Classic Frame
A bordered front with a large photo window, a nameplate and three small boxes for position, team and number.
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Free download
Free Trading Card Templates to Print at Home
Download a free blank trading card template as a PNG or a PDF and print it at home. Every file is made for a standard 2.5 x 3.5 in card with 1/8 in of bleed on each side, so the file itself is 2.75 x 3.75 in (825 x 1125 px at 300 DPI). Each design comes in two versions: one that marks the bleed, trim and safe zone, and a clean one with no marks.
PNG and PDFGuides and clean versionsNo signup
Pick a Template
Every design comes in two versions, with guides and clean, and each version as a PNG and a PDF. Print the PDF, or place the PNG in an image editor.
Angled Nameplate
A photo zone that runs off the top and sides, over a nameplate with one cut corner, a number tag and a row of small boxes.
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Full-Bleed Photo
The whole card is the photo. A band along the bottom holds the name, team and position, with a number tag at the top.
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Game Card
A trading card game layout: name bar, art window, a strip with two plain diamond slots, a rules box and three small boxes.
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Stats Back
The back of a sports card: a header, a bio strip, a season-by-season table and a ruled notes box.
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Simple Border
Two thin keylines, a photo window and a name line. The lightest design on printer ink.
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Free to download without an account. Use the templates for your own cards, including commercial projects; use only photos, names and logos you have permission to reproduce.
Bleed, Trim and Safe Zone
Three lines tell you where artwork can go. The guides version draws them on top of the design; the clean version leaves them off.
Bleed
The outer edge of the file, 1/8 in past the trim line on every side. Run backgrounds and borders all the way to it, so a cut that lands slightly off never leaves a white edge.
Trim
The edge of the finished card, 2.5 x 3.5 in. This is where you cut.
Safe zone
A line 1/8 in inside the trim, 2.25 x 3.25 in in all. Keep names, numbers and faces inside it so a cut that lands slightly off never clips them.
How to Print at Home
Print at 100 percent on card stock, then cut on the trim line. Five steps cover it.
- 1
Choose your paper
Heavy matte or semi-gloss card stock makes a sturdier card than plain paper. Check the paper weight your printer accepts before you load it, and use plain paper for a first test print.
- 2
Open the PDF and print at 100 percent
In the print dialog choose Actual Size or 100 percent. Do not choose Fit, Shrink to Fit or Scale to Fit, because they shrink the card. The page is only 2.75 x 3.75 in, so it prints as a small block on a Letter or A4 sheet.
- 3
Measure a test print
On a test print of a guides version, the dashed black trim lines should be 2.5 x 3.5 in apart. If they are not, the print was scaled; go back and set it to 100 percent.
- 4
Print the clean version for the card
Use the guides version while you design and as a cutting reference. The clean version has no marks, so it is the one to print for the finished card.
- 5
Cut on the trim line
Cut 1/8 in in from each edge of the printed page. A paper trimmer, or a craft knife and a metal ruler, gives a straighter edge than scissors.
Card Size Guide
The finished card is 2.5 x 3.5 in. The file is larger because it includes the bleed.
| Size | Inches | Millimetres | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard trading card (trim size) | 2.5 x 3.5 in | 63.5 x 88.9 mm | The finished card. It is where you cut. |
| Template file (trim plus bleed) | 2.75 x 3.75 in | 69.9 x 95.3 mm | 825 x 1125 px at 300 DPI. |
| Safe zone | 2.25 x 3.25 in | 57.2 x 82.6 mm | 1/8 in inside the trim line. |
| MEGA card poster | 11 x 15.4 in | 279.4 x 391.2 mm | The same 5:7 shape as the standard card, at poster size. |
The PDFs are vector, so a layout stays sharp when you enlarge it toward the MEGA size. For every common card format, see trading card sizes.
Template Questions
What size is a trading card template?
A standard trading card is 2.5 x 3.5 in (63.5 x 88.9 mm). These templates add 1/8 in of bleed on every side, so each file is 2.75 x 3.75 in.
What is the difference between the guides and clean versions?
They are the same artwork. The guides version adds three lines on top: a solid red line at the edge of the file for the bleed, a dashed black line for the trim, and a dashed red line for the safe zone. The clean version has none of them.
Should I download the PNG or the PDF?
Download the PDF to print: it is vector artwork on a 2.75 x 3.75 in page with the trim box recorded, so it prints sharp. Download the PNG to place in an image editor or a layout document; it is 825 x 1125 px at 300 DPI.
Will a finished card fit sleeves and top loaders?
Yes, once it is cut to 2.5 x 3.5 in. Penny sleeves are nominally 2.625 x 3.625 in and top loaders 3 x 4 in, so the card has room to spare.
Can I use the Game Card layout for a card game?
Yes. Most trading card games print on a 63 x 88 mm card, which is 0.5 mm narrower and 0.9 mm shorter than 2.5 x 3.5 in. The layout has no symbols, so add your own artwork and rules text.
Can I use these for cards I sell?
Free to download without an account. Use the templates for your own cards, including commercial projects; use only photos, names and logos you have permission to reproduce.
Want it printed for you?
Upload your photo, pick a design and we'll print it as a real 2.5 x 3.5 in card.
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