Whether you’re designing your own unique tarot deck, launching a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, or searching for a professional tarot card manufacturer, compréhension tarot card size is the first step toward creating a high-quality deck.
En général, tarot cards originated in Italy during the 14th century as a deck of 78 cards that were originally used for card games such as the French Tarot game. Au fil du temps, they evolved into one of the world’s most popular tools for divination and spiritual guidance. Aujourd'hui, tarot readings are commonly used to explore questions related to love, marriage, family, career, éducation, and personal growth. When people feel uncertain about their current situation or are searching for clarity, tarot cards are often consulted to provide insight and help guide future decisions.
A traditional tarot deck consists of 78 cartes, divided into two main groups: le Arcanes majeurs (22 cartes) et le Arcanes mineurs (56 cartes). The Major Arcana features individually named and numbered cards, beginning with Le fou (0) and ending with The World (XXI). Ensemble, these cards symbolize different stages of human growth, life experiences, and spiritual development, forming what is commonly known as “The Fool’s Journey.” Through symbolic imagery—including people, celestial bodies, and abstract concepts—the Major Arcana tells a story of transformation, wisdom, and self-discovery.
Le Arcanes mineurs consists of 56 cartes divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Each suit represents a different aspect of life and contains ten numbered cards (Ace through Ten) along with four court cards: Page, Knight, Queen, and King. Ensemble, the Minor Arcana reflects everyday experiences, emotions, relations, challenges, and practical matters, complementing the broader life lessons represented by the Major Arcana.
Dans ce guide, we’ll cover the most common tarot card sizes, compare different dimensions, share practical design recommendations, explain how to use a tarot card template, and explore custom tarot card printing options to help you bring your project to life.
Size of Tarot Cards:What Is the Standard Tarot Card Size?
Standard Tarot Card Size
When people search for “tarot card size,” they are usually referring to the traditional dimensions used by most commercially printed tarot decks.
Le standard tarot card size is:
- Width: 2.75 pouces (70 mm)
- Height: 4.75 pouces (120 mm)
- Aspect Ratio: Approximately 1:1.7
This size has become the industry standard because it provides the ideal balance between artwork visibility, ease of handling, and shuffle comfort. Its larger format offers ample space for intricate illustrations, symbolism, and card descriptions while remaining comfortable to hold during readings.
Other Common Tarot Card Sizes
Other Common Tarot Card Sizes
Although 70 × 120 mm is the most widely used, custom tarot decks are available in many sizes.
| Size Type | Pouces | Millimètres | Idéal pour |
| Mini Tarot | 1.75″ × 3″ | 44 × 76 mm | Jeux de voyage |
| Pocket Tarot | 2.25″ × 3,5″ | 57 × 89 mm | Everyday carry |
| Standard Tarot | 2.75″ × 4,75″ | 70 × 120 mm | Most tarot decks |
| Large Tarot | 3.5″ × 5.5″ | 89 × 140 mm | Éditions collector |
| Oversized Tarot | 4″ × 6″ | 102 × 152 mm | Display or teaching |
Choosing the right tarot card size depends on several factors, including your public cible, style artistique, and intended use. Par exemple, standard-sized cards are ideal for everyday readings, while mini or pocket-sized decks are perfect for portability. Larger formats provide more room for detailed artwork, making them a popular choice for collector’s editions, premium gift sets, and display or teaching purposes. Selecting the appropriate size will not only enhance the user experience but also help your tarot deck stand out in the market.
How Big Are Tarot Cards Compared to Playing Cards?
Many creators who are new to tarot are curious about how it differs from standard playing cards.
The following is a brief comparison chart:
Poker Cards 2.5″ × 3,5″ (64 × 89mm)
Tarot Cards 2.75″ × 4,75″ (70 × 120mm)
As shown in the comparison above, tarot cards are noticeably taller and slightly wider than standard playing cards.
This larger format provides several advantages. It offers more space for detailed illustrations, intricate symbolism, and decorative artwork—essential elements in tarot reading, where visual clarity and symbolic imagery play a significant role. The increased card size also allows text, icônes, and fine design details to be more legible, while premium cardstock enhances the overall tactile experience. Par conséquent, tarot decks often deliver a stronger visual impact and a more immersive reading experience.
