5 tips for a great business card design

A well-designed, distinctive business card is a fantastic way to make a strong impression. It’s also the perfect emergency solution for quickly and spontaneously sharing contact information with someone. Because in real life it can happen quite unexpectedly that you happen to meet a woman in a yoga class who develops exactly the widget that your product needs to be perfect. Professional business cards have to look good and have to be printed perfectly – so far so obvious. But beauty alone is not enough. The perfect card to represent your company, your mission, and yourself can be achieved by following the business card design tips below.

1. Design Your Concept

Turn your brand values ​​into a business card design. You do this by thinking about the customer you want to impress and then deciding what your company’s story would convey to that customer. Your images, colors, and textures should be consistent with the promotional materials you already have, and all of this should align with the brand values ​​that set your business apart from all others.  

If your business is very professional, your cards should look the same. Stick to classic designs with a minimalist look and sleek fonts and colors. If your brand is more creative, artistic, or playful, you’re free to use bolder imagery, more exciting colors, unusual shapes, or humor to get your message across.

2. Set the technical details

You can’t get started until you know the basics of your project, so set those up first. Or at least be clear about what your options are so you know what’s important for you and your budget.

Size

The most common size for business cards is 84x55mm. You can also make them bigger, but if you do, people probably won’t keep your card. If you make them smaller, you’ll have a better chance while they still fit in a typical cardholder. Any unconventional size will cost you more money.

Alignment

This is about whether you want your card to be readable horizontally or vertically.

Horizontal

The landscape is more traditional and is still the most common orientation. It’s easy to read, works well in cardholders, and any printer can handle it. However, it is very common and not as unique as other options.

Vertical

This is a clean and sleek look that has become more common (but still stands out) in recent years. It can be printed from any printer. The downside is that it’s difficult to read in a cardholder.

Material

Most cards are made out of paper, although there are tons of other options, from plastic and wood to metal and slate. If we assume that you choose paper, you have to choose the thickness, coating, color, and weight. All of this can affect the price.

3. Choose the design bases for your business cards

Once you’re ready to get down to the details, you should turn your attention to the following design elements to come up with the best business card for your business.

Color

Use colors that go well together and represent your brand.

Full color vs. one or two color printing

For large orders on a small budget, you can forego the CMYK color mode and simply print in one or two colors for less – although this will likely only help you on orders of 500 or more. Because business cards are typically printed digitally these days, multiple colors are no longer the cost factor they once were.

Font

Choosing the right font is essential to give your card the right feel. Remember these guidelines:

• Make sure you choose at least font size 8 so that the font is readable.
• Serif fonts tend to feel more classic and sans serif fonts tend to feel more modern.
• Use decorative fonts or cursive typefaces sparingly and only for emphasis; you don’t want to compromise readability with cool typography.

 4. Put the right information in the right place

Most people take a business card and – after admiring your great design – put it in a case or Rolodex. For this reason, most designers will recommend printing the most important information on the front of your card and using the back to add some spice.

What goes on the front of your business card

• The name you want contacts to use
• The company you belong to
• What you do (e.g. job title)
• Your contact information – any that may be of interest to others. We recommend at least an email address and phone number, social media profiles and website, and a work address if this seems relevant.
• your logo

What goes on the back of your business card

This is where your brand can shine! Quality images in the form of original illustration or photography are the best way to create a totally unique result, especially for less traditional businesses. This is also a good spot for a large version of your logo.

5. Break away from what is usual

For many businesses, one of the biggest challenges when designing business cards is coming up with something truly original. Fortunately, there are many ways to deviate from the norm and design something truly impressive.

Special coatings

A special finish can make your cards stand out. Metallic ink, foil stamping, and UV varnishing are perfect for making your cards stand out from the crowd. These details can maintain a simple, classic look, but give your business card an air of elegance and memorability.

Special Materials

Standard business cards are printed on card stock, but you can also opt for wood, slate, plastic, or metal. This is another fantastic way to create a business card to remember. Not every printer offers prints for plastic, wood, or metal, so make sure you find the right printer if you decide to print these materials. If you’re using plastic, consider whether you want it to be frosted, matte, or clear, and design accordingly.

Conclusion

A well-designed business card is also an effective brand symbol. It can represent your brand’s style and creativity.