10 tips for effective & professional business cards

By Ena Catlin

We talked to our Senior Production Print Analyst, Richard Budd, who said:

“A good business card needs to have a design that reflects the personality of the business it represents and be able to grab the attention of the prospective client. The right stock weight, texture and colour are all important things to consider as well as embellishments using custom colours (including Beyond CMYK+) and finishing (rounded edges/embossing/folding).”

We’ve rounded up our thoughts in the following ten categories:

1. What information to include.
2. Branding.
3. Basic design guidelines.
4. Colour and design.
5. Typography.
6. Blank space.
7. Size, shape, and material.
8. Multifunctionality.
9. Finishing touches.
10. Proofreading.

1. What information to include.

There is limited space on a traditionally sized business card, so the information you include must serve a purpose because adding unnecessary information will dilute the essential parts.

Let clients know how to contact you by adding your email address and phone number. Providing two options or more allows the client to select their preferred method of communication. You might list information differently from that on your website, perhaps with more prominent directions to your office, active social media channels, or other relevant details about your business.

2. Branding.

Branding is crucial. It gives your business identity and helps you stand out against the competition. Therefore, incorporating your logo on your business card is a must. Enlarge your logo so that it is unmissable; you may even decide to dedicate a whole side to it.

This business card below, for example, prominently showcases the logo and incorporates the name into the design:

3. Basic design guidelines.

Follow basic design guidelines.

Use high-resolution images and avoid enlarging images whenever possible to prevent distortion.
Design in the correct format.
Leave 5mm around the trim edge.
Establish a minimum text size that is easy to read.

4. Colour and design.

Make your design cohesive with your other business collaterals by using the same colour swatches and design elements. Your business card is an extension of your brand, so you need to make it recognisable, but that doesn’t mean you should limit creativity. Be bold with colour and create eye-catching designs to grab the client’s attention.

5. Typography.

Selecting the right typeface can make a huge difference and shouldn’t be overlooked. Pick one that is legible and reflects the feeling of your business. Do you want sans-serif or serif? Perhaps you’d like to digitalise your signature and/or handwriting and use that to add a personal touch to your business card. There are loads of typefaces to choose from so take your time to explore your options. However, if your business has a set typeface in place, it might be best to use those from your style guide.

In this example, cursive script typography adds a personal touch to the design:

6. Don’t be afraid of blank space.

Blank space isn’t always wasted space, so don’t feel pressured to fill it with unnecessary information or images. Remember, you don’t want to smother the business card in things that will take away from what’s important. Plus, embracing blank space can help with composition, balance, and the overall hierarchy in the design. You may even want to purposefully leave some space for people who like to jot information down on business cards.

7. Business card size, shape and material.

The standard business card is 3.5 inches by 2 inches – the ideal size to slip comfortably into a wallet for safekeeping. But that doesn’t mean you have to stick to tradition. You might want to round the edges of your business card, make it square, or do something else entirely to make yours stand out.

Another thing to consider is what material to print on. Traditional business cards are printed on 14 Pt cardstock, which is thick and durable. However, you might want to wow your customers by using something like the Xerox Colotech+ Gloss and Silk coated paper range to add luxury to your business cards.

8. Multifunctionality.

Consider making your business card multifunctional by including special offers or turning it into a loyalty card. By doing this, you are encouraging potential customers to keep hold of your card longer.

In this example, space is optimised by placing the logo in the background with a lowered transparency so text can be layered on top of it. What’s more, business cards can have the potential for multifunctional use -this one demonstrates that by turning one side into a loyalty card, encouraging customers to keep hold of it.

9. Finishing touches.

Finishing touches can give an air of luxury to your business card and help you stand out against the competition. Examples include:

Embossing
Debossing
Colouring the edge of the business card
Rounded corners
Metallic foiled edges
Foil print
Spot gloss

10. Proofreading.

Check, check and check again. Get a second opinion because somebody else might spot an error that you overlooked. Our tip is to print out what you’re working on once you think it’s finished and then proofread that – seeing it in a different format can help you find mistakes.

Is the printed business card dead?

No, we don’t think so. However, you may like to investigate digital or electronic options alongside them and consider how you might merge the physical and the digital with QR codes and the like.

How can today’s production print technology support your pursuit for the greatest possible business card?

If you have questions about the machines that create them, we’d love to hear from you.

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Ten tips for designing effective and professional business cards

1. What information to include.

2. Branding.

3. Basic design guidelines.

4. Colour and design.

5. Typography.

6. Don’t be afraid of blank space.

7. Business card size, shape and material.

8. Multifunctionality.

9. Finishing touches.

10. Proofreading.

Is the printed business card dead?

How can today’s production print technology support your pursuit for the greatest possible business card?

Ena Catlin

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