Tag: printing business cards

Rack Card Printing: Elements of a Good Design

If you want to have an affordable marketing campaign, printing business cards might be the solution. But what if you want to print more information than can be contained in a US standard sized 2” x 3.5” card? You may want to go with brochures. These have panels that range from two to twelve, depending on the folding option and the size. However, this can be too much especially if you just want to tell customers about an upcoming event or if you simply want them to visit your website or your store. A good balance between a business card and a brochure is a rack card. These come in two sizes: 3.5” x 8.5” or 4” x 9”. Rack cards are displayed in areas where there is high foot traffic, for people to pick up and read. 

Elements of a Good Rack Card Design

For rack card printing, you need to work with a good print shop to create the stacks of cards for you. Make sure that they use good quality material and a reliable printing process. But before you can even place your order, you need to make sure that your rack card is well-designed for you to receive good response from your target market. Here are the elements of a good rack card design:

  • Branded look

Most online printing companies would advise you to use the same colors as your business logo when designing rack cards. This creates a cohesive, instantly recognizable look for your brand. 

  • High-quality material

Your goal is to impress so rack cards should never be printed in cheap cardboard paper. Premium 16-pt. stock paper is recommended. For the finish, choose between ultra-smooth matte or ultra-smooth gloss. 

  • State-of-the-art printing process

Digital and offset are the available printing options. Some print shops offer both, while others just have either a digital or an offset printer. Digital printers can handle small print jobs and the quality is passable. But if you are placing a big order and you want fast results with excellent quality, go for offset printers that use state-of-the-art printing process. This ensures that the colors on your rack cards are vivid and the images are sharp. 

  • Unique features

Finally, go for unique features such as a detachable business card. You want your rack card to stand out in a brochure display – so by having a good foundational design, you can achieve exactly that. 

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.

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.