Are you on the lookout to design a business card for your business? Well good for you, ‘cause you’re in the right place! Here in this article, we have provided you with a step-by-step guide to help you design your business card for your business.
Despite popular belief, designing a business card is a technique that can be acquired and is not that difficult. All you have to do is adhere to a few fundamental business card design guidelines which we will show you here:
In summary, all that you will learn in this article are:
- How to design a business card for your business
- Learn the top tips and tricks used by professionals for creating business cards.
- Get to know about the advantages of using a business card.
With that said, let us start with an easy-to-follow guide.
10 Steps To Design A Business Card
1. Look For The Perfect Business Card Size
The first thing is to find the correct canvas size. That means you need to pick a card size that complements your desired style.
You would want enough space for you to be able to structure your design of the business card efficiently and effectively.
On the other hand, having excessive empty spaces is also not a good thing. Hence finding the correct business card size matters.
To help you make the correct choice, here are the most popularly used business card sizes.
- 89 mm*51 mm (3.6 inches*2 inches)
- 86 mm*56 mm (3.349 inches*2.170 inches)
- 91 mm*56 mm (3.55 inches*2.167 inches)
2. Choose The Business Card Material And Weight
When you present your business card, the first step readers will do is hold it. This means they’ll be able to appreciate the material before even reading what’s on it. Make the most of this by providing a memorable feeling when they receive your card.
Remember that this first impression is everything.
By a long margin, the most common business card material is paper. However, if you want you can use plastic and even metal.
Your business card’s weight can help you in ways that aren’t immediately apparent.
The following are the most popular business card paperweights:
- 300-350 GSM – Standard card stock
- 400-450 GSM – Superior card stock
3. Design A Layout For Your Business Card
Now comes the main part, here are some of the basics to keep in mind while designing your business card.
a) Layout of Business Card
A smart layout makes it easier to convey all of the important information on your business card to prospective customers.
Make sure to keep it easy for potential consumers to see important information on your card.
The different components of your styling should be considered in your layout (like images, backgrounds, etc.).
b) Size of Components
After you’ve decided on a layout, you’ll need to figure out how large or tiny each piece of your business card must be.
Every content on your card must be readable as well as appealing to the eye.
c) Placement of Objects
It’s also critical to place all of your card’s components in the proper place.
Graphics and logos are often put in prominent locations such as the top right, top left, or outer edge.
The purpose of this is straightforward: to maintain order. It is usually best to view objects in a sequence, and business cards are no exception.
4. Lookout For The Cutline In The Business Card
Knowing the cutline is a crucial element of business card design. Assume you want to use a backdrop picture on your business card that extends completely to its edge.
Due to the imperfection of printers, it may now be sliced half a millimeter outside of the backdrop picture. This will leave behind a white spot which will not create a good impression. So, in this case, you can push your backdrop picture onto the cut zone, in that way, you won’t have a white spot.
5. Place The Logos And Images For Your Business Card
Your business should have a logo that you use for branding and make it easily identifiable.
The focal point of your business card is the logo. To design a well-balanced business card, all components should center around the logo and name of your business.
They must be large enough for viewers to be seen instantly as well as be positioned in an apparent location. You should also make sure to choose the highest possible resolution image to guarantee that it looks good when printed.
Readers don’t want a blurry, distorted image – it seems very unprofessional. If you’re going to utilize a picture, make sure it’s at least 300 DPI (dots per inch). Yes, the higher the better.
6. Choose The Business Card Font
Fonts are utilized to communicate all the important information to your reader, they are the backbone of every business card.
It is so important that – picking the wrong font type and size for an otherwise fantastic business card design can destroy it.
The font on a business card will influence the viewer’s emotions subconsciously.
Serif typefaces, for instance, are typically used on a doctor’s business cards since they are regarded to be more serious and official.
A makeup brand business card, on the other hand, usually uses a sans-serif font that has an inverse result.
7. Keep The Color Theme In Mind
The color theme you choose is crucial for your business card. They will provide the “zing” it requires to pique prospects’ attention in what you and your brand have to provide.
The color combination comes into play in this situation.
The study of colors with human behavior is known as color psychology.
However, how can this assist you? Here is a reference chart that you can use for your benefit.
- Red is the color of vigor and passion.
- Fun and inventiveness are associated with the color orange.
- Sunshine and joy are represented by the color yellow.
- Pink symbolizes femininity and fun.
- Growth and nature are associated with the color green.
- Peace and stability are symbolized by the color blue.
- Purple is a shade that symbolizes luxury and strength.
- White represents innocence and purity.
- Black is a color that exudes elegance and sophistication.
- Grey represents equilibrium and neutrality.
- Brown symbolizes being evergreen and genuine.
8. Look For A Business Card Finish
Card finishes will elevate the look of your business card to a different level. By utilizing a card finish texture you can make the most basic business card design stand out.
To enhance the design, there are a few card finish choices available.
All you have to do now is figure out which one best matches your business card design the best.
- Matte – the most typical finish; silky smooth and spotless.
- Spot UV – textured, elevated, and gleaming
- Embossed – provides a tactile feel on both sides.
- Foil Stamped – beautiful and sophisticated
- Die Cut is a great method to stand out.
- Colors on the edges – faint yet effective
- Folded – one-of-a-kind and provides additional design room.
