Preset square, circle and oval
The fastest way out of the rectangle. Square at 2.5 in, circle at 2 in, oval at 2 × 3.5 in.
Can't: take custom sizes on this line.
Shapes & die cutting
Die Cut Business Cards
A card cut to the outline of your idea (a key, a leaf, a square, a can), so people know who you are before they read a word.
Preset from 84 US$ for 25 · Custom from 215 US$ for 250
Preset shapes ship in 3–4 business days after proof approval (estimate). Custom shapes take about 3 weeks.
What is a die cut business card?
A die cut business card is a card cut to a shape other than a plain rectangle by pressing a sharpened steel rule, bent to the outline, through the stock. We offer preset shapes (square, circle, oval, rounded corners) from 84 US$ for 25, shipping in 3–4 business days after proof approval, and custom shapes from 215 US$ for 250 in about 3 weeks.
- Preset shapes
- Square 2.5 × 2.5 in · circle 2 in · oval 2 × 3.5 in · rounded corners on 3.5 × 2 in
- Custom shapes
- Any outline you can draw, up to 3.5 × 3.5 in
- Stocks
- Preset: 14–32pt. Custom: silk, soft-touch or cotton in 16, 32 or 48pt
- From
- 84 US$ for 25 (square) · 79 US$ for 250 (circle) · 215 US$ for 250 (custom)
- Lead time
- Preset ships in 3–4 business days · custom about 3 weeks, after proof approval
- Proof
- Free. A person checks every cut line before the die is made
Choose how far to take the shape
Three ways in, priced from the full build down. If the shape is the idea, we'd spend on the stock.
CustomThe signature object
From 300 US$ for 250 · foil +70 US$About 3 weeks after proof approval (estimate)- Our pickCustom
Custom die-cut
From 270 US$ for 250About 3 weeks after proof approval (estimate) 
StandardA preset shape, fast
From 84 US$ for 25Ships in 3–4 business days after proof approval (estimate)
Square
square business cards · from 84 US$ for 25
Circle & oval
circle business cards · from 79 US$ for 250
Rounded corners
rounded corner business cards · from 110 US$ for 25
"A custom shape on flimsy 14pt reads as a gimmick. The same shape on 32pt reads as an object."
What a shaped card does in the hand
A rectangle gets read. A shape gets handled. People run a thumb along the curve, turn the card over to see how the outline continues, and show it to whoever's next to them. On 32pt (about the thickness of a credit card) a die-cut edge is crisp and smooth, and the shape holds when someone flexes it. On 16pt it bends where the outline narrows, which is why we push thicker stock for anything with a neck, a point or a notch.
What usually goes wrong with die cut business cards, and how we avoid it
Sharp inside corners
A steel rule can't be bent to a point, so a razor-sharp inside corner tears or nicks exactly where a thumb finds it.
Our fix: every inside corner gets at least a 1.3 mm radius. We'll move a corner half a millimetre at proof so it survives a wallet.
Thin necks and bridges
Anything narrower than about 3 mm between two cuts, or between a cut and the edge, crushes or tears, and a long thin point bends in a pocket.
Our fix: we widen thin parts, round points, and recommend 32pt for any shape with a neck.
Finishes that can't follow the cut
Painted or foiled edges are applied to a clamped stack, so they can't follow notches, windows or tight curves.
Our fix: we keep your shape and drop the edge colour, or keep the edge on a simpler outline, and we tell you which before you pay.
Ways to shape a card
Rounded corners
A 1/4 in radius that softens any card and stops corners dog-earing.
Can't: change the radius on the fast line (1/4 in only).
Custom silhouettes
The card becomes the logo or the product: a can, a key, a sweet potato. Smooth curves and wide points cut best.
Can't: hold lace-fine detail in steel rule.
Cut-out shapes, windows and notches
A notch on one edge, an angled corner, or a window through the middle. A one-edge cut breaks the rectangle and leaves most of the card free for type. Closed cut-outs need small bridges so the centre doesn't fall out; very fine interior detail moves from a steel rule to a laser.
