Model comp card: free maker & guide

I’m Yedukrishna Suresh — I photograph fashion and portraits under YKS Productions and run YKS Talents, a free portfolio platform where clients find talent. I built this maker because a comp card shouldn’t cost money or require handing your photos to a stranger’s server. Use it, then read on to make the card itself as strong as possible.

There are two sizes you’ll see most often:

• A5 — 148 × 210 mm. The international paper standard, and the most practical choice in India because any print shop can produce it.
• 5.5 × 8.5 inches (about 140 × 216 mm). Half of a US letter sheet; common in the US and with international clients.

Both are portrait, both are double-sided, and they’re close enough that a well-designed card works at either. The maker above exports both. If you’re unsure, choose A5.

For print, the file should be high resolution — the maker renders each side at 300 pixels per inch, which is the usual standard for sharp print. Ask your printer whether they need bleed (a few extra millimetres around the edge that gets trimmed); if they do, they’ll usually tell you exactly how much.

The front

One image: your best, clearest headshot — face to camera or a soft three-quarter, natural expression, minimal styling. Your name in large, clean type. Nothing else competes with it. The front is how you’re remembered, so choose the image where you look most like yourself on a good day.

The back

Two to four images, each answering a different question:

1. A full-length shot — proportion, posture, how clothes hang.
2. A commercial smile — warm, approachable, believable.
3. An editorial or fashion frame — mood and styling.
4. A look for your market — for many Indian briefs that’s an ethnic, festive or bridal look; for beauty, a clean close-up.

Then your stats in a single, tidy band, and your name and contact again in small type. Don’t repeat the front image on the back, and don’t use four versions of the same pose — that’s range lost.

Typography and colour

Keep it quiet. One typeface for your name, one for the stats, lots of space, and a plain background. The pictures do the work; decoration only distracts. The three layouts in the maker — Classic, Editorial and Minimal — all follow these rules in slightly different ways.

• Give height both ways. 5’7″ / 170 cm covers every client.
• Match the back to the work you want. Ethnic wear, jewellery and bridal are large categories in India; if that’s your direction, show one strong look in it.
• Keep the file light enough to send. If a PDF is too heavy for a client’s inbox, share the PNG instead.
• Use the name you work under, consistently, across the card, Instagram and any portfolio.
• Be cautious who you send it to. A comp card is personal information. Send it to verified clients and businesses — read the fees and scams guide if anything feels off.
• Never pay for a “compulsory” comp card package as a condition of being considered. You can make a good one here, free.

When your card is ready, create your free YKS Talents portfolio, so clients across India and the Middle East can find you. It’s free forever — no joining fee, no registration fee and no paid tiers — and it isn’t a jobs board.