Considering business cards are so small, how is it even possible to make a good first impression and convey the overall image of your business? With only 2 inches by 3.5 inches worth of space, what can you do to get the message across?
Well, there are certain things to take into account. For instance, you are right, the cards are limited to space, and you can’t exactly make them bigger when they are designed to fit snuggly in your wallet or purse. But, you can still lay your card out in a way that projects professionalism and in a way that will make people remember you next time they need a plumber, an electrician or even a printing agency such as ourselves.
In order to success and produce a perfect business card which sells yours and your businesses products or services, you need to take into consideration colour, text and the feel of the card. These three things contribute massively to the overall appearance of your business and the way it will work when slung into the business networking world.
Designing anything in the world requires common sense. This will help you massively!
If your business markets children's toys and children's games, you would benefit by incorporating bright, vibrant colour's, and words written in a children's font. At the other end of the scale, if your business offers high-end, project management services then you would want your card to project an image of professionalism and reliability. Traditional colour's like black, white and beige are a great way to do this, with sharp, clean fonts that are easy to read.
As a printing company who designs business cards on a daily basis we would disagree with any designers who say, “leave it to us”. This is because they don’t want to help you or teach you, and simply want to charge more for the design process.
Colprint firmly believe if you follow these few tips, we can help you design a business card that works effectively, using your own imagination. If you are working to a budget, designing your own business card could be just the thing for you, to help you cut costs and save money.
Try to think of business cards you have received and you know you like. If you work in a creative business like children's events or party planning for example, you will have a bit more scope with what you can do, but generally, these tips will do the trick!
- Make sure your logo is the largest part of your card.
- Think of the space. You are limited to what you can do so use the important bits and don’t try to over do it!
- Include the essentials only: name; title; company name; address; phone number; email address; website address.
- Make sure the fonts are easy to read and as a rule of thumb, use the same fonts throughout, with an exception to the logo in some cases.
- Maintain the same one or two colour's throughout.
- Think of the space. You are limited to what you can do so use the important bits and don’t try to over do it!
- Include the essentials only: name; title; company name; address; phone number; email address; website address.
- Make sure the fonts are easy to read and as a rule of thumb, use the same fonts throughout, with an exception to the logo in some cases.
- Maintain the same one or two colour's throughout.
Once you've got your business cards you are ready to go! So what do you do with them next?
- Hand out more than one! This gives the option for referral where those you know can give one to people they know.
- Include your card in all correspondence.
- Use a card case to carry cards with you at all times. This will ensure they stay clean and undamaged!
- Include your card in all correspondence.
- Use a card case to carry cards with you at all times. This will ensure they stay clean and undamaged!
Break the rules! Everyone uses the same cards, but if you are lucky enough to work in an industry which allows you to bend the trends and mix it up a bit, here’s a few things you could try:
- Try double the size! 4 inch by 7 inch cards that fold over like a mini brochure - this allows for more information and the option to add photo’s!- Non-conventional shapes like a mouse for a web design company or a phone for a company who fixes mobiles.
- Textured paper gives the readers something to admire, as does coloured paper. Try to stick to lighter shades though so the text is enhanced and easier to read.
- Use thermography. This is a process which creates raised, shiny print and adds interest to the card. Embossing and Spot UV finishing are similar too, offering a creative edge that will help you stand out from the crowd.
