it, and verifies every file with image info before delivering to the client for upload.

Spec Comparison at a Glance

Printer	Card Size	Pixel Dimensions	Bleed	Safe Zone	Format Pref
Vistaprint	3.5 x 2 in	1125 x 675	0.125 in	1050 x 600	PDF / JPG q90+
Moo Standard	3.5 x 2 in	1100 x 650	0.125 in	1000 x 550	PDF / JPG with ICC
Moo Luxe	3.5 x 2 in	1100 x 650 plus seam	0.125 in	1000 x 550	PDF preferred
FedEx Office	3.5 x 2 in	1075 x 625	0.0625 in	1000 x 550	PDF / JPG q88+
Generic local	3.5 x 2 in	1125 x 675	0.125 in	1000 x 550	Ask for spec sheet

The Pixel Math Behind the Numbers

The pattern is straightforward: physical size in inches × DPI = pixel dimensions, then add bleed × DPI × 2 to each axis. For a 3.5 x 2 inch card at 300 DPI with 0.125 inch bleed:

• Width: (3.5 + 0.25) × 300 = 1125 pixels
• Height: (2 + 0.25) × 300 = 675 pixels

The aspect ratio calculator verifies you have not accidentally distorted the card while resizing. A correct business card has a ratio of exactly 1.75:1 (1125/675 = 1.666 with bleed because bleed is constant on all sides). If your file lands at 1.78:1 or 1.6:1, you have stretched it; redo the export from the source app.

Color Mode: RGB vs CMYK

Vistaprint and Moo accept RGB and convert internally. FedEx Office prefers CMYK. Most local high-quality printers prefer CMYK with a specific profile like SWOP or GRACoL. JPG technically supports CMYK but few online tools handle it well; if your printer requires CMYK, export from Illustrator or InDesign directly to JPG with CMYK selected.

The most common color problem is dark blue printing as purple. This happens when 100% blue in RGB converts to a CMYK value that includes magenta. The fix: in your source file, set dark blue to C100 M65 Y10 K10 manually, not just B100, before exporting.

Converting Canva Designs to Print-Safe JPG

Canva's free tier exports at 96 DPI by default, which is fatal for business cards. Subscribe to Canva Pro for 300 DPI export, or build at 4x size and downsample. The reliable Canva-to-print workflow:

1. Build the card in Canva at 3.5x2 inches with no bleed (Canva's UI does not handle bleed cleanly).
2. Export as PNG at 300 DPI.
3. Open the PNG in any tool that can add canvas border (Photopea, Photoshop, GIMP) and add 37.5 pixels of canvas to each side.
4. Fill the new border with the same color as your card edge.
5. Export as JPG at quality 92.

If your card has white edges, you can skip the border step and just export from Canva at 300 DPI as JPG. The printer will trim slightly into the white area, which is fine.

Advanced Tips

• Use a color picker on your finished file to verify rich black. Sample any black area; the readout should show C30 M30 Y30 K100, not 0 0 0 100.
• Mirror critical content for two-sided cards. Some printers expect back artwork rotated 180 degrees. Read the spec.
• For foil and spot UV finishes, separate the foil layer as a separate file. Many printers require a black-and-white "foil mask" file alongside the color artwork.
• Soft-proof in CMYK mode in your design app. Photoshop's "Proof Setup" simulates how the file will print.
• Embed fonts at PDF export. "Outline fonts" is even safer; converts text to shapes so no font substitution risk.
• For volume orders, get a single physical proof first. Most printers offer single-card proofs for $5-10; cheap insurance.
• Run finalized file through image info one last time. Verify DPI, dimensions, profile, and quality factor before upload.

JPG vs PDF for Upload

If your card has photographs or gradients, JPG is fine. If it has text-only or solid-color blocks, PDF is sharper because vector text renders without any JPG compression. For pure photographic backgrounds, use the JPG to PDF converter only if your printer requires PDF; otherwise a quality-92 JPG is indistinguishable.

