How To Create Business Cards For A Remarkable First Impression

Last updated on October 20th, 2022

“The first impression is the last impression” — you must have heard this popular quote time and time before. And when it comes to the business interactions, it’s absolutely right. But did you know that leaving that positive impression takes only a few seconds for a person to build! No matter what type of business you are in, make sure that your first impression is good, and for that, a well-designed business card can do magic.

Business cards often serve as the introduction of your business to clients. The business world has entirely digitized now which has brought a significant impact on the way we communicate with each other globally.

We can connect with people in so many ways through mobile, social media, etc., and it’s believed that business cards are of no use. But it’s not true; it cannot be replaced even after drastic changes in the mode of communication. A well-designed business card creates an opportunity to connect with the prospect.

Here Are Top 10 Tips To Create Business Cards For A Remarkable First Impression

01. Choose The Right Shape

You can see business cards for almost every business, usually in a rectangular shape. With tremendous advancement in printing technology, the printing cost has drastically fallen. So why stick to the old custom?

You can experiment with the design and shapes of a business card using a business card template. For instance, a die-cut technique allows customers to create any shape. Small holes are placed at the corners of a card. By joining those holes, you can create a shape of your choice.

Further, going a step ahead, you may opt for a 3D design technique; which not only designs a card but creates an item with essential information on it.

The shape of your card largely depends upon the message you want to communicate. Unusual shapes may look interesting, but it may have an unfavorable effect on formal industries.

Pro Tip:

Unusually shaped business cards can be inconvenient to carry. So it’s better to evaluate the risk before choosing an odd shape.

02. Choose The Correct Color And Size

Very few people have an idea about the effect of colors on others. You must have heard that one should not use too much of blue color in the kitchen as it ruins the appetite.

Colors can have a significant impact on the way we react to certain situations. You probably have a business card inspiration that you saw somewhere. But avoid too much red color raises heart pressure.

Therefore, it’s imperative to consider color while designing your business card. Now talk about the business card size! Well, it varies from country to country. Every country has a specific standard. For instance, the ideal size to make your own business card is 3.5*2 inches in the US.

In European countries, the standard size is 3.34* 2.16 inches. You may choose to have a bigger size, but take care of factors such as safety line, bleed area (the outermost part of the card), trim line (the target line for cutting cards), etc.

Pro Tip:

Try not to use more than 2-3 colors. Also, choose colors that match with your brand personality.

03. Add A Logo And Other Graphics

A logo is a graphical representation of your brand and putting it on your visiting card will certainly help you to build awareness of your brand.

So try to keep the business logo design simple yet attractive. Clients may misplace your business card, but they probably remember the logo which they have seen on your business card.

Refined graphics can take your business card to the next level. It helps you in conveying what words can’t. For instance, you have a dance institute named ‘Dance Academy’ which for both boys and girls.

And to communicate this message, you may like to add some image of boys and girls. Although minimalism is in the trend in graphic designing, don’t hesitate to fill it with essential graphics if you have too much of extra space in your card.

Include Important Information

What you want your business to communicate depends on you. For instance, if you are a freelancer, then you don’t need to have a postal address but it a must if you are a consultant. Different people benefit from different text on their business cards.

Thus, it is necessary to put all the required information on your card. Your clients will get benefit from it in many ways.

Here Is A Quick List Of Information That You Should Add On Your Business Card:

• Name: Name of the contact person.
• Contact Number: Consider mobile as a primary mode of communication.
• Email Address: It has become an integral part of business communication today. It can help you in sending and receiving documents.
• Website URL (If Any): It is a non-aggressive invitation for visits.
• Social Media: Adding social media icons on a business card can help you in linking your offline marketing efforts to your online initiatives.
• Address: It is essential to draw clients into your office.
• Slogan: Not every company have a slogan but if you have any, add it for building brand identity.

04. Choose The Right Typography

Your business card ideas may be unique. but you will ruin the design if the use of typography is not perfect. Like colors, typography also has a significant impact on the way we react to certain things. It has the power to evoke a particular type of emotion.

