Category: Business Cards

Master the Technique of Choosing the Right Material when Printing Business Cards

One of the most important things to consider when printing business cards is the type of material used. Let’s say that you are a supplier of raw materials and you are meeting a potential buyer. This buyer wants to get your contact information. When you hand over a thin, barely readable card, what impression do you think that person will have about your business? Since the card is cheap and low-quality, he or she might think that the same things apply to the quality of products that you will deliver. Will this person still want to do business with you? Probably not. On the other hand, when you give a thick business card that’s made from high-quality material with an eye-catching design, the impression it leaves is that you are a high-end product manufacturer as well. It’s all about first impressions. This is precisely why you need to distribute the best business cards to your network of contacts.

Since you have very limited space to convey your marketing message, every detail about your business card will be scrutinized. As such, it is crucial to pay attention to the smallest details – from the font size and font type, to the type of paper used. For the latter, here are two factors to consider when choosing the material for printing business cards:

  • Card stock

The thicker the business card, the more significant it feels to the hand. You can take your pick from card stock that ranges from 12-pt. which is the thinnest, to 32-pt. which is the thickest – as thick as a credit card. Even if you don’t have the budget for the thickest card stock, you can still have the best business cards by making sure that it has an eye-catching design and overall look.

  • Finish

This refers to any special coating applied to the paper stock to give it that extra texture. For a more organic look, you can go for 18-pt. brown kraft business card, or a 14-pt. uncoated business card with a pearl metallic effect. If you want something smooth, go for a 19-pt. soft touch suede finish, or a 17-pt. silk laminated. There are also glossy business cards which have a laminated surface. Or, you can opt for a unique material like plastic that comes in white, clear, or frosted variants – if you really want your business name to stand out.

Be it plain paper, coated card stock, or plastic, taking your time in choosing the material for your business card will make its overall look worthy of representing what you are all about as a brand.

Ways to Strategically Use Plastic Business Cards for Marketing

Plastic business cards can be part of any full-fledged print marketing campaign. Despite the popularity of digital marketing, print marketing is still effective because it is tangible and long-lasting. When you hand over a clear plastic business card to a potential client, he or she is bound to be impressed by the quality of printing and material – especially when you combine it with an eye-popping design. This is just one of the reasons why it pays to order business cards which are made from plastic.

Another reason is the aesthetics and quality of the material. Compare a thin, haphazardly printed cardboard business card to a thick, well-designed frosted plastic business card. Which of these two cards do you think a customer will keep? Which one will last longer? The plastic card, obviously. Most plastic business cards are made from 20-pt. vinyl – which is just slightly thinner than a standard credit card. When held, the weight feels significant to the hand, especially when compared with a 14-pt. vinyl cardboard business card. Plastic is also waterproof and tear-proof. A thin card without any special coating can easily tear, which is something that plastic cards aren’t prone to. These qualities make plastic the material of choice for business cards.

Lastly, how can you strategically use plastic business cards for marketing? Since they can easily be mistaken for a credit card, why not use plastic business cards as a discount card for promotional events? If you’re newly launching your business, offer a 10% discount for customers who will bring your plastic business card to the store. You can also include these cards when sending out mailers as part of your postcard marketing campaign, for example.

As you can see, there are plenty of benefits in choosing plastic business cards. By using them strategically in your print marketing campaign, you can watch your profits soar by simply distributing these elegant, high-quality business cards to your network of contacts.

Use Long-Lasting Clear Business Cards to Promote Your Brand

One thing’s crystal: clear business cards made from plastic are an excellent tool to use in promoting your brand. No matter which industry it is that you are in, you are bound to create a long-lasting first impression to the recipient of your card.

Why exactly should you go for printing business cards which are made from clear material? Here are a few of its characteristics:

  • Clear business cards are made from plastic which are durable. Unlike plain cardboard business cards, handing over a clear plastic business card to a potential client or customer will leave an impression that your brand is in it for the long haul. This means that you are encouraging your customers to give your brand their trust, and that you can establish a mutually beneficial relationship over time.
  • You can take your pick from white plastic, crystal clear plastic, or clear frosted plastic. Just remember that you are working with a unique material so coming up with a layout for the business card can be quite tricky. Make sure to design the business card accordingly, based on the type of printing finish that you’d like to have.
  • When printing business cards made from plastic, the material is usually made from 20-pt. plastic which has 63% the thickness of a regular credit card. They’re waterproof and resistant to wear and tear.

