How to Design a Great Business Card

Business cards are a crucial accessory for any business, and you and your employees should be giving them out whenever possible. Unfortunately, most are thrown away the same day they are received. What a waste! Make sure your cards are well-designed so they stay in pockets and out of the trash can.Before you get started designing, it’s important to take a few minutes to think about what business cards are for and what information should be included on them.What are business cards?They are small cards printed with information about a company or an individual. The primary functions of business cards are as quick introductions, memory aids and as a convenient way to share information.Business cards are often the first impression you give someone about your business. Anyone who picks up your business card is a potential customer or business partner and is a great way for them to get a feel for what you do.They are also handy reminders. How often have you struggled to remember someone’s name or job title? Having a physical reminder can prompt the memory of a meeting. Obviously, you never want your business to be forgotten by a potential client!Of course, you want people to be able to act on these memories. By printing names and contact information on your cards, you allow people to get in touch with you quickly and easily.What needs to be on my business cards?First and foremost, your business cards need to have your company’s name on them. Fit as much business information as possible on the card. In addition to the name, place a logo and slogan on the cards. This establishes a brand identity and also gives people an impression of what your business does and a hint at the corporate culture. If you are printing double-sided business cards, consider listing some of your services and products on the back.Make sure contact information is printed clearly on the card. Every card should be printed with an email address, website, phone number and physical address. It should also be printed with your own name and job title. It may seem more efficient to print generic cards for everyone in the company to share, but having an individual name to reference makes people much more likely to use the contact information on the card.What can I do to make my business card stand out?It may be tempting to print lots of information onto the tiny cards, but try to keep the graphics simple and legible. Finding a phone number buried in text is discouraging to potential customers and partners, and it detracts from one of the primary purposes of the cards: convenience.Remove non-essential information if you have to, or rearrange the layout to fit everything on cleanly. Whatever you do, do not reduce the font to make things fit. Any card that needs a magnifying glass to be read will certainly be thrown away.Most business card layouts have the business name and logo on the top (either centred or to the left) of the card and the contact information in the lower right. This is such a common format that simply reorganising the layout can catch someone’s eye. Just remember that while it’s great to play with the layout, keep the design consistent. Limit fonts, sizes and colours to give the cards a unified look.Consider different shapes and cut-outs to make your business cards stand out. If you work in the film industry, why not design it to look like a movie ticket? Be creative! Clever gimmicks like that will definitely make people stop and think about your business. And it may seem like a silly reason to hold on to a business card, but people are actually less likely to throw away a card they think is funny or visually interesting.What now?Now that you’ve got your cards designed, you need to get them printed. Even if you have access to a laser printer, you’re better off having them printed professionally. Professional printing looks polished and reflects a better image of your business. The business card is the first impression you give, and you don’t want to come off as the kind of company that cuts corners.