CR80, CR79, CR100: What PVC ID Card Sizes and Codes Actually Mean
Ankit Choudhary
Quick Answer
CR80 is the standard credit-card size: 85.6 × 54 mm (3.375 × 2.125 in), the same as your bank card, Emirates ID and almost every employee badge. CR79 is slightly smaller and usually adhesive-backed for sticking onto thicker access-control cards. CR100 is an oversize format used where the card has to be readable from a distance. If you're buying blank cards for an ordinary ID card printer, you almost certainly want CR80 at 30 mil thickness.
Blank PVC cards look identical on a shelf, and the product codes don't help: CR80, CR79, CR100, 30 mil, 20 mil, composite, HiCo. Buy the wrong one and the cards either jam the printer, come out the wrong size for your lanyard holders, or peel apart after a month on a lanyard. This guide decodes the labels so you can order once and get it right.
CR80
The size 95% of buyers need
30 mil
Standard thickness (0.76 mm)
ISO 7810
The standard behind all of it
What "CR" Actually Means
The CR prefix comes from an old North American card-industry sizing convention, and the number after it is a series label, not a measurement. CR80 isn't 80 of anything. Over time the codes became the shorthand every card and printer manufacturer uses, so they're what you'll see on boxes, spec sheets and printer compatibility lists.
The international standard underneath is ISO/IEC 7810, which defines card formats as ID-1, ID-2 and ID-3. CR80 is the same thing as ISO ID-1. When a spec sheet says "ID-1 / CR80", it's saying the same size twice.
The Four Sizes, Drawn to Scale
Each card below is drawn at the same scale, so the differences are real. CR79 and CR80 are close enough that you'd only notice side by side; CR100 is visibly a different class of badge.
Another way to see it: stack them from the same corner. CR79 fits inside CR80 with about a millimetre to spare on each side, which is exactly why it works as an overlay. CR100 is roughly 15% wider and 24% taller than CR80.
Code
Size (mm)
Size (inches)
Also called
Typical use
CR80
85.6 × 54.0
3.375 × 2.125
ISO ID-1, credit-card size
Employee ID, student ID, membership, access control, loyalty, gift cards
CR79
83.9 × 51.0
3.303 × 2.051
Adhesive-back card, clamshell overlay
Printed and stuck onto thick proximity / clamshell access cards that can't go through a printer
CR90
92.0 × 60.0
3.63 × 2.37
Oversize
Uncommon; some event and visitor badges
CR100
98.5 × 67.0
3.88 × 2.63
Oversize, "military size"
Government, security, hospital and construction-site badges that must be readable at a glance
The catch with CR100: most desktop ID card printers only accept CR80. CR100 needs a printer specifically built for it, and the badge holders, lanyards and card sleeves are all different too. Don't buy CR100 blanks unless your printer's spec sheet lists CR100 explicitly.
Thickness: What "30 mil" Means
Card thickness is quoted in mil, which is a thousandth of an inch, not a millimetre. It's the second number that trips people up, and it matters more than size for whether a card will feed through your printer.
Almost all ID card printers are built for 30 mil and will feed a range around it (typically 20–40 mil, sometimes 10–50). The manual will state the range. A card outside it either won't pick up from the hopper or will double-feed.
Material: PVC vs Composite
Standard PVC
100% polyvinyl chloride.
The default blank card. Cheapest, prints well on any direct-to-card printer, lasts two to three years of daily use. Can warp under the heat of lamination or retransfer printing.
Composite (PVC/PET)
PVC outer layers around a PET core.
Costs around 30–50% more. Handles heat without warping, so it's required for laminating printers and strongly recommended for retransfer printers. Lasts five years or more. The right choice for access cards people will carry daily.
Rule of thumb: direct-to-card printer with no laminator → standard PVC. Retransfer printer, or any printer with a lamination module → composite. If you're not sure which type of printer you have, the giveaway is that retransfer printers print edge-to-edge with no thin white border.
The Other Codes on the Box
1
HiCo / LoCo. Magnetic stripe cards only. HiCo (high coercivity, 2750 Oe) is harder to erase and is what banks and access systems use. LoCo (300 Oe) is cheaper and fine for short-life cards like hotel keys. Your card reader or encoder determines which you need; most modern encoders handle both.
2
Prox / RFID / MIFARE / EM. Contactless cards with a chip and antenna sealed inside. The frequency (125 kHz for EM and HID Prox, 13.56 MHz for MIFARE and NFC) has to match your access-control readers. These are still CR80 size and 30 mil, so they print in a normal card printer.
3
Slot punch / pre-punched. A slot for a clip or strap, pre-cut on the short or long edge. Order pre-punched if you'll use clips rather than card holders; punching after printing risks cracking the print.
4
Signature panel. A matte strip on the back that takes pen ink. Standard on bank-style cards, optional on ID.
5
Graphic quality / glossy. "Graphic quality" means the surface is polished for dye-sublimation printing and is what you want for any ID printer. Avoid inkjet-coated PVC cards in a thermal card printer; the coating fouls the printhead.
What to Order: A Quick Decision Guide
You need
Order
Employee or student ID, direct-to-card printer
CR80, 30 mil, standard PVC, graphic quality
Same, but with a laminating or retransfer printer
CR80, 30 mil, composite PVC/PET
Door access and photo ID on one card
CR80, 30 mil, MIFARE or Prox (match your readers)
Adding photo ID to existing thick clamshell access cards
CR79, 10 mil, adhesive-back
Loyalty or gift cards with magnetic stripe
CR80, 30 mil, HiCo mag stripe
Large-format badge readable across a room
CR100, 30 mil — only with a CR100-capable printer
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CR80 the same size as a credit card and Emirates ID?
Yes. All three are ISO ID-1, 85.6 × 54 mm. Any wallet slot, card holder or lanyard sleeve made for a bank card fits a CR80 badge.
Can I print CR79 cards in a normal ID printer?
Usually yes, but check the manual. CR79 is slightly smaller and thinner, and some printers need a hopper adjustment or a carrier sheet. The adhesive backing has a peel-off liner, so the card goes through the printer with the liner on.
Why do my printed cards fade or scratch after a few months?
Direct-to-card prints sit on the card surface, so they wear. A clear overlay panel (the "O" in a YMCKO ribbon) protects them; a laminating printer protects them much better. For cards handled daily, composite cards plus lamination is the durable combination.
Do blank PVC cards expire?
Not as such, but they should be stored flat, sealed and away from heat and sunlight. Cards left loose in a warm drawer pick up dust and static, which shows as speckles on the print. Keep them in the original packaging until you load them.
Need the Right Cards for Your Printer?
Tell us your printer model and what the cards are for, and we'll confirm the exact size, thickness and material, and quote per box.
