Introduction
Two red packet size standards cover most of the market. The traditional portrait packet is 80 × 170 mm: 80 mm across the width, 170 mm from the glued bottom edge to the top of the flap. The Singapore ang bao most printers quote is 158 × 80 mm, a wide pocket rather than a tall one.
Everything else follows from one convention. Sizes here are given as width × height on the finished, glued packet. Suppliers do not all write sizes the same way round, and a figure copied off a specification sheet without checking which edge it starts from can send a cutting die out rotated by 90 degrees.
Dimensions are only half the problem. A packet that looks generous on screen can still fail to hold a large banknote, and the reason is nearly always the width.
What size is a red packet? Standard sizes in mm
A standard red packet is 80 × 170 mm in portrait, opening on the short edge. The common Singapore ang bao is 158 × 80 mm, opening on the long edge. Square packets measure 90 × 90 mm.
| Style | Size (W × H, mm) | Orientation | Opening | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional portrait | 80 × 170 | Portrait | Short edge | Chinese New Year, corporate distribution, classic packets |
| Singapore standard ang bao | 158 × 80 | Landscape | Long edge | Singapore and Malaysia, general use |
| Square | 90 × 90 | Square | None | Weddings, small creative runs |
| Medium portrait | 90 × 128 | Portrait | Short edge | Compact; notes are normally folded |
| Large portrait | 90 × 171 | Portrait | Short edge | Holds a single HK$1,000 note flat |
| Large landscape | 169 × 85 | Landscape | Long edge | Wide pocket; check the inner width first |
| Green packet (duit raya) | 80 × 154 | Portrait | Short edge | Hari Raya in Singapore and Malaysia |
Read the 158 × 80 row with care, because some suppliers write the same pocket the other way round as 80 × 158. Under a width × height convention the two readings point at different orientations, so always confirm which dimension comes first before artwork goes to the die maker.
A size written as "3 × 6" belongs to US stationery conventions and describes an inch-based envelope. Working in millimetres avoids mixing the two systems.
Which red packet size fits a banknote?
Hong Kong note dimensions are published by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and they are the clearest available reference for this. Batches can vary by ±0.5 mm, so design with margin rather than to the exact figure.
| Denomination | Note size (mm) | Denomination | Note size (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HK$1,000 | 163 × 81.5 | HK$50 | 148 × 74 |
| HK$500 | 158 × 79 | HK$20 | 143 × 71.5 |
| HK$100 | 153 × 76.5 | HK$10 | 134 × 66 |
The dimension that decides whether a note fits is the pocket's shorter side. In a portrait packet that is the width; in a wide landscape packet it becomes the height.
| Finished size (W × H, mm) | Usable inside (W × H, mm) | Largest single note that fits flat |
|---|---|---|
| 80 × 170 | About 75.5 × 166 | A note up to 73.5 mm across, such as HK$20 or HK$10 |
| 90 × 171 | About 86 × 168 | Any HK note, including HK$1,000 at 81.5 mm |
| 158 × 80 | About 154 × 76 | A note up to 74 mm, such as HK$50 |
| 169 × 85 | About 165 × 82 | HK$500 at 79 mm, and everything below it |
The rule to read from that table: the packet's shorter side has to exceed the note's shorter side with a gap of at least 2 mm left over. That is why an 80 mm packet stops at the smaller notes.
| Note | Note's shorter side | Fits in 80 × 170 | Fits in 90 × 171 |
|---|---|---|---|
| HK$1,000 | 81.5 mm | No | Yes |
| HK$500 | 79 mm | No | Yes |
| HK$100 | 76.5 mm | No, only 75.5 mm available | Yes |
| HK$50 | 74 mm | No, only 75.5 mm available | Yes |
| HK$20 | 71.5 mm | Yes | Yes |
| HK$10 | 66 mm | Yes | Yes |
An 80 mm packet leaves roughly 75.5 mm of usable width once the seams are taken out, which is not enough for a note 81.5 mm across. That gap is why the 90 mm widths exist. If a HK$1,000 note has to go in flat, the packet needs to be at least 90 mm wide. A square 90 × 90 mm packet is a different case again: no full-size note fits across its 86 mm side, so it is a folded-note format.
There is a second route to the same result. A 169 × 85 mm landscape packet reverses the constraint, because the pocket's shorter side is its height rather than its width, and a note sits sideways in it. Printers usually want a proof before standing behind a landscape pocket for high denominations, so judge it on the inside height of about 82 mm rather than the 85 mm outer figure.
Inner size, seams and bleed
A packet sold as 80 × 170 mm measures 80 × 170 mm on the outside. The inside is smaller, because the glued seams and the closing flap eat into the pocket.
| Measurement | Rule | Effect on the pocket |
|---|---|---|
| Inner width | Finished width less 2–2.5 mm per side seam | About 4–5 mm narrower overall |
| Inner height | Finished height less 3–4 mm for the top mouth | About 3–4 mm shorter |
| Design allowance | Keep artwork 2–3 mm inside the inner pocket | Absorbs print and fold drift |
| Die-cut tolerance | ±1–2 mm | Allow extra margin on tight sizes |
| Seam tolerance | ±0.5–1 mm | Accumulates across the two seams |
For a 90 × 171 mm packet, the inner pocket works out at about 86 × 168 mm. A HK$1,000 note measures 163 × 81.5 mm, so it clears the pocket in both directions and lies flat.
