Business cards serve many purposes. Essentially, these are cards that contain information about a company or a particular individual who works for the company. Usually, business cards are exchanged between two people when introducing themselves or when leaving a conversation. These cards allow people to remember who they were talking to and what position they occupy within a company.
Business cards generally include the name of the person, the position they occupy within a business entity as well as contact information (mobile/ telephone number, email address/ website and sometimes the street address). Business cards are generally wallet- sized. These cards are small enough to be fitted in the pocket, but are made from a thick cardboard.
Companies usually spend a good amount of money on the design of the business card. A famous man once said that a well- designed business card is just like a firm handshake. The design and print of the card is very important. A good design leaves a positive impression of the individual as well as the company. Because of this, hiring the right card printing service is very important.
If you want to get some business cards printed, there are several things you must consider. Here are seven of the most important things that you need to keep in mind when hiring a business card printing service:
The Material
The material used for the business card is of utmost importance. Do you want to go with the standard thick cardboard or would you prefer something new? The age of start- ups is upon us, and companies use business cards to distinguish themselves from others. That is why the material of the card is very important. Creative business cards are the rave these days. Printing services offer a number of unique options, such as getting metallic business cards or wooden cards.
However, this creativity comes at a price. Because expensive printing techniques are used for engraving or embossing words on such cards, they are pretty costly. Conventional cardboard business cards are so common because of the fact that they are affordable. Most companies generally charge the costs of printing business cards to their marketing expense. That is why they aren’t willing to spend too much money on expensive cards.
The Design and Colour
The design and colour of the card are two very important elements. If you really want to leave an impression, don’t go for the conventional black on white design. This is probably the cheapest option. The business card is white, with words printed in black. Some services also offer the option of including the company’s logo on the card at the top left or right side. The back of the card usually remains empty.
Since this is such a common option, it doesn’t leave much of an impression. You need the design and colour of the card to be attractive, so that the other party actually examines the card and reads the information on it. Printing services usually offer a couple of options if you want a creative design. You could either specify a design of your own choice, or select one from the company’s special designs.
Borders or No Borders?
The issue between selecting bordered or borderless cards can cause confusion. Most printing services offer you the choice to include a border or go borderless depending upon personal preferences. The type of border you choose depends on you. Do you go with a contrasting colour or choose a unique design to cover the borders? Bordered business cards are not very common. Most people don’t go for borders because they simply add an extra cost to the overall printing price. Do check out preview designs before deciding on the type or border.
It is recommended that you avoid using borders. This is because when the cards are finally printed, the border may not appear due to the bleed area. The bleed area is the area (around the edges) which is cut during the printing.
Complimentary Colours
There are some colours which are not aesthetically pleasing. Similarly, there are certain colours which are generally pleasing to the eye. Choose colours that not only make your card standout for all the right reasons. For instance, if you decide to create a combination of bright and bold colours, you may end up with a card that looks very different. However, the card may not be very aesthetically pleasing. You don’t want people to remark on what a poor card that is. When selecting the colours, try to maintain a level of consistency. For instance, if your company uses yellow or black backgrounds on social media, try using the same colours on the cards as well.
Readable Text
If you are customizing the design of the card yourself, make sure you don’t forget the text. When designing the card, check out make sure that the text is readable and can be easily understood by anybody. Keep the font size at a minimum of 8 pt and use a bold colour that directly contrasts with the background. Try and accentuate the name, or use some other distinguishing factors in order to create a professional card.
Important Information Only
You don’t need to fill the card up with information. Only put in information that is relevant and important, such as a QR code, your name, occupation and any contact information that you may want to include. Cards that don’t include a lot of information are the ones that are considered most professional.
Get Quotes
Once you have designed the card, ask several printing services and get a quote from them. This will give you an idea of how much your design will cost. It will also allow you to determine which of the services offer the cheapest option. Before you finalize the printing contract, do get some samples made. This will make it easy for you to decide whether the design looks as good in the hand as it does on the screen.