Index Card Template
Print your own index cards: ruled with a red header line and blue lines like store-bought cards, lined, blank, dot grid or graph squares. Choose 3 × 5, 4 × 6 or 5 × 8 in, or A6 and A7: 2, 3 or 4 cards per US Letter or A4 sheet with crop marks, or a page the size of one card to feed index cards straight into your printer. Set the line spacing (¼ in narrow rule, college rule, wide rule or metric), the line colour and a pale card colour for colour-coding, and add a back side that lines up when you print two-sided. You can also type words to print on the lines, such as speech notes, study notes or a list: leave an empty line between cards, the first line goes on the header line, and long notes run on to the next card, numbered 1 of 8 if you like. Download a PDF or 300 DPI PNG. Nothing is uploaded.
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Print at 100% (Actual size). Card stock sold as 90 or 110 lb index (about 163 or 199 gsm) feels close to a bought index card, if your printer takes it.
Card
Words on the cards (optional)
Printing
Runs in your browser with our own code: anything you type is read on your device and never uploaded, and nothing is saved. Print at 100% (Actual size); with a back side, print two-sided with the same flip setting you chose here. You may use what you make here, including commercially, with no credit needed.
How to print index cards
- Choose US Letter or A4 and the card size: 3 × 5 in cards come 3 per sheet, 4 × 6 in cards 2 per sheet.
- Pick a style (ruled, lined, blank, dot grid or graph) and the line spacing.
- Leave the words box empty for blank cards, or type your notes with an empty line between cards.
- Add a back side and choose your printer’s flip setting if you print two-sided.
- Download the PDF, print at 100% (Actual size) on card stock and cut along the crop marks.
What you can use it for
- Ruled cards for notes, research and quotes
- Speech and presentation note cards, numbered in order
- Dot grid or graph cards for sketches, maths and bullet journals
- Colour-coded cards for subjects or projects
- To-do and shopping list cards
- Cards for a card box or a pocket notebook
Index card sizes and how many fit
| Paper | Card | Per page | Card size | In mm | Blue lines (ruled, ¼ in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Letter | 3 × 5 in | 3 | 3 × 5 in | 76.2 × 127 mm | 9 |
| US Letter | 3 × 5 in | 4 | 3 × 5 in | 76.2 × 127 mm | 9 |
| US Letter | 4 × 6 in | 2 | 4 × 6 in | 101.6 × 152.4 mm | 13 |
| US Letter | 5 × 8 in | 1 | 5 × 8 in | 127 × 203.2 mm | 17 |
| A4 | 3 × 5 in | 3 | 3 × 5 in | 76.2 × 127 mm | 9 |
| A4 | 4 × 6 in | 2 | 4 × 6 in | 101.6 × 152.4 mm | 13 |
| A4 | A6 (148 × 105 mm) | 2 | 4.13 × 5.83 in | 105 × 148 mm | 14 |
| A4 | A7 (105 × 74 mm) | 4 | 2.91 × 4.13 in | 74 × 105 mm | 9 |
| A4 | 5 × 8 in | 1 | 5 × 8 in | 127 × 203.2 mm | 17 |
| The card itself (fed one at a time) | 3 × 5 in card | 1 | 3 × 5 in | 76.2 × 127 mm | 9 |
| The card itself (fed one at a time) | 4 × 6 in card | 1 | 4 × 6 in | 101.6 × 152.4 mm | 13 |
| The card itself (fed one at a time) | 5 × 8 in card | 1 | 5 × 8 in | 127 × 203.2 mm | 17 |
The 3 × 5 in sheet of 3 matches the published index card sheet layout (cards 1¾ in from the side and 1 in from the top), so it also fits pre-cut card sheets of that layout. The other layouts are our own, centred with margins of at least 12 mm.