Bleed follows the same logic. Leave 2–3 mm beyond the trim on every edge so a small shift in cutting does not leave a white sliver along the fold. Keep text and logo marks clear of the seam zones too, since red ink over a glue line shows as a light streak.
Paper and weight for red packets
Red packets are usually made from 120–200 g/m² stock. Heavier paper feels more substantial and holds its shape, and it also folds less cleanly, so a heavy card needs scoring along the fold line.
| Stock | Grammage | Character | Suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gloss art paper | 128–157 g/m² | Saturated colour, lowest cost | Large corporate runs |
| Matte art paper | Similar range to gloss art | Non-reflective, restrained | Mid and upper tier |
| Double-sided red card | Red on both faces, one smooth and one rough; not suited to four-colour printing | Traditional packets; foil stamping and embossing | |
| Pearl or metallic | 120 / 160 g/m² | Pearl and metallic sheen | Weddings, premium seasonal work |
| Soft-touch | Velvet, matte finish | Corporate gifting |
Double-sided red card is the stock worth understanding before you brief artwork. Both faces are already red, so four-colour printing over it does not behave the way it does on white art paper. Foil stamping and embossing carry the design instead, and the result sits closer to the traditional packet. Our custom envelope printing page covers the same finishes across the rest of the range.
Printing and finishing tolerances
Finishing is where artwork that looks correct on screen fails in production, because every process has a minimum feature size.
| Finish | Effect | Constraint |
|---|---|---|
| Foil stamping | Metallic logo or wording | Foil line width of at least 0.2 mm, kept at least 1 mm clear of other content, or the foil film breaks up |
| Emboss / deboss | Raised or recessed relief | Blind embossing on coloured card removes the need for large printed areas |
| Spot UV | Localised gloss | Keep it away from the edges and clear of other finishing layers to avoid chipping during cutting and pressing |
| Soft-touch lamination | Velvet, matte surface | Usually paired with heavier art or pearl stock plus spot UV |
| Die-cut | Shaped or windowed packets | Needs a cutting die |
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Digital printing | Short runs of roughly 100–500 pieces; supports variable data such as a recipient's name |
| Offset printing | From about 1,000 pieces; stable colour, with unit cost falling as quantity rises |
| Colour mode | CMYK |
| Artwork files | PDF, AI or PSD at 300 dpi or higher; logos as high-resolution vector |
| Bleed | 2–3 mm |
| Type | Outlined or embedded |
Two numbers in that table cause the most returned artwork. Foil detail narrower than 0.2 mm will not hold, however good it looks zoomed in on a monitor. Spot UV placed hard against a trimmed edge chips when the packet is cut, so it has to sit inside the trim.
Choosing a size by occasion
The occasion narrows the choice faster than the dimensions do. Chinese New Year defaults to 80 × 170 mm. Weddings tend toward 90 × 90 mm or 90 × 128 mm, since notes are folded. Corporate distribution works at either 80 × 170 mm or 158 × 80 mm. For Hari Raya, the green packet is 80 × 154 mm.
FAQ
What size is a standard red packet?
80 × 170 mm in portrait, opening on the short edge. In Singapore and Malaysia the common ang bao is 158 × 80 mm, which is the same pocket with the opening running along a long edge.
What is the difference between a red packet size and an ang bao size?
Nothing structural. Red packet, ang bao, ang pao, ang pow, hongbao and lai see name the same paper envelope. The regional difference is the size that trades: 158 × 80 mm is common in Singapore, 80 × 170 mm is the traditional portrait format.
What size red packet fits a banknote without folding?
A HK$1,000 note is 163 × 81.5 mm and needs at least 84 mm of usable width, which points to a 90 × 171 mm portrait packet. A 169 × 85 mm landscape packet can work if its inside height is wide enough. In an 80 × 170 mm packet, only HK$20 and HK$10 sit flat.
Is the size the outer or inner measurement?
Sizes are the outer measurement of the finished, glued packet. The usable inside is 2–2.5 mm smaller per side seam and 3–4 mm shorter at the mouth, so a 90 × 171 mm packet has an inner pocket of about 86 × 168 mm.
What is the smallest red packet size?
The square 90 × 90 mm packet. It is a folded-note format, since an inner pocket of about 86 × 86 mm is too short for any full banknote.
Can red packets be made in a custom size?
Yes. A non-standard size is cut to a die, so production needs artwork at the final dimensions with 2–3 mm of bleed on every edge. Send the size as width × height and request a quote with the quantity in mind.
Conclusion
The red packet size question has a short answer and a long one. Short: 80 × 170 mm for a traditional portrait packet, 158 × 80 mm for the Singapore ang bao. Long: the width decides whether the note fits. An 80 mm packet leaves about 75.5 mm inside, which is not enough for a note 81.5 mm across, and that is what the 90 mm sizes are for.
For the wider size index, see our envelope sizes hub, or the envelope size conversion chart if you work between millimetres and inches. Packets at the small end sit close to coin envelope sizes, and if the paper has to be produced to a custom specification rather than a stock size, start with our custom red packets page.