The Ultimate Guide for Perfect Business Cards

Say what you will about print, but business cards are one of the best conventional tools even in the digital age. Nowadays, there’s plenty of ways to exchange contact information, but there’s something about the tangibility of a custom business card that still makes them effective for networking. Business card printing not only makes introductions professional but also a little more meaningful.

Custom business cards let you show enough personality, style, and creativity to impress potential clients. So how do you print business cards for a memorable first impression? Starting from design conceptualization to finishing and materials, here’s PrintRunner’s ultimate guide to making business cards.

Design Concept

“Who are you as a business?”

This may be the first time someone interacts with you and your brand. How do you want people to perceive your business? Think about your audience as you begin designing your business cards. Are you serious and corporate, or are you more artistic? Should your content be straightforward or playful? Do you cater to designers or in a similar creative field? It’s a good exercise to study and gather ideas from designs in your industry and build from that.

Materials

Now comes the tactile factor. People often equate the quality of the card to the quality of the business. Just from touching your card, you want customers to get a sense that you’re an expert in your field and that you’re someone they can rely on.

There are plenty of business card materials you can choose from to underscore your design concept. Aside from traditional paper and cardstock, some brands use plastic business cards, wood, metal, and even magnetic business cards. The material’s coating options also impact your overall design. Matte coating has an elegant, almost silky texture and creates a more visually subdued effect. Gloss and high-gloss UV coating are not as smooth but add shine and vibrance to your prints. Most online printers also add spot UV business card options for a textured effect. Want to make a big impact? Go for premium printing like painted-edge business cards, metallic business cards, and foil business cards.

Whatever material you select, be sure it relates to your services and your overall branding.

Shape

Think about how you would want your business cards to work for you. The standard business card is rectangular because of its convenient shape and allotted space. For unique first impressions, go for circle, oval, and even die-cut business cards from PrintRunner. These are great conversation starters and can help your business stand out especially during networking events. However, these shapes offer limited space except for key information. If you want to decide to stick to the traditional rectangle business card, try rounded corners for a touch of creativity.

Size

There is no correct business card size that must be followed. Depending on where you are in the globe, each region has a preferred standard size. Like business card shapes, you need to choose a size that fits your needs. The standard business card in the US and Canada is 2” x 3.5”. This fits easily into any wallet & convenient to hand out. Other countries prefer slightly larger cards like 3.58” x 2.17” (Japan and the UK) and 3.54” x 2.12” (China and India).

It may be challenging for some to their contact details and essential information about their business in a small card, but you can also try folded business card options to get double the space. These are perfect if you want to include a full list of your services or multiple store locations.

Colors

How do you choose the best colors for your business card? Of course, you must be consistent with branding but bear in mind that certain hues influence feeling and perception. Color theory and psychology applies when choosing brand colors, creating marketing campaigns, developing new products, and yes, even printing business collaterals.


To give a brief explanation of the main colors and their meanings:

Red encourages action and evokes the strongest emotions like energy, excitement, and passion. It is also a popular color for fast food brands because it’s been shown to stimulate the appetite.
Yellow promotes positivity and happiness. It’s in the same warm spectrum as red, so it promotes action and fun. Brands like Ferrari, Shell, Best Buy, Ikea are yellow to immediately capture attention.
Orange, being a mix of red and yellow and is often associated with adventure, energy, and creativity. Brands like Amazon, Nickelodeon, and TNT elicit those feelings from their customers.
Blue evokes dependability and strength. Pioneer companies like banks, insurance firms, and computer manufacturers have blue logos because it gives the perception of reliability.
Green communicates health, nature, and even money. It can be a versatile color depending on the specific shades and hues. Dark green can communicate organic, natural ingredients. Beverages and alcohol with bright green logos communicate energy and fun.
Purple, known as the color of royalty, evokes feelings from both warm and cool hues. This powerful color inspires calmness, vitality, and spirituality. Versatile like green, purple can be used across a variety of industries like beauty, food, and even tech.
White is not often used as a primary color choice, but its neutrality provides a contrast to designs. It represents purity, cleanliness, and efficiency.
Black is favored for its simplicity and modern look. Almost all luxury brands incorporate this color in their branding because of its elegant and exclusive feel.