Line spacing and lines per card
| Spacing | In mm | Blue lines on a 3 × 5 in card | Blue lines on a 4 × 6 in card |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ in | 6.35 mm | 9 | 13 |
| 9/32 in | 7.14 mm | 8 | 11 |
| 11/32 in | 8.73 mm | 6 | 9 |
| 8 mm | 8 mm | 7 | 10 |
| 7 mm | 7 mm | 8 | 12 |
| 5 mm | 5 mm | 12 | 17 |
Counts are for the ruled style with two lines of space above the red header line. Lined, dot grid and graph cards use the whole card.
Card styles
| Style | What it looks like | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Ruled | A red header line near the top, blue lines below | Notes, research cards, quotes, recipes written by hand |
| Lined | Blue lines from top to bottom, no header | Lists, speech notes, the back of a ruled card |
| Blank | No lines | Drawings, flash cards, labels and tags |
| Dot grid | Small dots at the spacing you choose | Sketches, bullet journal cards, diagrams |
| Graph | Squares at the spacing you choose | Maths, charts, floor plans, pixel art |
Which card template to use
| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| Blank, ruled, dot or graph index cards, or your own notes printed on lines | This page |
| A recipe with ingredients and steps fitted to the card | Recipe Card Template |
| A full page of lines, dots or squares | Lined Paper, Dot Grid Paper or Graph Paper |
For recipes use the Recipe Card Template, which lays out ingredients and steps for you. For whole sheets print Lined Paper, Dot Grid Paper or Graph Paper, and plan the week’s revision with the Study Planner or take class notes on the Cornell Notes Template.
Printing tips
- Print at 100% (Actual size); Fit to page shrinks the cards a little.
- Cut along the crop marks with a ruler and craft knife, or a paper trimmer, so the cards stack neatly.
- For colour-coded cards, choose a card colour and keep the outline on so you can see where to cut.
- Feeding real index cards? Use the manual feed tray and set the paper size to the card size in the print dialogue.
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Frequently asked questions
What size is an index card?
The most common index card is 3 × 5 in (76.2 × 127 mm). 4 × 6 in (101.6 × 152.4 mm) and 5 × 8 in (127 × 203.2 mm) are the other usual sizes, A7 (74 × 105 mm) is the ISO size, and A6 (105 × 148 mm) is one size up. All five are here.
How many index cards fit on a sheet of paper?
Three 3 × 5 in cards fit on a US Letter sheet (four on a landscape sheet), two 4 × 6 in cards, and one 5 × 8 in card. On A4 you get three 3 × 5 in, two 4 × 6 in, two A6 or four A7 cards. The table on this page lists every layout.
How far apart are the lines on an index card?
Narrow-ruled index cards have lines ¼ in (6.35 mm) apart, a red line near the top for a heading and blue lines below. You can also choose college rule (9/32 in), wide rule (11/32 in), 8, 7 or 5 mm, or type your own spacing.
Can I print on real index cards?
Yes. Choose a card size that is fed one at a time: the page is the size of the card, so you can load blank 3 × 5, 4 × 6 or 5 × 8 in cards in your printer’s manual feed tray. Many home printers leave a small unprinted edge, which is why the lines stop short of the edge on some printers.
Can I print words on the cards?
Yes. Type or paste your notes in the words box and leave an empty line between cards. The first line of each card goes on the header line (turn this off if you want every line on the blue lines), and if a card has more lines than fit, the rest runs on to the next card with the heading marked continued.
How do I make speech note cards?
Paste your speech with an empty line between each card’s points, keep the first line as a short heading, and set Card numbers to 1 of 8 so you can put the cards back in order. 4 × 6 in cards give more room and larger text.
How do I print ruled index cards on both sides?
Choose what goes on the back (blue lines, the same as the front, or colour only) and your printer’s flip setting. The PDF puts each page of fronts before its page of backs, placed so every back lands behind its own card. Print the two-sided test page once to check your printer.
What paper should I use?
Card stock sold as 90 or 110 lb index (about 163 or 199 gsm) feels close to a bought index card. Check the heaviest paper your printer takes; plain paper works for practice cards and notes you keep in a binder.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit beyond the size of one batch.
Is anything uploaded?
No. Everything you type is read by JavaScript in your browser and never leaves your device. Only the free fonts load from a public font CDN, and nothing is saved when you close the page.