Print specs at a glance
| Setting | 📱 Portrait A6 card | 🖼️ Landscape A6 card |
|---|---|---|
| PDF page size | A5 landscape (210×148 mm) | A5 portrait (148×210 mm) |
| Paper to load | A5 landscape, or A4 | A5 portrait, or A4 |
| Sides to print | Double-sided (duplex) — 2 pages, 1 sheet | |
| ⚠️ Duplex binding edge | Long Edge (flip on long side) | Short Edge (flip on short side) |
| Scale | Actual size 100% on A5 · Fit to page on A4 | |
| Fold direction | Right edge folds over to left edge | Top edge folds down to bottom edge |
| Card stock (recommended) | 250–300 gsm silk or gloss | |
| Bleed | Full bleed / borderless · 3 mm bleed included | |
The duplex binding edge is the most important setting. Getting it wrong will print the inside upside-down after folding. Always do a test print on plain paper first before using card stock.
Tell your print shop: "A5 double-sided, full bleed, 250–300 gsm silk or gloss card stock, borderless."
Then add the binding for your card type — Portrait: long edge binding · Landscape: short edge binding.
Tips for printing at home
Test on plain paper first
Print one copy on regular paper, fold it, and check the inside reads the right way up. If it's upside-down, switch your duplex binding edge (Long ↔ Short) and test again. No wasted card stock.
Enable borderless / full bleed
The design goes right to the edge of the sheet. Turn on Borderless in your printer settings. If your printer doesn't support borderless A5, print on A4 with "Fit to Page" and trim to A5 after printing — a craft knife and ruler gives a cleaner edge than scissors.
Set quality to Best or High
Use the highest quality your printer offers — "Best", "Photo", or "High DPI". Lower settings can make gradients and photos look banded. If you're short on ink, "Normal" still works reasonably well for plain card designs.
Match paper type in printer settings
If you're printing on photo or gloss paper, tell your printer — select "Photo Paper", "Glossy", or "Presentation" in the media type dropdown. This adjusts how much ink the printer lays down and gives noticeably better results.
Let inkjet prints dry before touching
Give inkjet prints 1–2 minutes to fully dry before handling. The ink is still wet right off the printer and can smear. Laser prints are dry instantly, but may crack on heavy card stock if you skip scoring.
Score the fold line before folding
Run a bone folder, the back of a spoon, or a blunt butter knife firmly along the fold line before folding. This stops the card cracking along the crease, especially on thicker stock. Then fold slowly from the centre outward on a flat surface.
Any modern phone photo is sharp enough
If you uploaded a photo taken with a smartphone since 2018, the resolution is more than enough for a crisp A6 print — no need to resize or check specs. Just upload straight from your camera roll.