Top 10 Tips To Design A Business Cards

Although we are increasingly working in paperless offices, business cards remain a mainstay of business. If you don't have a card that you can share with potential or collaborating customers, you will lose the main marketing opportunity.

However, not all business cards are made the same. We live in a world where small and medium-sized companies can design their own cards and order them from famous online printers at dinner prices. However, these cards tend to be lighter and generally use clip art to link to the advertised work.

This means there are a lot of poorly designed business cards. This is a challenge as well as an opportunity: to excel, you must create a design that looks great and helps you stand out.

If you can touch it and feel comfortable in your hands, you are on the right track. Create effective cards and you will be able to increase your business above your competitors before potential customers see your design portfolio.

With that in mind, we have compiled our top 10 tips for creating effective and creative business cards.

01. Remember the basic design principles

This might sound obvious, but it should be emphasized that a business card is a piece of print like any other card. For this reason, the basic principles of paper design apply to business cards:

Keep your entire copy at least 5mm from the cutting edge
Works at 300 dpi for the best image reproduction
Be sure to keep your font size easy to read
Design at CMYK unless you work exclusively with spot colors
Many designers also find it helpful to use the network to place their cards, because this can help you reach the correct information hierarchy, and ensure that your alignments are strong (if you need a reminder, see our guide to network theory).

02. Be creative within limits

There are two "standard" sizes for business cards, depending on where you are in the world (maybe because wallet sizes also vary slightly from country to country). The size of a typical business card is 55 x 85mm, although you will see many other sizes on the web.

Even if you only have a small canvas, you can still make room. Start by looking at the basic information that you want to include, which is generally in the form of a name, telephone number, and email address / social identifier, then work on your design to present this information creatively.

03. Avoid common traps

There are some common pitfalls in business card design that help you remember them. The first and most obvious thing is to make sure to bleed as defined by your printer. Usually it's 3mm, but it can be 5mm, so check! To learn more about thawing and other printing needs, read 5 things each creativity needs to know about print design articles for some tips.

It is also important to avoid using a direct border around the entire card, because this will indicate damage to the piece if the card is not fully cut.

04. Use special final results

The direct way to add effects to your business card is to use a special finishing touch. Specific finishes include blocking aluminum and UV and metal ink, and can add substantial costs to your prints. However, what they offer is an opportunity to make your cards more haptic, extraordinary, and unforgettable. If you are not sure how to deal with it, see our guide for creating special printouts in InDesign.

Different printers offer different settlement options, so talk to them to find out what they can do for you, and don't be afraid to see a specialist if an ordinary printer only offers four color printing.

05. Cut your card

A great way to make your card unique is to use the template cutting process to delete items from card stock, leaving gaps. You can use a template to change the appearance of your card (by rounding corners, for example), or you can cut the shape from the middle.

Making prints is expensive the first time, even though more and more printers are offering laser cutting options which make it inexpensive to make a die cut display in shorter operations. There are some very creative examples on the web, such as the cutting tool of this template, and when combined with wrinkles, you can use the process to create architectural features in your card design.

06. Try unusual ingredients

Most business cards are printed on the card. This is the most economical option for printing your card. If you are ready to be more creative, you can print on all kinds of different materials, including clear plastic, metal, wood, and even blackboard.

Remember that cards must be portable and easily stored in your pocket or purse, but be creative with the stock items of your choice and you will immediately stand out from your daily business card.

07. Make it useful

One paper problem is that it is everywhere. Some people cling to each piece of paper they receive, they pile up on a lump of paper, while others are more rough and recycle things at the first opportunity. To avoid the risk of recycling, make your business card do more than just a business card.

Some of the most memorable designs include features and shapes, ensuring that they stay longer than most business cards. Examples include business cards that serve as holders for hair clips or change into mini chairs for your cellphone.

08. Make it yours

If you feel creative, why not make your own business card? You can find letterpress kits on eBay at affordable prices, allowing you to easily transfer any card stock to your business card. Or you can use one of these beautiful free business card templates.

Creating yourself is a way to express yourself on a card that is time consuming but very satisfying.

09. Recycle old cards

Old business cards, postcards, or packaging can be reused and given a new life as your business card. Recycling is environmentally friendly and allows you to express creativity in exciting new ways.

There are some great examples on the web like the one above, to stream your creative juices. The process can be as simple as printing a few posters or as complex as manual illustrations on each old card that matches the recipient.

10. Recheck your artwork

This tip applies to all your print jobs, but this is very important so it is worth repeating for your business card design. When sending your artwork to the printer, be sure to double check all details.

There is nothing worse than recovering your card and finding typos in your email address or name. Multiple choice, print once is an old saying learned!