Can't: hold windows closer than 3 mm to another cut.
Foil on a shaped card
A foil mark on a custom shape is the classic pairing. Foil sits on bare stock, never on top of ink, and stays 3 mm inside the cut or runs off it.
Can't: do foil gradients (foil is one flat tone).
Thickness
16pt for simple outlines, 32pt where the shape is the point, 48pt for a dramatic slab (some find it a lot).
Can't: hold razor-fine curves at 48pt; thick stock softens tight radii.
See your shape before we cut the die
Upload your logo and our Studio sketches shaped-card concepts around it in a couple of minutes: outline, paper and finish. It's a rendering, not a cut line. A designer redraws the final die path and sends you a proof before any steel is bent.
See it on your design
"Atelier North" · leaf-cut 32pt silk, single-colour print
"Ostrander & Vale" · arch-top 32pt cotton, blind deboss
"Elena Marco" · notched 32pt soft-touch, gold foil
How much do die cut business cards cost?
| Shape (stock) | 25 | 100 | 250 | 500 | 1,000 | Lead time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square (16pt silk) | 84 US$ | 101 US$ | 107 US$ | 110 US$ | 133 US$ | ships in 3–4 business days |
| Circle (14pt) | — | — | 79 US$ | 89 US$ | 99 US$ | ships in 3–4 business days |
| Oval (16pt) | — | 108 US$ | 125 US$ | 142 US$ | 151 US$ | ships in 3–4 business days |
| Rounded corners (16pt silk, 3.5 × 2) | 110 US$ | 133 US$ | 138 US$ | 141 US$ | 153 US$ | ships in 3–4 business days |
| Custom die-cut (16pt silk) | — | — | 215 US$ | 280 US$ | 390 US$ | ~3 weeks |
| Custom die-cut (32pt cotton) | — | — | 300 US$ | 390 US$ | 565 US$ | ~3 weeks |
"—" means not offered at that quantity.
Custom die price includes making your die. Foil from +70 US$ at 250.
Which shape is right for you?
| Square | Circle & oval | Rounded corners | Custom die-cut | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | 2.5 × 2.5 in | Circle 2 in · oval 2 × 3.5 in | 3.5 × 2 in, 1/4 in radius | Any outline up to 3.5 × 3.5 in |
| Paper | 16pt silk, 20pt soft-touch, 32pt uncoated, 32pt triplex black core | 14pt (circle), 16pt (oval) coated | 16pt silk laminate | Silk, soft-touch or cotton in 16, 32 or 48pt |
| Add-ons | Rounded corners, spot UV (silk and soft-touch) | — | Spot UV | Foil; spot UV |
| Lead time | ships in 3–4 business days | ships in 3–4 business days | ships in 3–4 business days | ~3 weeks |
| From | 84 US$ / 25 | 79 US$ / 250 | 110 US$ / 25 | 215 US$ / 250 |
| Best for | Centred logos, monograms, QR codes | Round logos, food and drink, events | Subtle polish on a standard card | When the shape is the brand |
| Where it loses | Sits taller than credit-card slots | Few paper choices | Barely reads as "shaped" | Slower and dearer |
| square business cards | circle business cards | rounded corner business cards | custom die cut business cards |
Die cut business cards we've made
Sellstate Altitude Realty: a house-key card
Custom die cut as a key: stepped bow and blade, photo in the bow
BERO Brewing: cut to the can
Can silhouette · black uncoated 32pt · matte gold, green pigment and clear gloss foil
The Fulfillment Lab: a rounded triangle
Equilateral triangle die cut with generous corner radii · matte black stock
Tony Ortiz Barber Studio: a razor blade
Blade-shaped die with an open centre slot · matte black · tone-on-tone gloss logo
The Crafted Experience: one die, two colourways
Notched die · 16pt silk matte laminated · gold foil
CCT: a notch, proven first
32pt white cotton · navy letterpress · custom die-cut notch, test-cut before the run
How die cutting works
Standard shapes
Square, circle, oval and rounded-corner cards use cutting dies that already exist, so there's nothing to make. You get faster turnaround and a lower price, and the shape is consistent across every card.
