Prayer Card Wording and Size Guide

Standard prayer cards are 2.5 by 4.25 inches, printed 6 to a sheet on letter paper with crop marks. Below are wording examples for the front (name, dates, photo) and back (a prayer, psalm, or short verse), organized by tradition and ready to copy in.

What size is a standard prayer card?

2.5 by 4.25 inches is the size Candlefold’s prayer card layout uses. You may see a slightly different size, 2.25 by 4.25 inches, described as “standard” elsewhere — both sizes are common across the printing industry, and neither is more “official” than the other. What matters more than the exact fraction of an inch is that all six cards on your sheet are cut to the same size and line up with your printed crop marks.

How many fit on one sheet?

Six, arranged 2 across by 3 down on a standard letter-size (8.5 × 11 in) sheet, with crop marks printed at each corner showing exactly where to cut. This is Candlefold’s standard prayer-card layout — one sheet makes six cards.

Prayer card size and sheet layout

Card size	Sheet size	Cards per sheet	Layout
2.5 × 4.25 in	8.5 × 11 in (letter)	6	2 across, 3 down, with crop marks

What goes on the front vs. the back?

What’s a common Catholic prayer card wording?

The Eternal Rest prayer is one of the most common choices for the back of a Catholic prayer card:

Eternal rest grant unto [him/her/them], O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon [him/her/them]. May [he/she/they] rest in peace. Amen.

Many cards add the traditional closing line: “May [his/her/their] soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”

The Hail Mary is another common choice, printed in full on the back, sometimes alongside a short verse. The traditional wording:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Both are traditional prayers in common use for generations, not texts from a copyrighted modern translation. As with the Catholic funeral program template, specific wording preferences vary by parish — confirm with your priest or deacon if you’re unsure which is customary for your family.

What about Protestant or non-religious cards?

Protestant cards commonly use a short public-domain verse — Psalm 23 is a frequent choice, in the King James Version (see the public-domain readings page for the full text and its source). A card usually carries the first verse or two: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” A line from a familiar public-domain hymn, such as the words to “Amazing Grace,” is another common option.

Non-religious cards often carry only the name, dates, and photo on the front, with the back left blank or holding a short, non-religious line (“Forever Loved,” or a favorite quote the person used often).

Can I cut these myself at home?

Yes, and for most families this is the realistic path. Big-box print counters (Staples, FedEx Office) generally aren’t set up to die-cut a small card to an exact size as a self-serve product — see the printing guide for the store paths that do work well for the program itself. For prayer cards specifically:

• Print the 6-up sheet on cardstock (heavier paper holds up better than standard printer paper) and cut along the printed crop marks with a paper cutter, or carefully with scissors and a ruler.
• Alternatively, look for a pre-perforated prayer-card stock sheet (available at some office and craft stores) that snaps apart cleanly along scored lines without needing to cut at all.

Questions families ask

What size is a standard prayer card?

2.5 by 4.25 inches is the size Candlefold uses. You'll also see 2.25 by 4.25 inches cited elsewhere as standard — both sizes are common in the industry; Candlefold's layout is built around 2.5 by 4.25 in.

How many fit on one sheet?

Six, laid out 2 across by 3 down on a standard letter (8.5x11 in) sheet, with crop marks showing where to cut.

What goes on the front vs. the back?

The front usually has the person's name, birth and death dates, and a photo. The back has a prayer, psalm, or short verse — sometimes with a small closing line like 'In Loving Memory.'

What's a common Catholic prayer card wording?

The Eternal Rest prayer ("Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him/her...") and the Hail Mary are both common choices for the back of a Catholic prayer card.

What about Protestant or non-religious cards?

Protestant cards commonly use a short public-domain verse, such as Psalm 23 or a line from a familiar hymn. Non-religious cards often carry only the name, dates, and a small photo, with no verse at all.

Can I cut these myself at home?

Yes — this is the realistic path for most families. Big-box print counters generally don't die-cut small cards to size, so plan to cut a 6-up cardstock sheet at home with a paper cutter or scissors and a ruler, or look for a pre-perforated card-stock sheet that snaps apart along scored lines.

Sources

This page describes Candlefold’s own product specifications and general printing practice rather than reporting a third-party claim, so it has no external sources to cite. Wording examples are cross-checked against the public-domain readings page for anything longer than a short phrase.