Google Docs handles business cards adequately for simple designs. It won’t match Word’s depth of Avery integration, but it’s free, runs in the browser, and supports collaborative editing — useful when the design needs sign-off from someone who doesn’t have Word.

Why Google Docs

The case for Docs: zero install, automatic cloud saving, easy sharing for review, and a working free template gallery. The case against: no built-in label or business card sizing dialog, no Avery template chooser, and weaker print controls than Word. For a one-off card the trade-off is fine. For producing variations across a team, Word’s structure handles the volume more cleanly.

Open Docs, then File > New > From template gallery. The gallery includes business card templates under the Work category — table layouts sized for US Letter paper, or smaller grids for international stock.

Selecting a template opens a fresh document with placeholder content. Replace text by clicking into each cell. The styling lives in standard Docs formatting — fonts, sizes, colours, and alignment behave normally. To duplicate a finished card across the sheet, copy the cell contents and paste into the remaining cells.

Building from scratch with tables

For a custom layout, build the grid manually. Insert > Table and choose 2 columns by 5 rows for a 10-up US Letter sheet (or 2 by 4 for an 8-up A4 sheet).

Set the page to landscape via File > Page setup > Orientation: Landscape if the cards read wider than tall. Reduce margins to roughly 12-15 mm; Docs’s default 25 mm wastes too much sheet.

Under Format > Table > Table properties, set column width to 95 mm (or 3.5 inches) and row height to 60 mm (or 2 inches) for European or US sizing respectively. Cell padding should be small — 2-3 mm. Hide the table borders before printing by setting border width to 0pt.

Once one cell is laid out, copy and paste it into the remaining nine. Consistency across the sheet matters more than perfect individual cells.

Adding logos and images

Insert > Image > Upload from computer places the logo at the cursor. Drag a corner handle to resize while holding proportions. Click the image and select In line as the wrap mode so the logo stays anchored within the cell — other wrap modes can float the image into adjacent cells and break the layout.

Printing onto Avery sheets

File > Print opens the system print dialog. Set paper size to match the Avery sheet (US Letter or A4). Disable Fit to page or Scale — both will rescale the artwork and break alignment with the pre-cut card boundaries.

Print one sheet on plain paper first to verify alignment against an unused Avery sheet. Adjust margins or page setup if anything drifts.

For deeper design guidance before laying out the cards, see how to design a professional business card. For the equivalent workflow in Microsoft Word, see free printable business card templates for Word. For Docs’s use across other print formats, see designing brochures and flyers in Google Docs.