Standard Thank You Card Sizes (with Drawing)

Sending a Thank You card is the polite thing to do receiving a gift and not being able to extend your gratitude in person. The only question is, what size card should you get?

There are two standard Thank You card sizes: 3 × 5 inches (7.6 × 12.7 centimeters) and 5 × 7 inches (12.7 × 17.8 centimeters).

If you’d like to learn more about Thank You card sizes, keep reading. Below, I’ll go into greater detail regarding Thank You card sizes, as well as Thank You card etiquette, what events warrant a Thank You card, and the alternatives to traditional Thank You cards.

Different Thank You Card Sizes

Thank You cards can come in all sorts of sizes. The two most commonly used card sizes for extending your gratitude to guests are:

• 3 × 5-inch (7.6 × 12.7-centiemter) cards
• 5 × 7-inch (12.7 × 17.8-centimeter) cards
• However, the “appropriate” Thank You card size will depend on the card manufacturer. For instance, if you look on the internet, you may come across Thank You cards measuring:
• 3.5 × 2 inches (8.9 × 5.1 centimeters)
• 4.125 × 5.875 inches (10.5 × 14.9 centimeters)
• 4.25 × 5.6 inches (10.8 × 14.2 centimeters)
• 4.5 × 5.5 inches (11.4 × 14 centimeters)
• 5.875 × 8.25 inches (14.9 × 21 centimeters)

Ultimately, you should understand that there is no “standardized” size when it comes to Thank You cards. You are more than welcome to print Thank You cards on any size card you want.

Does Card Size Matter?

Like in many other facets of life, size matters when it comes to Thank You cards. Most people may not particularly care about the size of the Thank You card since they have pretty much gone the way of the dinosaurs.

However, there are several things you want to keep in mind when choosing a Thank You card size. I’ll describe those things down below.

• Cost per card: In general, larger cards are more expensive than smaller cards. So, if you want to send out Thank You cards to the 150 people who came to your wedding, you’ll have to factor in how much it’ll cost to purchase the cards even before printing anything on them.
• Printing cost: Larger cards will require more ink to cover. As such, you will end up spending a lot more on printing large Thank You cards than you would on smaller ones.
• Message: The more you want to say, the larger the card should be. However, you can send larger Thank You cards to people whom you know personally and smaller, more generic cards to acquaintances and distant relatives.
• Images: There is no obligation to include an image on a Thank You card. However, if you want people to know what you’re thanking them for at a glance, you might want to go with an image from your wedding, anniversary party, baby shower, etc. The size of the image will determine the size of the Thank You card.

General Thank You Card Etiquette

While sending Thank You cards may seem straightforward, they actually require a lot of thought. Thank You cards are used as a way to formally extend your gratitude to people who took time out of their day to show up at an event or gift you something.

There are several things that can go awry with Thank You cards, which is why some people may be thankful that they’ve become nearly obsolete.

Anyway, here’s a quick rundown of general Thank You card etiquette:

• Thanking the correct person: If you really want to personalize each card for your guests, you should mention how much their gift meant to you in the Thank You card. While you’re busy unwrapping gifts, ask a friend or relative to keep track of who gifted what during the event.
• Timeliness: Ideally, the Thank You card should already be in the mail within two months after a huge event. It’s common to inform your guests that they should expect to receive a Thank You card in the mail in the following weeks.
• Don’t reply to Thank You cards: If you do, you and your guest will enter a never-ending chain of sending Thank You cards every two months. The only exception for this is if someone has thanked you for attending a funeral. The polite thing to do would be to respond to the Thank You card.
• Printing vs. Handwriting: It’s socially acceptable to print or handwrite a personalized note on a Thank You card. However, to give the card a more personal touch, you should consider writing the cards by hand. After all, you have around two months to send them out.
• Templates: You are more than in your right to use a Thank You card template if your event had over 100 guests. However, you should still go out of your way to personalize Thank You cards for those that mean the most to you.

What Kind of Events Warrant a Thank You Card?

For the most part, you may have a feel of when a Thank You card is appropriate. If you don’t (you’re just getting used to this adulting thing), here’s a quick list of the events in your life that warrant sending out Thank You cards.

1. Job Interview (an email will suffice)
2. Receiving gifts
3. Receiving references from bosses/coworkers/colleagues
4. Retirement
5. Promotion
6. Weddings
7. Birthdays
8. Baby Showers
9. Funerals
10. Holidays

Alternatives to Thank You Cards

As I stated in an earlier section, Thank You cards are pretty much dying out. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to thank anyone from afar any longer.

You can replace traditional 3 × 5 or 5 × 7 Thank You cards with the following:

1. E-Thank You Cards
2. Thank You Videos
3. Thank You Photo Cards
4. Message in a Bottle (for more intimate relationships)
5. Thank You Drink Coasters
6. Handwritten Notes
7. Sending food or drink
8. Photo collage
9. Flowers
10. Posting on the recipient’s social media page
11. Texting
12. Showing up at their house and drinking all their wine (just kidding)