Fonts and Typefaces

Of course, the most important aspect of any business card is your contact details. This takes more than just slapping an email and phone number and sending it off to print. Fonts and typefaces are key features that get your cards noticed and communicate your style and personality. Choose a font that people can easily read but matches your overall branding. Expert designers also recommend choosing two cohesive fonts to create some contrast.

Images and Patterns

Now that you’ve laid the foundation for your business cards, you can begin adding design elements. A good, general rule for business cards is “less is more”. Your logo is important, but other images and patterns you add should complement your contact information without adding clutter.


With plenty of business card options, it’s easy to customize and make business cards that impress as soon as you hand them out. Print business cards today and upload your design on the PrintRunner website. You can also create your own artwork from scratch with our easy-to-use online design tool.

If you need help getting started, call us at 1-888-296-5760 and our customer care representatives can assist you.

FAQs

How fast can you print my business card order?
Our fastest printing turnaround for business cards is one (1) business day. This means that your order can be printed and ready for delivery in just 24 hours. Printing turnaround varies for different business card types. You can check your options on the product page order calculator. Note that the turnaround time does not include shipping transit time, weekends, and holidays. You can check the Estimate Shipping Date on the online calculator. This will show the transit time based on your ZIP code.

How do I design my business cards?
You can use our website to create your design online. To start, use the order calculator to choose the type of business card, size, shape, material, and quantity. After, click Design Online to get started. The design toolbar lets you upload or search for images online, change colors, and add text and shapes.

Do you offer business card templates?
Yes, we offer free templates you can download and use with your preferred design editing application. These are blank print templates to help you set up your print file with the correct and folding lines. These are found in the product page Templates tab.

Will I see a proof of my business cards before printing?
Yes. Our dedicated prepress team will review your design to check if it is print-ready, then send you a PDF file to approve. This allows you to check for any errors and make necessary revisions. After you approve this PDF file, we will proceed with production.

How thick are your business cards?
PrintRunner carries a wide range of business card material options with varying thickness. Our cardstock options are measured in “points” or “pt.”. The higher the number, the thicker the material. Our most popular business card material is 14 pt. cardstock because it’s thick enough for double-sided printing. It is also lightweight yet durable. If you need something premium, 16 pt. cardstock is slightly thicker and has more weight. Our premium business cards also come in 18 pt. cardstock material.

Ultimate Guide to Business Cards

Looking to create the perfect business card? Whether you’ve used the same design for years or are just starting out, never underestimate the power a good business card can have.

Business cards are not outdated or old-fashioned!

Business cards are still a necessary part of any business because they make it easy to provide your contact information to a potential customer. While business card designs have changed over the years, the purpose is the same.

What Is the Goal of a Good Business Card?

If you’re looking to network with your peers or want to give your contact info for a future business deal, you need a good business card.Business cards are designed to:

• Connect you to a potential customer
• Build brand recognition

When you give someone a business card, they should be able to readily recognize who your business is from the design. However, design isn’t the only thing you should worry about. It should look and feel like your business while providing the best way for people to get in touch with you.

What Info Should I Include on My Business Card?

More is not better when it comes to business card design. Put the most important information on your card, plus the best ways to contact you. Some pieces of info you should consider including are:

• Your name
• The name of your business and a logo
• Email address
• Phone number
• A website URL
• Social media handles

You don’t have to include everything, just the information you think would be most important for your potential customers to know. If you don’t respond to phone calls, don’t include your phone number! It’s that easy.

Because business cards have limited space, be mindful of the design. While you should take advantage of the space you have, a little white space can go a long way!

Tips for Designing the Perfect Business Card

Your business card design should represent your industry in a way that you can tell what industry someone is part of just on the design alone. For example, if you’re a photographer, you should consider including some of your best shots.