Cependant, the larger dimensions also require appropriately sized packaging, boîtes de rangement, and accessories to protect the cards and maintain their quality over time.
En général, cartes à jouer are most commonly packaged in standard tuck boxes, which are lightweight, compact, and cost-effective. Tarot decks, d'autre part, tend to be packaged in premium rigid magnetic closure boxes. Because tarot cards are larger, contain more cards (typically 78), and are often considered collectible or artistic products rather than casual playing cards, high-end packaging better reflects their value. Many custom tarot decks also feature luxury finishing options such as estampage à la feuille d'or, silver foil, Spot UV, ou relâchement, creating a more elegant unboxing experience.
The image below shows a typical tarot deck packaged in a premium magnetic rigid box, featuring high-quality construction and luxurious foil-stamped finishing：
Tarot Card Template & Design Guide
Before printing your tarot cards, preparing a professional design file is essential. Ici, we provide a tarot card template available for download. Give it a try!
D'abord, let’s introduce the elements included in a typical tarot card template.
1. Trim Line
The trim line indicates the final cutting edge of the card. Après l'impression, the cards will be precisely cut along this line to reach the finished size. Any content outside the trim line will be removed during the cutting process.
2. Zone de fond perdu
The bleed area is located outside the trim line and usually extends 3 mm beyond each edge of the card. The background color or artwork in this area should match the card itself to prevent white borders caused by slight cutting inaccuracies.
3. Zone sécurisée
The safe area is the region inside the trim line. All design elements on the card—such as symbols, texte, and illustrations—should remain within this area. Keep all important design content inside the safe area, and it is generally recommended to leave a margin of 3–5 mm from the edge.
4. Rounded Corners
Most tarot cards use rounded corners rather than sharp square corners. There are many types of rounded corners, and tarot cards typically use a corner radius of 3–5 mm.
5. Card Front
The card front is the front side of your tarot card. All of your artwork, illustrations, symboles, numbering, and other design elements are placed on this side. Since the mystical nature of tarot cards relies heavily on the storytelling of the card artwork and the visual experience conveyed by its symbols, designers should use high-resolution images (300 PPP) et Mode couleur CMJN.
6. Card Back
As the name suggests, this is the back side of the tarot card. Usually, all cards in a tarot deck share the same card back design. Bien sûr, depending on your design, you can also create multiple different card back designs. Like the front, important design elements should remain within the safe area.
Donc, How Do You Design Your Tarot Cards?
Overall, the process consists of four parts: story theme, visual style, border style, and creation method.
1. Story Theme
Determine the theme of your story—what message does your story want to express, and what overall values does it convey? It is recommended to write a story outline yourself to connect all the character storylines.
Define your story’s background, including the time period, environment, perspective, and characters involved. Build the main conflict of the story. Why can’t the protagonist cooperate with the other characters or forces? The conflict must correspond closely to the background so that the protagonist feels believable. Par exemple, if there is no obvious problem but the protagonist still wants to overthrow the ruling power, readers may find the story confusing.
Once the story framework is established, express it through your tarot card illustrations, symboles, and visual elements.
2. Visual Style
The visual style determines the overall tone of the entire deck. You can choose styles such as fantasy, dark fantasy, sun god or Eastern mythology, mystical astrology, Et plus. Different styles appeal to different audiences and reading purposes. People who enjoy adventure or cosplay may prefer astrological or dark fantasy styles, while love-themed readings may suit a dreamy aesthetic. Bien sûr, designers are also free to create according to their own preferred artistic style.
3. Border Style
The border helps unify the entire deck. There are two main design approaches:
Character-focused design
Each card highlights a single character, with different border designs used for different characters.
Story-focused design
Each card depicts a scene or a segment of the story. A single storyline may span multiple cards, with the same border style used throughout that story.
4. Creation Method
Method 1: AI-Assisted Creation
This is currently the method that requires the least drawing and design experience. The core idea is to use AI to generate artwork in a desired style and then manually refine and adjust the results.
Method 2: Hand Drawing or Digital Tablet Illustration
Étape 1: Create Sketches
Use a pencil or drawing tablet to sketch character poses and card decorations. Design tools such as Canva can also be used during this stage.
