A standard CR80 ID card is the familiar credit-card-size format: approximately 2 1/8 inches × 3 3/8 inches. The standard white PVC cards we currently sell are 30 mil (.030 inch) thick. That combination is commonly used for employee IDs, membership cards, visitor credentials and other photo ID applications.
If you are ordering blank cards for an ID card printer, two measurements come up constantly: CR80 and 30 mil. They describe different things. CR80 identifies the card's physical format, while 30 mil describes its thickness. Understanding both makes it much easier to compare blank cards, printers and badge accessories.
What does CR80 mean on an ID card?
CR80 refers to the standard credit-card-size format. Our current standard PVC card listing specifies a size of 2 1/8" × 3 3/8" (approximately 2.13" × 3.38"). It is the size most people recognize immediately from credit cards and conventional employee ID badges.
Describes the card's length and width.
Describes the card's thickness: .030 inch.
What does 30 mil mean?
A mil is one-thousandth of an inch, so a 30-mil card is .030 inch thick. Our live Standard CR80 PVC Cards and Evolis UltraCards CR80 are both currently listed as 30-mil white PVC cards.
Card thickness matters because an ID printer's card path is designed to handle particular card dimensions and thicknesses. If you are buying cards for an existing printer, check the printer's supported card specifications rather than assuming every printable plastic card will feed correctly.
Are CR80 cards the same size as credit cards?
Yes—the CR80 format is the familiar credit-card-size format. That is one reason it is so widely used for identification: the finished credential is compact, familiar to users and works with a large range of standard ID badge accessories.
Before you order blank ID cards
- Confirm the card size and thickness supported by your printer.
- Check whether your application requires plain PVC or a different card construction or technology.
- If the card will also be used for access control, verify the credential technology before ordering.
- Decide how the finished badge will be worn before adding a slot or choosing a holder.
Can I use a standard CR80 card in any ID card printer?
Do not choose cards on size alone. Our standard PVC card listing is intended for photo ID card printing, but the correct card for a specific printer or credential program depends on that equipment and application. Printer specifications can include requirements beyond the basic CR80 dimensions.
If you know your printer model, start with our ID card printer resources or contact us and we can help you identify the appropriate supplies.
What if I need an access-control card instead of a plain PVC ID card?
A blank white PVC card and an electronic access credential can look very similar while doing very different jobs. If the badge must open doors, identify the access-control credential your system requires before ordering. Our RightProx card help explains what information to gather when replacing or ordering proximity credentials.
White, credit-card-size PVC cards for photo ID card printing.
View the cards →Still not sure which card you need?
The quickest way to avoid ordering the wrong card stock is to start with the printer model and what the finished credential needs to do. Contact All Things Identification with that information and we can help narrow the choices.