If you’re a graphic designer, you can and should design your business card yourself (and include it as part of your portfolio).

Here are other tips to create the perfect business card.

Follow Your Business’s Branding

Match your visual presence online and offline. This means you should stick with your business’s colors and fonts, so when people go from your business card to your website, it should look the same so people know they’ve found the right place.

If you can, create a style guide so anyone working for your company stays consistent with your brand and voice.

Don’t Sacrifice Usability for Design

Keep your business card as easy to read as possible. Don’t put black text on a dark background. Instead, design your business card so it’s easy to read. Fonts on the card should be as large as the design permits and legible.

While gorgeous cursive fonts may look good, they can be hard to read. Use fonts with embellishments for non-important information and plain fonts for your contact information and other important info.

A good graphic designer can help your business card look good while being functional. Can they read everything you have on the card? Does it look good?

Read more from us: How to Design an Eye-Catching Business Card

Use Custom Shapes and Sizes

Did you know business cards don’t have to come in the classic shape and size? Make your business card stand out!

At Presto Print, we carry the standard 2” x 3.5” US standard and the round rectangle that’s 55 mm x 85 mm (the European standard), plus a variety of shapes! We can print business cards in shapes, such as:

• Half circle

• Wink

• Leaf

• Oval

• Prescored folded

• Circle

• Square

• Rounded square

Choose the Right Paper Type

You can choose something matte or glossy for your business card. At Presto Print, we have a variety of paper finishes, including:

28# Color Copy Digital 80# Dull Digital Cover 32# Color Copy Digital 14 mil Synthetic Paper 50# Uncoated 12Pt High Gloss Coated One Sided 60# Uncoated 100# Gloss Cover 70# Uncoated 100# Dull Digital Cover 80# Velvet Text 100# Linen Cover 80# Gloss Text 120# Uncoated Digital Cover 100# Velvet Text 120# Sterling Digital Dull Cover 80# Uncoated Digital Cover 130# Dull Digital Cover

Often, cardstock is the most common type of paper with a 100 lb thickness, but what you decide to use is up to you! The thicker the paper, the more expensive it is to print. If you’re planning on printing a large quantity of business cards, you may want to choose a cheaper, thinner option.

Add an Extra Finish

A good print shop is the best place to make your business card unique. While others might have basic features, such as matte or gloss, a print shop adds extra elements that can’t be replicated at home.

• Raised Ink

  Using thermography, powder is added to the ink and is then heated up. The leftover ink is raised and gives it a slightly bumpy texture.

• Raised UV

  Similar to raised ink, it creates a lifted ink effect that’s smooth to the touch.

• Raised Foil

  If you’re looking for extra shine, raised foil is the way to go. You can get a metallic sheen to your print.

• Embossing and Debossing

  Choose this feature to create extra texture to your design. Embossing creates a lifted effect while debossing sinks the paper in.

• Die Cutting

  If you want a certain shape or want certain pieces of your design, cut out, a good die cutter can create a die with your custom shape and stamp out your unique design.

• Spot High Gloss UV

  Want your business cards to last with a shine that’s to die for? A spot high gloss UV print is what you are looking for.

• Soft Touch Lamination

  Texture is an important part of a business card, and our soft-touch lamination creates a unique feel with your print.

Make It Unique

Want to really stand out? At Presto Print, we have a variety of different materials and options, so the sky's the limit! We’d be happy to work with you, whether you’re looking for a specific fold, pattern or shape.

Pick the Right Printer

When it comes to business cards, you get what you pay for. Before you’ve made a commitment to a printer, come to our shop. We have plenty of samples you can look at whether you have a design or not. If you do have a design, great! Just read our 10 tips to get your design print-ready to make sure it can go directly from your computer to print.

We pride ourselves in our customer service. Whether you need something right away or need a printer who gets it right the first time, Presto Print is the place to go. As your local printing company in Salt Lake City, we’d love to help you. Get your free quote today!