The Commonly Overlooked Factors In Designing Business Cards

By: Colleen Davis

With so many choices today from the paper you would want to use for your custom business cards, the custom folding and finishing to the many fonts available, you probably are forgetting some of the basic elements that make up an effective custom business card.

When you’re on your way to developing your color business cards, here’s a review of the basics of business card printing:

Overall Appearance
The standard size for business cards is 3.5 inches width with 2 inches depth. Orientation can be horizontal (which is the case for most cards) or vertical (2 inches wide x 3.5 inches deep).

It has two sides, the front and the back. Most traditional cards only have the details written at the front, with the back left blank. Nowadays though, more and more business owners and marketers are appreciating the advantages of utilizing that under-utilized part of the business card. Today’s designer has thought of creative ways to make use of that space of real estate.

Conventional design uses black-on-white copy. With digital technology however, most business cards are now sporting a more colorful look and even better visual appearance. It’s either you utilize a four color business card printing process or spot color.

Objective
The main purpose of your business card is for you to introduce yourself to your clients and prospects. It provides your recipient the information that will help them get in touch with you. The main thing about your print cards is that they make it easy for your network to know more about you. With the information provided in that little piece of paper, you’ll be able to convey your line of work and at the same time your importance to that prospect.

What’s in a business card?
Your business name, for one thing. Your name, title, telephone and mobile number, fax number, mailing address, an email address, a website url if you have one.

And if you want to be well remembered, you could add other information such as your tag line, the actual work that you do, if you have accreditations then go ahead and include them, or anything that would make you stand out and be recognized.

The bottom line is to make it easy for your network to contact you. So put as much information as you possibly can. If you think your front side is already crowded, you can always use your back to put additional information about you and your business.

Your business card is the first concrete identity that would introduce you to your prospect. So before you get excited with the many things that can make you become unique and different, try to remember the basics first. Going back to the basics can help you create an effective business card that would be remembered for a long time.