Custom die cutting
For a custom shape, a strip of hardened steel with a sharpened edge is bent to your outline and set into a board. The die closes on the printed sheet, the blade cuts through, and rubber pads push the card free. Your die is made first, after you approve the proof, so a custom shape takes about 3 weeks. Very fine interior detail is cut by laser instead.
- 01
Pick a preset shape, or brief your custom outline in the Studio.
- 02
Upload your art, plus a cut line if you have one (the CUT swatch, one closed path; see the die-line guide). No cut line? We draw it.
- 03
Proof: a designer checks the cut path (inside corners, thin necks, bleed 3 mm past the cut) and sends a proof.
- 04
Die and print: preset shapes ship in 3–4 business days; custom about 3 weeks after approval.
- 05
Ship: free shipping within the continental US.
If you're not happy, we reprint. How reprints work
Setting up your file
Feel it first: order the sample pack (8 US$, 10 US$ credit toward your first order).
Order the sample packGot a shape in your head but no file? Austin, our founder, will talk it through with you.
Talk to our teamFree proof: every cut line is checked by a person before the die is made.
Die-line setup guidePrint Peppermint is a specialty print studio with 20 years of experience in foil, emboss, letterpress, die cutting and thick stocks. Austin & the Peppermint team review every file before it prints.
Die cut business card questions
What is a die cut business card?
A die cut business card is cut to a shape other than a plain rectangle (a circle, a square, a notch or a full custom outline) by pressing a sharpened steel rule, bent to the shape, through the card stock. Preset shapes use dies that already exist; a custom shape needs its own die, made for your outline.
What does "die cut" mean?
"Die" is the cutting tool: a strip of hardened steel with a sharp edge, bent to an outline and mounted in a board. "Die cut" means the piece was cut by pressing that tool through it, like a precise cookie cutter, rather than trimmed with a straight blade.
How much do die cut business cards cost?
Preset shapes start at 84 US$ for 25 square cards on silk, and 79 US$ for 250 circle cards. A custom shape starts at 215 US$ for 250 on 16pt silk and 300 US$ for 250 on 32pt cotton, including the die. Foil adds from 70 US$ at 250.
How long do die cut business cards take?
Preset shapes ship in 3–4 business days after you approve your proof, then 1–3 days UPS Ground in the US. Custom shapes take about 3 weeks after proof approval, because the die is made for your outline. These are estimates; if you have a date, tell us before you order.
Can a business card be any shape?
Almost. Any outline a steel rule can follow works, up to 3.5 × 3.5 inches: rounded, angled, asymmetric, or the shape of your logo or product. What doesn't survive is razor-sharp inside corners (we round them to at least 1.3 mm), necks thinner than about 3 mm, and lace-fine detail, which moves to laser cutting.
Can you cut holes or windows out of a business card?
Yes. Notches, windows and interior cut-outs are all possible. Any fully enclosed cut-out needs small bridges, or the centre falls out, and cuts should sit at least 3 mm from each other and from the edge. Very fine interior detail is cut by laser rather than steel rule.
What thickness is best for a die cut card?
32pt for most custom shapes. A shape on 16pt bends where it narrows; on 32pt (about credit-card thickness) it holds and reads as an object. 48pt is dramatic but softens tight curves.
Can die cut cards have foil, spot UV or painted edges?
Foil, yes: it's the classic pairing with a custom shape. Spot UV, yes, cotton included. Painted or foiled edges can't follow notches, windows or tight curves, so we keep the shape and drop the edge, or use a simpler outline.
Is a custom die reusable for reorders?
Your die is made for your outline, and reorders of the same shape skip the design work. Whether the physical die is kept on file for a later run depends on the job, so tell us at reorder and we'll confirm the price before you pay.
Do I need to supply a die line?
No. If you have one, send it as a single closed path in a spot swatch named CUT on its own layer. If you don't, our designer draws the cut path from your artwork and shows it on your proof.