You also have the option to select rounded corners or square-edged clear business cards. Round corners can measure ¼” or 1/8”. Choose between full color printing on one or both sides.

Lastly, you can take your pick from different sizes including square business cards, standard US-sized cards, European size cards, square, or slim skinny business cards. Durability, uniqueness, and longevity are just some of the qualities that you can portray for your brand – simply by opting for unique clear plastic business cards.

Quick Facts about Plastic Business Cards

Hand over a plastic business card to a potential client and you will get that immediate reaction of surprise. The mere fact that the material is not as cliché as beige cardboard is enough to leave a good first impression. Match this with a design that portrays the image that you’d like to have as a brand – then you are off to good start in your print advertising campaign using business cards.


Plastic Business Card FAQs

If you are considering using plastic business cards, here are a few quick facts to know about it:

  1. How thick are plastic business cards?

Cardboard business cards have a thickness ranging from 14-pt. to 32-pt. The most popular option is to use 20-pt. plastic, which has 63% the thickness or a regular credit card. Some printing companies even give you the option to cut the card with rounded corners, or just leave them with rectangular edges.

  1. What kinds of printing finish are available?

You can take your pick from clear business cards, white plastic or frosted. White is a great option for those with black-and-white or mostly plain designs. Clear business cards stand out because of the material and designs available. Frosted business cards can be designed similar to cardboard cards, with the thick and durable material being the only difference.

  1. Any design consideration to keep in mind?

When designing clear business cards made from plastic, make sure that the font has a size and design that’s easily readable. You don’t want the recipient of the card to be squinting when trying to read your contact number because the font is too small. Avoid overcrowding the design with unnecessary elements – the cleaner, the better. Choose colors that will contrast with the finish of your card so a white background is not a good idea for white plastic cards, nor are light colors against a frosted plastic background.

With a standout design and material, plastic business cards are great for handing out to customers so that you can leave an excellent first impression for your brand.

Make Your Brand Name Pop with Plastic Business Cards

What are the benefits of plastic business cards? To start right off, the material is durable, it feels significant to the hand when held, and it is waterproof and tear-proof. Compared to thin cardboard cards, plastic business cards that are designed with the material in mind will make your brand name pop. Here, we will take a look at a few things to remember when ordering business cards.


Tips when Ordering Online Business Cards Made of Plastic

The good news is that you can easily look for online business cards printing companies that offer the plastic cards option. To ensure that you have a smooth and easy transaction while getting the best print possible, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

  • Look for printing companies with an easy ordering system.

There are printing companies with a completely online ordering system. All you have to do is select the type, size, and thickness of the business card. After uploading the design, specify the quantity and if there are any other special requirements for printing your card. Next, make a payment and wait for the cards to be delivered straight to your doorstep – it should be that easy.

  • Check on the finish options that they offer.

For plastic cards, the most popular options are white, clear, and frosted. When choosing between these three, make sure to also consider the layout of your card so that the colors of the design and the text will pop out.

  • Ask about the thickness of the material.

For most plastic business cards, a 20-pt. vinyl material is used – which is slightly thinner than a standard-sized credit card. You also have the option to request for round-edge or rectangular-edge cards.

  • Determine the turnaround time and check on the quality of customer service that they offer.

Once your order for online business cards is placed, how many business days must you wait for the cards to be delivered? What about the quality of customer service offered by the printing company? Try to make one or two inquiries to gauge the speed of their response, and the quality of customer service offered.

By keeping these tips in mind, you can have a hassle-free time ordering plastic business cards from your preferred printing company.

 

 

Key Characteristics of Effective High-End Business Cards

Are you thinking about distributing high end business cards to your clients? If yes, you are on the right path because high-quality cards equate to a better impression of your brand in the minds of your customers and clients. As compared to thin, barely readable business cards, spot gloss business cards that are made using the offset printing process is the better choice. Not only will customers be impressed with your brand, but they will also equate it with the quality of services or products that you are offering.

