Facts about business card design

Here is a compilation of business card design fact and fiction. A great business design will most definitely produce the results you are looking for and this success can be achieved by following these basic guidelines.

Fiction

More graphics equals more sales.

Fact

Only use the sign and picture as graphics elements. Any graphic besides a symbol and a picture will serve only to encumber the card and overshadow the vital information intended for the prospective customers. Your best friend is white space; use it to make the most important elements stand out.

Fiction

The more information you can fit on the card, the superior chance you have of getting a response.

Fact

Giving people quick access to information can be easily accomplished with a business card. Do not include promotions, sales, etc.., because the card might be carried in a wallet or filled away in a Rolodex for weeks, months or even years before a customer contacts you regarding your service. This can be a costly mistake due to the fact that you may have to honor specials that have been ended. Elements of a well-designed business card design:
* The card-issuer’s name
* The card-issuer’s title
* The name of the company or organization
* Address
* Phone number(s)
* E-mail address
* Website URL
* Tagline
* A brief list of products and/or services
* Logo
* Optionally, a business card can include a photo or business hours

Arial and Times New Roman are great fonts to use on the card.

Fiction

All of my cards have to look similar.

Fact

Business card can vary from person to person, company to company and industry to industry. Well-designed business cards always stick out from the crowd. A few tactics to make a business card stick out is to use rare blend of colors and design elements. A simple line under a specific part can go a long way in having a notable business card. The card-issuer’s photograph does not have to be the only design element; you can use storefronts, products and even real estate. You can also set your business card design apart by adding extra information on the back of the card, especially if the business works on a schedule (like a radio station, for instance). Also, certain companies prefer to have a folded card, which essentially gives you the space of four business cards and allows you to stuff the card with robust product-offering lists and other information.
Business cards can be designed both horizontally and vertically; thus you can be as artistic as possible in a 3.5-inch by 2-inch space.

Fiction

Paper has no effect on my business card.

Fact

Paper company brand names, flimsy paper and perforated edges cheapens your prospects’ opinion of your business card. Well-designed business cards are always made from professional papers. 13-point matte paper or 14-point gloss paper is what the professional use and you should too.

Fiction

I can print my own business cards.

Fact

Home printers do not come close to the matching the quality of professional printing ink, regardless whether they are inkjet, deskjet, or copiers. The quality of your business card ink denotes the quality of your service, therefore it should not be taken softly, it is just as important as your paper quality. Leave a lasting and professional impression on your potential customers by using professional ink. Professional ink is bright, full and fade-resistant, contrary to standard ink.

People in the graphic design business know that their standing and the stability of their pocketbook depend on their capacity to create striking designs that ultimately impress their clients. The most challenging medium to design, business cards, is also the simplest form of advertising. This is because every business card must include the similar type of information, and you’re typically limited to a small 3.5-inch by 2-inch rectangle, which leaves little room for much more than text, a picture and a logo. It is always a good idea to experiment with business card layout; it will help your reputation and also impress your customers.

Must know tips about business cards layouts.

Contrast backgrounds or shapes

To make easily a business card layout standout you can have contrasting backgrounds between two parts of the card. For instance, the top half of a horizontal layout could be used to place your sign and company name on a white background, then use a shade of the company’s color to fill the bottom half while using a curved line as divider between the two halves. This bottom half is where you would put the contact information and tag line.

You could also put pertinent information in shaded boxes, circles, triangles or other shapes – just be sure to limit yourself to three colors, and remember that two colors are often enough to create a stunning design.

Small Text

Avoid using large fonts they can cheapen the overall of a business card; many amateurs designers often make this mistake. A distinguished expert in their given field is what clients would like to look whether they are professional clowns or corporate executives. Small text can be both fun and elegant; they will not make a card look gaudy. Have a font range between 10 and 14-point; it makes it readable for most people. Offering these card sizes to your clients will make their business cards look great, and therefore earn the respect of their customers.

Vertical Text

To make business cards look great, you could place text like the company, card-issuer name, or tag line on a design element perpendicular to the rest of the card’s text. For instance, on a horizontal card, you could have a photo on the far left with the company’s name positioned vertically on the photo’s right side. The card-issuer’s name and position could be placed on the top right quadrant on a white background, and the bottom right quadrant can be shaded with one of the company’s colors and contain the tag line and contact information.

Offset Elements

Typically business card designers center their text in the middle of the card, or right justify everything with a centered business name. This is pretty basic approach, and it’s also pretty bland. You could mix things up in your business card layout by offsetting different elements. Right justify the company name and contact information at the bottom of the business card, then place the individual’s name in the top left corner when using a vertical layout. You will discover a new world of business card designs, by experimenting with different layout elements, resizing them and repositioning them.

The big picture (break out of the box)

Including a photo of the individual on a business card is standard in many industries. In the upper right quadrant of the business card, enclosed in small boxes, is where you would traditionally see these photos.  You could place a large photo that uses one-third of the card’s total space and use a transparent gradient to fade it into the rest of the business card layout. You could have a full-body photo, like a contractor with a clipboard supervising a home construction, to emphasize a specific person and their skills.

Just because all business cards serve the same purpose, doesn’t mean they have to look the same.