Business cards are one of the most important marketing material you can own. They give potential customers a way to keep in touch with you and your business or even refer others to you. Unfortunately, business card printing is also one of the least explored areas for small businesses—often because they don’t know what’s out there. This guide explains what makes a good business card and how to find the right printing service for your needs.
Paper type
The paper type can affect the feel of a business card and its durability and price. The most common types of business card paper are:
- Matte:This dull finish makes colours appear muted and less vibrant. It’s also typically thicker than other papers.
- Glossy:This is a shiny, reflective paper that can add shine to your pictures or logos if you choose it for your business cards. It has a higher cost than matte options but may be worth it if you want to make an impression with shiny effects on your artwork or photos.
- Pearlised/Glossy Cover: A variation on a glossy cover stock that often has an iridescent sheen added to give it more visual depth and dimensionality.
Printing method
Three main printing methods are offset printing, digital printing, and letterpress.
Offset printing is the most common method. This involves transferring an image to a rubber plate used to print on paper or other materials (like metal). Offset printers use four ink colours—black, cyan, magenta, and yellow—to create full-colour business cards. The downside of offset printing is that it can be expensive because it uses plates and inks that must be replaced more often than other paper business cards.
Digital-only printers use computer software to convert customer files into digital images for output onto any media, including magnetic media like floppy disks or CDs, as well as physical products such as business cards made out of plastic instead of paper which last longer than traditional paper versions due to their durability over time without wearing out too quickly.
Letterpress is another type where ink from large rolling cylinders transfers directly onto each sheet as they pass through rollers while simultaneously pressing any excess moisture out until there’s no bleeding between colours either horizontally or vertically – unlike offset presses which deposit all four colours simultaneously. Letterpress printers offer more design options, such as raised letters/images versus printed ones, plus embossing effects such as foil stamping or embossing depending on how thickly you want them applied, so keep this in mind when deciding how much detail should go into designing something like this before finalising anything else!
How to choose the Right Business Card Printing Service
If you want to make the most of your business card printing investment, choosing a printing service with specific qualities is important. First and foremost, you should look for a printing service close to your location. If they’re not too far away, this will save on shipping costs and allow you to ensure the quality of the prints. It can also be helpful if they have a good reputation and offer high-quality services at reasonable prices.
Simplicity is key to the Best Business Card.
- Avoid visual clutter: The best business card is clean and simple. It’s even better if it can be read at a glance.
- Keep it simple!Simple designs are easier for people to remember than those containing many elements. A good rule of thumb is “less is more.” If you have information that needs sharing with potential customers, try not to overload their minds with so much information they’ll forget what they saw when they look back at the card later on!
Use one colour only: Don’t use clip art or too many graphics on your business cards either. When designing cards, stick with either black/white or blue tones because these colours tend not to clash against each other but rather complement each other nicely – especially when using white paper stock.
