About QSL cards
A QSL card confirms a radio contact. Exchanging them has been part of amateur radio for a century, and they're still needed for some awards and treasured by many operators. The standard size is 140 × 90 mm, which fits QSL bureau sorting and standard albums. The front usually shows your callsign large, with your name, location, locator and zones, and a box with the contact details: the other station's callsign, the date and time in UTC, the frequency or band, the mode and the signal report.
Printing your cards
- At home: print on matte photo card of around 300 gsm, then trim to size along the guide lines.
- With a printing service: download the PNG, which is 1654 × 1063 pixels, exactly 140 × 90 mm at 300 dpi, and upload it to any online printer that offers postcards or custom cards of that size.
- For eQSL: the PNG can also be used as your eQSL card design, which you can upload on the eQSL website.
Sending cards
Most national societies run a QSL bureau, which sends cards in bulk for members at low cost, though it can take months. For a faster reply from rare stations, send direct with return postage, or use the QSL manager listed on their QRZ.com page. Many operators also confirm contacts electronically through LoTW, eQSL or Clublog. The ADIF log viewer helps you find the contacts you've made, and the prefix lookup shows your CQ and ITU zones.
Questions
What size is a QSL card?
The standard is 140 × 90 mm, about 5.5 × 3.5 inches.
What should a QSL card show?
Your callsign, name and location, and a box with the other station's callsign, date, UTC time, frequency or band, mode and signal report. Many also show the locator and CQ and ITU zones.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The photo stays in your browser and is only used to draw the card.
Can I use this design for eQSL?
Yes. Download the PNG and upload it as your card design on the eQSL website.