So how can you say that a business card is high-end? Here are some of the characteristics of high-end business cards:

• It is readable, accurate, and well-designed.

Even if you are in the creative field, there is no need to go gaga over crazy-looking fonts – especially if they are not readable. Your goal in creating a business card is to indicate all your necessary contact information, so it should be readable. High end business cards are also designed in such a way that it reflects your image as a brand. More importantly, the information should be accurate and complete. You can skip the office address if you are a purely online business. If you’re a real estate agent, you need to include your contact number and email address. Also think about including your social media information, especially if this is one of the main ways that you interact with customers.

• Close attention is paid to the even the smallest details when printing out the card.

Another key characteristic of high-end business cards is that they are printed with close attention to detail. The US standard size of spot gloss business cards is 3.5”x 2”. With very little space, every typographical error or printing mistake will painfully stand out.

• There are special features to make the card stand out.

In a stack of plain linen business cards, what will make high end business cards stand out? Unique features like rounded edge, or plastic or recycled paper material are a few examples. Spot gloss business cards are also considered high-end cards because gloss is added to outline specific areas like logos or a name. Do take note that some features are only available if you will go with offset printing, so it is better to choose offset printers in the first place.

If you want attention-grabbing, high-end business cards, go for something like spot gloss business cards that will truly make your brand stand out.

Will You Really Save Money with DIY Inexpensive Business Cards?

If you’re a small business owner, you might think that you are saving money by purchasing a desktop printer for all your printed marketing needs instead of ordering inexpensive business cards from professional printing companies. Although there might be some advantages to taking the DIY or do-it-yourself route when it comes to printing promotional materials, there are a few downsides to it as well. In the next section, we will look at the pros and cons of DIY versus professional printing.

DIY versus Professional Printing

• DIY Printing 

DIY or do-it-yourself printing involves purchasing a decent desktop printer so that you can print out business cards, postcards, brochures, flyers, and similar marketing materials. Using a computer desktop printer may allow you to produce inexpensive business cards but when it comes to results, nothing beats the quality of professional printing. Business cards will make a huge impression to your customers because it’s a representation of your brand. If your desktop printer can only produce business cards that look homemade, your clients and customers will definitely not be impressed. Perhaps the only exception is when you are offering affordable products or services, so you want to create business cards that are quite simple.

Another disadvantage of DIY printing is that you still have to spend money on the hardware, paper, ink, and maintenance. If you have inexperienced staff, they might not set up the printer properly so instead of saving money, you might end up wasting even more of it due to rookie mistakes.

• Professional Printing 

With professional printing, you can order inexpensive business cards without compromising on quality. There are many professional printing companies that have a purely online ordering process, so you won’t even have to visit their office. You can make use of their online design tools or downloadable templates so that you can create a design for inexpensive business cards. They might be inexpensive to order, but the results are still professional-looking and impressive.
In the end, any extra investment on hiring a professional company to print inexpensive business cards is still worth it. By leaving it to the pros, you can have high-quality business cards that will impress your customers – without spending any more than what’s necessary.

Business Card Printing 101 for Small Businesses

If you’re a small business owner or a start-up company, do you still need business card printing or is it enough to have a website and social media presence? Even if you’re a purely digital business, you still need to complement your online advertising with print advertising. Business card printing, for example, is something that you can easily do. It’s cheap, effective, and business cards are tangible – which means that it is something that customers can hold in their hands, making your brand mark easily into their minds. So how can you go about the process of business card printing? Here are a few steps to follow:

1. Include your logo and only the necessary contact information.

Before you can look for a company that can print business cards online for you, the design of the card should first be prepared. For this, make sure to include your official logo. For the contact information, you do not have to include everything. Skip your office address if you’re a purely online business. If you do have a physical office, do include the address and contact number – as well as your online information. For entrepreneurs, your name, job title, email address, phone number, and maybe a short tagline will do.

2. Design the card in such a way that it reflects your brand’s image.

When you print business cards online, make sure that you already have an official logo which you need to incorporate in all your printed promotional materials. Also, there are print business cards online companies that have templates which you can download or online design tools that you can use for business card printing – take advantage of such features. Design your card in such a way that it is a clear reflection of what you are all about as a brand.

