While business cards are not a thing of the past, some would say quality cards are. Designing a great and memorable business card is a trick that many are working to master. Now as with any design, you have a limited amount of time to make an impression. Your window to grab their attention and create a positive opinion happens within seconds. They say within the first 10 seconds, your client has a lasting opinion of you.
That is why with the quick seconds you have to impress, your business card can do some of the talking. Or maybe the card will do damage control for a few stuttered words or a limp handshake. So we want to provide the beginners tips for what creates a quality and impressive business card.
Style Points
As with any design product, unique design is important. You don’t want to get lost in their pocket, forgotten in their rolodex, or tossed out mistakenly. Being able to design a card that stands out is one thing that will help you differentiate your business. But start with the basics.
Determine the size of the card you are creating. If you are bold and feel that you can pull off a different size business card then differ from the standard 3.5 x 2″ business card. Even thought the design is small, any images that will be added need to be at 300dpi to appear clear. Remember that is the basics of all quality design.
Next, determine the printing capabilities. If the job has not specific colors regiments, design in the preferred CMYK or RGB. However, for most clients you need to use their spot color and ensure that it is printed correctly. Working with the company providing printing in Elk Grove Village will be instrumental. Different types of paper, different backgrounds, and unique textures will all react to printed inks differently. Make sure that the spot colors are exact this is a huge piece of branding.
Remember to set up the documents with the correct bleed and trim areas. Do not let your text go outside of the safe area, so that you do not accidently lose important text during the cutting. For this same reason, boarders are also not advisable.
Regarding the text, choose a legible font. There is no point to giving out a business card that people cannot read. Make sure the text is in a bold and dark color. Ensure that the font is easily read. Also include the important information:
- Name
- Title
- Contact Information
- QR Code
- Website
- Correct Colors and Logo Use
Sending your card for printing is the last step of designing a card. Saving the file out in the correct format is very important; find out what the printer that you are using will require. Generally a press quality PDF will provide the best print. The images imported, as vector will stay crisp and allow clean lines. It is not advisable to submit a low resolution or small file size .jpg or .png because that will result in unclear photos and blurred lines.
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