The Checklist

Before you upload, verify:

• Dimensions exactly match printer spec (Vistaprint 1125x675, Moo 1100x650, FedEx 1075x625).
• DPI is 300 or higher.
• Bleed extends to the file edge with no white gap.
• All text and logos sit inside the safe zone (typically 0.125 inch from each edge).
• Color mode matches printer requirement (RGB for online services, CMYK for press).
• JPG quality is 90 or higher.
• File size is under the printer's upload cap (usually 10 to 20 MB; quality-90 JPGs at these dimensions are 800 KB to 2 MB, well under).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the same file for Vistaprint and Moo?

Almost. Build at the larger Vistaprint dimensions (1125 x 675) and Moo will accept it; their preflight crops to 1100 x 650 internally.

What if my logo is only 800 pixels wide?

Either get a higher-resolution version from your designer or use AI upscaler to 2x. Do not just stretch.

Does sRGB or Adobe RGB matter more?

For online printers, sRGB. Adobe RGB has a wider gamut but online printers' workflows are sRGB-tuned. CMYK trumps both for press work.

Why does my card preview look different from my design?

Online preview tools simulate print color, which is slightly less saturated than your screen. Trust the preview, not your screen.

Can I add bleed to a JPG after export?

Yes, but you cannot recover lost edge detail. Add canvas in Photoshop / Photopea using "Canvas Size" and fill with the matching background color.

What if my printer rejects every upload?

Check the spec sheet line by line. Most rejection emails specify which check failed: DPI, dimensions, bleed, color profile, or file size.

How do I match colors across multiple orders?

Use exact CMYK values from a Pantone color guide. RGB-to-CMYK conversion is not deterministic; specify CMYK at source for reproducibility.

Final Compression Step

If your exported JPG is too large for the upload, do not lower the quality. Instead, run it through compress JPG with quality 88 to 92 selected. The tool uses better compression algorithms than most design apps and lands smaller files at the same visual quality.

And verify the file size and dimensions with the image info tool just before upload as a final sanity check.

Working With a Graphic Designer Who Builds Your Card

If you hire a designer rather than building yourself, the deliverable handoff matters. Ask for: the press-ready PDF at 300 DPI with bleed, the source AI or Figma file for future edits, a high-resolution JPG fallback at quality 95 in case any printer rejects the PDF, and a Pantone color reference document if your brand has specific spot colors. Confirm the bleed extends to the trim plus 0.125 inch and that all fonts are embedded or outlined.

Costs to expect: $50 to $250 for a one-time card design from a freelance designer, $500 to $1,500 if you need a small brand identity package (logo, colors, business card, letterhead). For ongoing card updates with a stable template, $25 to $75 per update is typical. Always test the new design with a single proof card before ordering 500 or 1,000.

Specialty Finishes: Foil, Spot UV, and Letterpress

Standard offset and digital cards are the easy case. Specialty finishes add file complexity. Foil cards (gold, silver, copper accents) require a separate "foil mask" file: a black-and-white image where black represents foil-applied areas and white represents no-foil areas. Same dimensions and bleed as the artwork file. Spot UV (glossy raised areas over matte stock) works the same way: black mask file alongside the color artwork.

Letterpress cards are the most demanding. The artwork must be vector (the press carves a metal die from your file), text must be at least 8 pt to register cleanly, and thin lines must be at least 0.5 pt to survive the impression. JPG is not suitable for letterpress; deliver as PDF or AI directly. For pre-press proofing, you can convert your vector PDF to JPG via PDF to JPG just to send a screen preview.

International Card Sizes

If you do business outside the US, you may need to deliver card files in metric. UK and European standard is 85 x 55 mm. Japanese standard is 91 x 55 mm. Australian is 90 x 55 mm. Pixel dimensions at 300 DPI with 3 mm bleed: UK 1039 x 685, Japan 1110 x 685, Australia 1098 x 685. The aspect ratio calculator handles conversions if you are working from a US template.

Ready to ship? Start with the DPI converter if your source needs a resolution boost, then finalize with compress JPG, JPG to PDF if your printer prefers PDF, and image info for the final spec check. All free, all browser-based.