What is a comp card, and what should be on it?
A comp card is a model's business card. In a few photos and numbers, it tells a client whether someone is right for a job. A good one answers that question and leaves everything else out.
The basics
A comp card, short for composite card, puts a model's best images and measurements on a single card, usually two sides. You'll also hear it called a zed card, Z card or, in Germany, a Sedcard. According to Wikipedia it's typically around 8.5 by 5.5 inches in the US and A5 in metric countries.
These days clients often see it as a PDF or a profile page. The layout hasn't changed much, because casting directors flip through a lot of them and expect to find things in the usual place.
Front and back
The front carries one large portrait and the model's name. The back holds a selection of smaller shots, including face and full body, along with stats and contact details. Guides disagree on the exact number of images, but three to five is a common range.
- Headshot: recent, lightly retouched, looking at the camera
- Full body: shows proportions, so skip loose clothing
- One image with movement or expression that shows some personality
- Digitals belong in the book, and some agencies add one to the card too
Which stats to list
Height, then bust, waist and hips for women, or suit, waist and inseam for men, plus shoe size, eye colour and hair colour. Keep the numbers honest. A flattering measurement gets found out at the first fitting, and that costs more than one lost job.
If an agency represents the model, only the agency's contact details go on the card. Never a home address or a private number. For minors, we'd also suggest leaving off the surname.
Common mistakes
Most comp card problems have less to do with design than with upkeep.
- Photos that no longer look like the model
- Different measurements on the card and the website
- So many images that none of them stick
- Personal contact details on a card that gets passed around
- Photos with unclear usage rights
Keeping cards current at an agency
A card goes out of date the moment something changes. If you maintain it by hand in a template, every change gets entered twice. It's much simpler when the card and the website are generated from the same record, because then there can't be two versions.
CastTool generates comp cards as PDFs from the profile, using approved images and details only. More on the model portal