3. Decide on the material, finish, and overall look of the card.

The next thing to do when you print business cards online is to decide on the material and finish. The most common is paper cards but there are varying thicknesses – from 14-pt. to 32-pt. paper stock which is as thick as a credit card. For the finish, you can take your pick from fabric-like textures like silk, cotton, suede, or linen. There are also unique features for business card printing like rounded edges, spot UV treatment, foil stamped cards, or materials like plastic and recycled paper. Pay attention to the small details and make sure that all the tiny elements you incorporate in the design of the card contributes to a coherent whole which is a perfect reflection of your brand.

4. Look for a good printing company.

Finally, look for a company that will print business cards online for you. There are ones using digital printing presses while others use the offset printing method. The latter produces more professional-looking results, while digital printers are cheaper and get the job done. Also check on the turnaround time, quality of customer service offered, and the minimum number of cards that you can order.

Professional Printing Basics: Which Printed Materials to Choose for Advertising

If you are considering getting a professional printing service provider, you need to know which products to print out in the first place. If you are newly building your brand, for example, you must order business cards so that potential customers would know how to get in touch with you. If you are launching a new product or service, brochures will give you more space to tell readers about your new offering. The good news is that there are many professional printing companies where you can order business cards and other printed promotional materials. You just need to know which among these products you should have printed out first:

• Business Cards

The standard size of business cards in the US is 2” x 3.5”. With very little space available, you only need to include only the essential contact information. When you order business cards and you don’t have a physical store, there is no need for you to include an office address. If you’re a purely online business, you must include your website, email address, and social media accounts. If you’re a solo entrepreneur, you must include your name and job title when you order business cards.

• Brochures or Flyers

The smallest brochure measures 4.25” x 11” while the smallest flyer measures 4” x 6”. These two can carry more information than when you order business cards, making it a good choice if you have a lot to say. Brochures are great for introducing a company, while flyers can be used for introducing a new product or service.

• Postcards

Another product of professional printing companies is postcards. These are usually mailed out to customers as greeting cards and they can double as discount coupons. Regularly mailing out postcards is an effective way of building customer loyalty.

• Rack Cards

Rack cards are usually seen in hotel lobbies and they have a specialized display case. The design of rack cards should be attention-grabbing, and they are usually displayed in areas where there is heavy foot traffic.

• Menus

If you are in the food business, you should look for a professional printing company that specializes in creating to go menus. These are perfect as inserts for supplier receipts, mailers, and should be included in every delivery or to go order.

Whether you order business cards, brochures, flyers, or all types of printed materials for a full-blast promotional campaign, it is important to work with a professional printing with plenty of experience in the field. This way, you can get professional results while also getting the best value for your money.

On a Tight Budget? Inexpensive Business Cards to Choose from

You already have an eye-catching design and you only plan to order inexpensive business cards. But if you want to make a lasting first impression, you need to think about the base material as well. The overall look of your business card will be remembered by the recipient of the card, so you need to come up with a cost-effective option that still looks mighty impressive. So what are your options? The good news is that there are many inexpensive materials for business cards, as well as finishes that would not cost so much, but the end result would still look great.

Here are a few examples:

• 14-pt. Business Cards

There are printing companies that can create inexpensive business cards for you, without compromising on quality. 14-pt. card stock business cards have 43% the thickness of a credit card. In terms of finish, you can go for smooth matte, glossy, or silk spot UV. Smooth matte business cards are a simple but elegant option. If you want a bit of flare, choose glossy business cards – especially if your design has photos or illustrations on it. The application of gloss enhances the colors in a photograph. For designs where there is a stark color contrast, silk spot UV business cards are your best bet. For this, a flat gloss layer is added onto the logo or a name, to highlight that specific portion.

• Cheap Business Cards with a Pearl Metallic Finish

Another elegant yet inexpensive option is pearl metallic business cards. These also use 14-pt. paper stock, while the base material is a metallic cotton blend. The resulting texture is that of a brilliant pearl color with a metallic sheen to it – similar to what is used in wedding invitations.

Even if you are on a tight budget, you do not have to end up handing out cheap-looking, cardboard-thin business cards. By choosing a suitable material, coming up with a striking design, and choosing a reliable printing company, you can have elegant-looking cards that will truly impress your business clients.