Safe zone
The safe zone is the inner area of a card where text and important artwork are guaranteed to be visible after the printer cuts. It sits 0.125" (3.175 mm) inside the trim line — anything closer to the edge risks being clipped.
Why it matters
Every card title, rules text, and key icon belongs in the safe zone. Designers usually discover this when a proof comes back with the corner of the title shaved off.
Example
On a poker card (2.5" × 3.5" trimmed), the safe zone is 2.25" × 3.25", centered. Keep your title, stats, and rules text inside that rectangle.