The great thing about computers and printing is that you can do a lot of printing yourself. There are, however, some jobs better left to the pros. Your business card printing is one of those. It is painfully obvious if you designed and printed your own business cards on your own printer at home. The little perforated edges, the pixilated ink, the un-sophisticated design. It all says “This is my business card for my side business.” You want your business card to say “This is my Business: Hire Me!” Here is how to get from “Yes, I work out of the corner of my dining room” to “I am a professional that can take your business to the next level.”
Things to Avoid: Business Card Design
Maybe you are a graphic artist and you are good at design. That doesn’t necessarily mean you are good at business! Maybe you are a phenomenal business person, but you aren’t good at graphic design. Whichever your situation, avoid these scenarios with your business card design.
- A template that does not match your business character. If you are a cutting edge architect, or a big-city hair salon, don’t choose a flowery, baroque template or design. Use clean lines and mono-chromatic colors to communicate your style. If, on the other hand, you specialize in heirloom seed production or detailed art restoration, you need a business card design that communicates a sense of classic history.
- Too many fonts. A general rule of print work is that you can use one Serif font (like Times New Roman) and one sans-serif font (Like Arial or Calibri). Period. Too many fonts, and too many treatments (bold, italics, underline, size changes, etc.) make a card busy and hard to read.
- Overly large logo. It is important to have a logo. A business logo communicates seriousness of endeavor. However, a logo that overpowers all other elements of the business card could hide your contact information, which is the point of a business card. Don’t make it hard for people to find you. Keep your logo in proportion to the rest of the design.
- Inappropriate gimmicks. We’ve seen an example where someone printed their business card information on a rubber band. You have to keep the rubber band expanded to read the information. That is certainly an attention-grabbing design. It is not, however, practical if the person handing out the “business card” wants people to actually contact him.
glass business cards
Good Attention Grabbers: Business Card Design
For as many “don’t try this at home” design flaws, there are great attention-grabbers for business card design. Here are a few of those.
- Be funny. Not inappropriately funny, but witty. Making your design a play on words or a visual representation of your business name is a fun way to get attention, and may result in your card being passed around.
- Try a plastic card. These are still just enough different to catch people’s attention. Frosted plastic is good for businesses that help people “see clearly” there is opportunity for a fun play on words.
- Use cutting edge design. Not strange design-but design that reflects your style and is different than the ordinary.
- Add a personal touch. Let CmykCards print your basic business card, and add your artistic personalization. This is great for artists and designers.