Étape 2: Refine and Color
Color the artwork in Canva, or import the sketches into software such as Photoshop, using tools like the Pen Tool to trace, refine, and finalize the artwork. When coloring, you can try using features such as Gradient Map to create richer color variations.
Étape 3: Combine Design Assets
During the design process, you can confidently incorporate additional assets to assist your artwork. Par exemple, apply texture brushes as backgrounds or add decorative elements such as beads. The key is to blend these assets naturally with your hand-drawn artwork so the final design appears complete and cohesive.
Once all 78 cartes have been designed, you can prepare your files for printing.
Custom Tarot Card Deck Printing
After completing your card designs and preparing the print-ready files, you can send them to a professional printing manufacturer to produce your custom tarot deck. Impression Xinyi offers premium wholesale printing services with high-quality craftsmanship, direct factory production, and manufacturer-direct pricing to help bring your tarot cards to market. Contact us today to start your custom tarot card printing project!
The key elements of tarot card printing inclure papier, surface finishing, techniques d'impression, et options d'emballage.
D'abord, when selecting paper stock, tarot cards generally place greater emphasis on a premium look and feel. Common cardstock options include:
- 300gsm C2S Art Paper
- 310gsm Black Core Paper
- 330gsm German Black Core Paper
- Premium Casino-Grade Playing Card Stock
Common surface finishing options include:
- Stratification mate
- Stratification brillante
- Linen Finish
- Soft Touch Lamination
- Revêtement UV ponctuel
These finishing techniques not only protect the printed artwork but also create distinctive tactile experiences.
To emphasize the mystical atmosphere and radiant symbolism often found in tarot card artwork, tamponnage en feuille is one of the most commonly used printing techniques for tarot decks.
Professional packaging options for tarot cards include:
- Tuck-End Paper Boxes
- Two-Piece Rigid Boxes
- Magnetic Closure Rigid Boxes
- Drawer-Style Gift Boxes
- Collector’s Edition Gift Boxes
Many publishers also include guidebooks, insert cards, and custom accessories inside the packaging to create a more complete and premium unboxing experience.
Conclusion
Choosing the right tarot card size is an important step in designing a successful tarot deck. Although the standard size of 70 × 120 mm (2.75 × 4.75 pouces) remains the most popular choice, custom dimensions can often better match specific artistic styles or market demands.
In addition to the card size, selecting the appropriate papier, surface finishing, printing method, and packaging solution can significantly enhance both the visual appeal and durability of your tarot deck. Working with an experienced custom tarot card printing manufacturer ensures that your artwork is reproduced accurately and that the finished product meets professional quality standards.
Whether you’re planning to launch your first independent tarot deck or expand an existing product line, compréhension tarot card sizes and the printing process will help you create a deck that is both visually stunning and highly functional.
Choose Impression Xinyi to bring your premium artistic tarot cards to life!
FAQs About Tarot Card Size
What is the standard tarot card size?
The standard tarot card size is 2.75 × 4.75 pouces (70 × 120 mm), which is used by most commercial tarot decks.
Are tarot cards larger than poker cards?
Oui. Tarot cards are taller and slightly wider than standard poker cards, providing more space for artwork and symbolism.
Can I customize the size of my tarot cards?
Absolument. Professional manufacturers can produce tarot cards in custom dimensions to match your design and branding requirements.
What is the best cardstock for tarot cards?
Popular options include 300gsm art paper, 310gsm black core paper, et 330gsm German black core paper, depending on the desired durability and handling.
What resolution should tarot card artwork be?
For professional printing, artwork should be prepared at 300 PPP dans CMJN mode couleur.
What packaging is best for tarot decks?
Common packaging choices include tuck boxes, boîtes rigides, magnetic gift boxes, and drawer boxes. Premium editions often include guidebooks and custom inserts.
Can I print a small quantity of custom tarot cards?
Oui. Many professional printing companies offer low minimum order quantities (MOQ) for independent artists, créateurs, and crowdfunding campaigns, while larger production runs generally provide lower unit costs.
What bleed should I use when designing tarot cards?
UN 3 mm bleed is recommended to ensure background artwork extends beyond the trim line, preventing white edges after cutting.
