ID Card Sizes

ID card dimensions come in various sizes with each size typically serving different functions.

• CR-80 – The most common plastic card size is the CR-80 card or ID-1 format. These designations refer to plastic cards measuring about the size of a credit card 85.60 mm by 53.98 mm (3.370 inches by 2.125 inches). The typical thickness for this type of card is 0.030 inches, or 30mil.

Other ID Sizes

Most ID card sizes utilize the CR-80 format, however, there are other common ID sizes.

• CR-50 – Cards which measure 3.5 inches by 1.75 inches are sometimes used for access control for hotel rooms.

• CR-79 – Slightly smaller than CR-80 cards, these cards measure in at 3.303" x 2.051” and are commonly used for clamshell proximity cards.

• CR-100 – Oversized cards such as the CR-100 format are also quite popular. CR-100 cards measure 3.88 inches by 2.63 inches and are useful in situations where it’s important that card information is clearly visible. These cards are commonly used for conventions, trade shows, and other situations where prominently displayed info is required.

• If you’ve ever owned a membership card for a gym or grocery store, you might be familiar with the key tag cards that hook to your keychain.

Card Thickness

Card thickness can vary as well and generally come in 10-30mil. Mil is the measurement for card thickness and 30 mil is standard for normal ID card sizes.

Thinner 10mil cards are sometimes used for printing business cards, while thicker clamshell cards are often required for IDs that incorporate RFID technology and must contain embedded antennas and circuitry.

What Printer Should be Used?

While virtually all ID card printers are built to operate with plastic ID card dimensions in the CR-80 format, it is important to check compatibility when using plastic cards of differing sizes. For instance, there are oversized card printers specifically designed to handle larger cards.