Month: February 2020

Let Us Help You Decide on the Material & Finish when Ordering the Best Business Cards

The best business cards may only contain your company name, logo, and contact information – but they are an important representation of what you are all about as a brand. If you will distribute business cards with barely-there print on thin, cardboard material in a plain beige color – do you think that customers will think highly of you? Perhaps not. If you will launch a full-fledged print promotional campaign, you really need to focus on coming up with the best business cards so that your brand can leave a good mark of your brand in the minds of your target audience.

Fortunately, there are many professional printing companies that specialize in business cards. Before contacting one, you need to come up with a business card design. If you don’t already have a logo, have one created for your business. Then, decide which pieces of your contact information must be included on the card. Layout the design, decide on the colors, and make sure that the overall look of the card is a good reflection of your brand.

In terms of material and finish, here are a couple of options that you can choose from:

• Option 1: Paper or plastic?

Paper is the most common material for business cards. You can choose from the standard 14-pt. to something as thick as 32-pt. paper stock. The thicker the card is, the more impressed your customers will be. There are also different laminating effects available for paper business cards, making it a popular option for entrepreneurs and professionals. But if you want to stand out, you can also have plastic business cards made. These are usually made from 20-pt. plastic which has 63% the thickness of a credit card.

• Option 2: Material finish

Next, decide on the finish of the material. For plastic business cards, you can go for see through, frosted plastic, or white plastic. For paper business cards, there are a multitude of options: suede, cotton, brown kraft, silk, premium, pearl, foil stamped, or metallic ink.

The US standard size for business cards is 3.5” x 2”. There is very little space so make sure to maximize it. Pay attention to the smallest details because a typo or a non-sharp image will painfully stand out. By keeping these things in mind, you can have the best-looking business cards printed out for your brand.

When & Why You Should Go for Ultra-Thick Business Cards

Although you can always choose something inexpensive like thin linen carboard, why not go the extra mile and opt for ultra thick business cards instead? If you’re handing over the business card to a prospective customer, he or she will think more highly of the quality of your product or service compared to, say, a beige business card in plain print. The thicker the material and the sharper the print, the better. The good news is that there are many offset printing companies that can make these ultra thick business cards for you without charging an astronomical fee for it. Just make sure to choose one with plenty of experience in the field, the right printing equipment, and offers good customer service.

Choose from Any of these Ultra-Thick Business Cards 

When having professional business cards printed out, you can take your pick from these paper stocks:

– 14-pt.

– 16-pt.

– 17-pt.

– 18-pt.

– 19-pt.

– 20-pt.

– 22-pt.

– 32-pt.

The thinnest is 12-pt. paper stock, but the standard is 14-pt. All the others can have a thickness that’s comparable to credit cards and as mentioned earlier – the thicker the material, the better. If you want to go all out and choose the thickest paper stock, here are the finishes that you can choose from:

1. Uncoated 32-pt. business cards

This ultra-thick business card has clean lines and an uncluttered, non-shiny look. It’s best for those who want a straightforward but still impressive business card.

2. Gold foil stamped 32-pt. business cards

If you want something with a bit more flair, go for a super thick business card with an uncoated surface. Depending on the design, the letters or the logo can be topped with chrome gold for that extra oomph!

3. Painted edge 32-pt. business cards

Finally, you can go for super thick business cards with a painted edge. Because of the thickness of the material, the color on the edges will make your business card stand out. Choose from 16 colors like red, blue, yellow, orange, purple, green, pink, and a few other hues.

With ultra-thick business cards, you can make your brand easily stand out!

Luxuriate in the Fabric-Like Feel of Suede Business Cards

One of the best ways to impress customers, clients, suppliers, and anyone you are transacting with is to present suede business cards to them. These thick business cards are laminated in such a way that the paper feels like suede fabric. Thick, luxurious to the touch, with an amazing texture, people will think very highly of your brand when you hand over these cards. This is especially true if you match the suede material with razor-sharp, professional-looking print and an excellent design. One of the best ways to impress customers, clients, suppliers, and anyone you are transacting with is to present suede business cards to them. These thick business cards are laminated in such a way that the paper feels like suede fabric. Thick, luxurious to the touch, with an amazing texture, people will think very highly of your brand when you hand over these cards. This is especially true if you match the suede material with razor-sharp, professional-looking print and an excellent design.

Just like when ordering silk, linen, or cotton cards, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind when having suede business cards made:

• Which size should I go for?

The standard US size is 2” x 3.5”. A slightly larger version is the European size which measures 2.125” x 3.375”, while there are also square business cards that measure 2.5” on all four sides.

• Which type of finish goes well with my business card design?

If you’re going for a muted design, choose the ultra-soft touch matte suede finish. This has a matte, non-shiny surface that will ooze sophistication because of the suede, fabric-like finish. On the other hand, if you do want the glitter and shine, choose the raised spot UV gloss suede finish. This looks great against a black or white background, because certain parts of the card can be topped with chrome gold foil. A similar effect is made with the raised foil stamped suede effect which has a wider color palette to choose from: orange, blue, red, yellow, green, pink, or purple.

• Should I go for special features?

When you order business cards online with a suede finish, the paper stock is usually 19-pt. laminate. This has 60% the thickness of a credit card, making it really durable. If you want your card to stand out, you can opt for a unique feature like a rounded corner. You can also change the orientation so instead of landscape, the card will have vertical or portrait orientation. Just make sure to adjust the design accordingly.

True enough, suede business cards are an ultra-luxurious option that will leave your customers equating the high-quality material with the quality of the products or services that you offer.

Dos & Don’ts when Creating the Content for Personal Business Cards

 

If you think that you should include all your contact information for business card printing, think again. Unlike postcards, rack cards, flyers, and brochures, you have very limited space on the surface of a 3.5” x 2” business card. If you will include everything – even what’s unnecessary for your business, the card will look overcrowded and off-putting. Here, we have put together a list of some dos and don’ts when creating the content for personal business cards.

Do:

• Know what you are representing. If you are an employee of an IT company, for example, make sure to include the business name, official logo, and your job position. If you are a real estate agent working independently, highlight your name and profession – one example is Joe W. Brown, Real Estate Agent. If you’re a freelance interior or graphic designer, your name and profession should be highlighted as well.

• Make sure that the design reflects your brand’s image. Designers should have a creative business card, while lawyers may opt for a more formal design. When creating the overall look of your business card, pay attention to even the smallest details because of the very small space that you have. Coordinate the design with the font, colors, logo, material, paper stock, and finish.

Don’t:

• Include all your contact information. When deciding on the content of your personal business cards, you might think that it’s okay to include all your contact information – but you will end up overcrowding the card. If you’re running an online store, there is no need for you to include an office address or telephone number. If you’re an employee, do not include your personal mobile number and you may want to indicate the hours when you are available for calls.

• Skip your digital information. Lastly, do not skip your digital information. Business cards may be an old school print promotional material, but you can still modernize it by including your social media account information – especially if your audience is on the younger age range. Include your website, email address, Facebook and Twitter names, Instagram handle, etc. You can even include a QR code which users can scan so that they can be lead to your website.

With these tips in mind, you can come up with a concise, up-to-date, and accurate content for your business card without overcrowding the limited space that you have.