Wedding invitation sizes

Standard sizes for every piece

Piece	Common size	Envelope
Invitation	5 × 7 in	A7 (5¼ × 7¼ in)
Save-the-date card	5 × 7 in	A7 (5¼ × 7¼ in)
Save-the-date postcard	4 × 6 in	None
RSVP card	3½ × 5 in	A1 (3⅝ × 5⅛ in)
RSVP card, larger	4¼ × 5½ in	A2 (4⅜ × 5¾ in)
Details card	4 × 6 in, or 3½ × 5 in	Goes inside the invitation envelope
Thank-you card	4¼ × 5½ in	A2 (4⅜ × 5¾ in)

The envelope is always slightly bigger than the card, usually by about ⅛ inch on each side, so the card slides in without bending.

Why 5 × 7 is the standard

• Every printer offers it, from local shops to online services.
• Envelopes, liners, and belly bands are made for it.
• The smaller cards nest inside it neatly.
• It mails as a regular letter, as long as it's rectangular and flexible.

A larger invitation, such as 5½ × 8½ in an A9 envelope, feels more formal. Check that your printer offers it before you design around it.

Square invitations cost more to mail

A square envelope can't go through USPS sorting machines, so it pays an extra nonmachinable surcharge on every invitation. The same applies to envelopes that are rigid, lumpy, or closed with a clasp or ribbon. The postage guide has the current surcharge.

Bleed, trim, and safe margins

If your design has color or artwork that runs to the edge of the card, the file has to be slightly larger than the card.

• Trim size is the finished card: 5 × 7 inches.
• Bleed is extra artwork past the trim line, usually ⅛ inch (0.125 in) on every side. A 5 × 7 invitation with bleed is a 5¼ × 7¼ inch file. The printer cuts the bleed off, so a slightly uneven cut never leaves a white edge.
• The safe margin is the area inside the trim where text must stay. Keep names, dates, and anything important at least ⅛ to ¼ inch in from the edge, so the cut can't clip them.

If your design has a plain background and nothing touches the edge, you may not need bleed. Check your printer's file requirements either way.

File settings printers ask for

• Resolution: 300 dpi at the finished size.
• Format: PDF, with fonts embedded, or outlined.
• Color: most printers accept RGB files, but some ask for CMYK. Colors can shift slightly in print, so order one printed proof before the full run.
• One card per page, at trim size plus bleed, unless the printer asks for a different layout.

Paper weight

Wedding cards usually print on heavy "cover" stock, commonly 100 to 130 lb (about 270–350 gsm). Heavier paper feels more expensive, but it adds weight to the envelope. Weigh one fully assembled invitation before you buy stamps.

USPS size limits

To mail as a standard letter, the envelope must be:

• at least 3½ × 5 inches
• at most 6⅛ × 11½ inches
• no more than ¼ inch thick
• rectangular, with the length between 1.3 and 2.5 times the height

An A7 envelope (5¼ × 7¼ in) is well within those limits. A postcard mails at the lower postcard rate only if it is between 3½ × 5 and 4¼ × 6 inches, so a 5 × 7 save-the-date card needs letter postage.