According to Matthew Carter “type is a beautiful group of letters, not a group of beautiful letters.” Once you are clear with the type of information you want to include in your business card, you may want to choose how that information will look like.

Choosing the right typography can be a little challenging, but a clear understanding of font pairing can help you in making your content easily readable.

Are you still confused which typography will look best on your business card? Don’t worry! You can always take the help of a professional graphic designer.

Pro Tip:

Decorative and Script fonts are difficult to read. So retain them for titles, names, and other text suited for a larger size.

05. Choose Material Wisely:

There is no doubt that the information you put on your business card helps you in generating leads. But it is also important to consider the type of material to be used while creating a business card. Some people choose the low-quality material just to cut down the cost.

They are unaware of the fact that material clients judge on the basis of the quality too. Selecting the right quality material can be a little tricky—plastic, colored, metal, foiled, recycled paper, etc. — the choices are unlimited. If you are not sure about which material to use, you can ask your designer or printer.

Pro Tip:

Choose the material that is relevant to your brand’s personality.

06. Consider Special Finishes:

If you want to differentiate your business card design from others, then it’s better to use special finishes rather than the standard one. Special finishes are a great way to make an instant and lasting impression.

Here Are Some Popular Finishes That Can Spruce Up Your Business Card Design:

• Embossing:

It is a stamping technique that creates 3D elements in your business card design. The area where you want to use this technique rose above the rest of the card. Use this technique to highlight your logo design, or give a 3D effect to images or graphics.

• Letterpress:

Letterpress printing, also known as debossing, is just the opposite of embossing. The technique uses the pressure to put the artwork into the paper.

You can use this technique to your benefit by adding a shadow or light to your design, along with the added texture. You cannot run your fingers across the print.

• Foil Stamping:

This technique comes with the same type of equipment used in letterpress. The only difference is that it uses the metalized foil instead of ink. You can choose to have any color of foil in your business card design. This technique works well to highlight the text.

• Spot UV and Varnishing:

It is one of the most used finishes these days. A varnish coat has a gloss, matte or silk coating that is applied to guard the card. It also helps in improving the look and feel of the design.

A varnish card gives a plastic feeling to a card. Spot UV is used to enhance specific areas of the card. It also makes the color look richer and shiner.

Pro Tip:

Some printing techniques may not work with specific shapes, materials, or coatings. Ask your printer to know if there are any limitations.

07. Create A QR Code:

In everyday life, we see QR Codes on product packaging, magazines, banners, etc. Why not use them on your business cards? QR Codes are a great way to link your online and offline marketing materials. You can create a QR code quickly and easily with the help of a QR code generator within minutes. They take less space and helpful in providing additional information to the clients.

You can connect them to your website, videos, blogs, etc. For creating attractive yet cost-effective business cards, you should give online business card maker tool a try.

08. Research Into Printer:

Choosing the right printer can help you in getting impressive results. Despite putting utmost care and efforts in designing a card, some fail to succeed. Their efforts go in vain when they choose printers that try to cut corners.

Here Is A Quick Guideline For Selecting The Right Printer:

• Review their process
• Ask them to send a sample
• Read reviews of their work
• Check their prices and quotes

09. Test Your Printing Quality:

Before you finalize your card, it’s always advisable to test the printing quality. Double check the colors. Check the ink by rubbing or under water. If it’s getting fainted, share the feedback with the printer as you want things to look sharp and clean.

10. Be Creative All The Way:

Last but not least, if you really want to make a remarkable first impression, then be creative in all possible ways. But keep in mind that you don’t overdo things. It may end up in zero or bad results. You can always ask your friends and family member for honest feedback.

Conclusion:

No matter how much the business world has changed, when it comes to making a genuine connection or having a real conversation, people still believe to have face-to-face communication. Handing out a business card can assist you in numerous ways. Therefore, it is vital to design your business card appropriately.

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