If you are not confident about which texture to use, choose Matte because it will ensure that the business card is soft, smooth, clean, and with no frills.
9. Analyze The Simplicity And Readability Of The Business Card
Analyzing should be the next step once you’ve determined the layout.
The most important step is evaluating whether or not each design aspect you’ve chosen adds something nice to your business card.
It is easy to become lost in an ocean of possibilities, and there are moments when you just want to pack everything into one design.
This, though, will not work to your advantage. “Keep things simple” is a good rule to follow when you have to design a business card for your business.
Simple business card designs are frequently the finest; they are neat, basic, and quick to create, and they provide a clear picture of what you want to portray.
Remember – less is more.
10. Ask For Opinion
While you sit before a desktop for hours at a time when creating your business card.
This sometimes brings you to a dreamy condition in which you begin to believe that your business card design truly looks wonderful (sometimes it does).
However, this is not always the case.
This is why you should discuss your business card prototype with other people to evaluate it and ask for their opinions before printing.
Here are a few great questions to ask them:
- What was the first thing you noticed?
- Design factors did you not notice?
- Ask for initial reactions.
- What is the message it conveys?
Top Tips To Design A Business Card
You must have learned a lot from the above section. But for people who want to learn in even more detail, we have compiled a list of the top tips as narrated by the pros in the business.
a) The Message Of Your Business Card Is the Key
Consider the long-term impact you wish your business card to induce, how do you want people to remember your business?
For example: Consider a legal practice business that utilizes a cartoon font and jarring bright colors on its business card.
This is likely not going to convey the professional, sophisticated impression that the firm desires.
If you have a lively business, go wild with color and other fun aspects.
If you run a financial firm that thrives on professional relationships, you should design a business card for your business in a tidy and respectable style.
b) Maintain Brand Consistency
After you hand them your business card, they will most likely look at your website, follow you on social media, and may even write you an email or contact you.
You want to maintain the consistency of your brand image at every step to create the best impression.
This includes utilizing consistent brand colors, fonts, and slogans that should be aligned with your SEO-friendly business name and other branding material.
In this way, people will find it easy to connect with your business.
c) Get Creative In Your Business Card Style
It does not always have to be rectangular – it can be almost whatever you like!
The options are limitless.
You should know that 88 percent of business cards are discarded, hence your card needs to stick out.
Try to give your business card an additional edge so that readers don’t toss it aside.
You can design a business card for your business by experimenting.
Try to include everything from changing the size of your business card (remember that the majority will place them in their wallets upright), the layout of the card, any special cuts, and the paper you will be using.
d) Provide Content On The Back of Your Business Card
Avoid keeping the “back” face of the business card empty.
It may be utilized for branding (name and logo, social media handles), QR code placement, and so forth.
You’re only limited by your creativity when it comes to how to use it. However, avoid providing too much information.
Restaurant operators, for example, should not publish their food menus.
A QR code is a good option nowadays as it can store a lot of information in a small amount of space.
They may be used to send readers to your blog, save your phone number, and so on.
Golden Rules To Create A Business Card For Your Business
Here is a quick rundown of the most basic principles of business card design – as recommended by professionals.
- The use of thin paper is discouraged.
- Make use of high-resolution pictures.
- Avoid using small text.
- Examine your spelling and grammar.
- Less is more.
- It is NOT a smart option to print it yourself
Advantages of Using A Business Card For Your Business?
As a small, low-cost marketing tool, a business card has always been at the top of the list of branding strategies for young businesses.
Let’s see the top five main reasons why you should design a business card for your business.
Business Cards are Cheap & Easy Yet Effective
A business card is a low-cost, accessible form of advertising. It’s simple to exchange with those around you.
It is also easy to create and quick to implement.
When you hand over a business card it also signifies that your business is serious about itself and knows exactly what it’s doing.
Business Card Helps Establishing Contacts
Human-to-human contact will be created with the help of an exchange of your business card. This contact will be far more effective and influential than any online marketing strategy.
Recipients are much more likely to indulge in our business through this method.
Business Cards Help Keep Your Business In Mind
When you offer someone your business card during an event or in your shop, they will be more likely to remember your business name and logo.
You also offer customers a cause to call you when you give them your business card.
A Business Card Will Showcase Professionalism
Handing over your business card instead of writing contact details on a piece of paper is far more respectable.
It demonstrates that you have taken the trouble to print the material required for professional communication.
These are the small things that will generate trust and loyalty toward your business.
A Business Card Has Convenience And Longevity
Business cards are small and lightweight, making them ideal for carrying in a wallet, handbag, or pocket.
They are compact enough to hand over, pin to a bulletin board, mail, or place on a store counter.
Moreover, they have a long shelf life, which means people can keep calling you long after you have handed them over to them.
Conclusion
Business cards have always been a must-have branding tool.
You too can establish a positive first impression with a powerful business card design that conveys what your business is and what it stands for.
To reinforce that feeling, use high-quality material and printing processes.
Also, don’t be scared to be inventive.
In a creative scene, your business card should not only tell readers what its business is about but also show off your flair.
Hope we have helped you enough for you to be able to design a business card for your business all by yourself.
About the Author: 99businessideas.com led by Rupak Chakrabarty is committed to helping beginners, entrepreneurs, and small business owners in starting, managing, and growing their businesses.
