Wearing the right clothing can help you feel confident, but what about your business cards?
The right card can help seal a deal, impress a new client, or demonstrate competence. It will show that you care about how you present yourself and your organization to others. Your card should reflect the image that you want to project and the professionalism of your company.
Not sure where to start? Don’t worry. In this beauty and lifestyle blog post, we’ve put together a list of 8 tips for choosing great quality business cards. Whether starting a new venture or looking to refresh your current design, these tips will help you find the right cards to fit your business’ needs.
1. Does Your Design Stand Out?
Successful business cards need to stand out from the crowd, while still remaining simple enough to understand at a glance. Don’t clutter up the front with unnecessary text or images that are hard to read from a distance, like this:
In print, tiny little details can get lost and hard to read. A “view larger” button can be useful here! This means people will have to pick up the card in order to read it properly (which isn’t the best experience).
If you have a lot of text, use a proportional font that is easy to read at small sizes, like Helvetica or Arial. If you only have one line of text, try using two lines like this:
Don’t use all caps in your design. The way our brains process type makes upper-case letters harder to read. Use all caps only if you want to create a certain mood or feeling with the card.
2. Does it Feature an Eye-catching Picture?
Of course, it’s also important that your business cards feature an eye-catching image or color scheme. Images draw attention and can help your card stand out from the competition right away.
Most people don’t actually read business cards, they just scan them for information. This information is usually highlighted by a picture or graphic, so you need one to capture attention.
Both cards are simple and easy to read when scanned. The left card features a graphic which helps it stand out from the crowd.
3. Is Your Name Easy to Read?
If possible, make sure your name stands out on the card. It should be bigger than anything else on the card (including the company name). Make sure that it is easy to read from a distance and in print.
Sometimes you can include your business name as the main image.
Here’s another good example of a name that stands out:
The size and contrast of the name helps it catch the eye, and it is easy to read at a distance. Notice that it is also shown in bold text. This helps make the name stand out even more.
4. Is Your Card Simple?
Make sure your card doesn’t overwhelm people with too much information or clutter up with unnecessary graphics that are hard to read from a distance, like this:
This card has too much going on including graphics and type on top of the logo, which again makes it hard to read properly.
5. Does It Feel Professional?
A professional-looking card is one that doesn’t look too “tacky” (unprofessional). If your card feels cheap or the design is poorly executed, it will give the wrong impression to potential clients. Cheap looking cards can make people doubt how professional you really are and how expertly you’ll provide services to them.
This card has a great message but the color scheme feels cheap and unprofessional. The colors also clash with each other, which makes it feel unprofessional. This card features a lot of text that can be hard to read from a distance. Use text sparingly otherwise it will feel cluttered and difficult to read from afar.
6. Will It Last?
A business card should last for a long time. It should not be so thin that it starts to peel or crack after a few months. Most cards are printed on good quality t-shirt paper (14pt, sometimes 16pt) and laminated for extra protection. These cards are usually thick, sturdy, and splash-proof (but may not withstand water).
This card features a good design with a simple logo. The text is easy to read, but it isn’t too cluttered. The color scheme is bright and eye-catching, but doesn’t clash with the logo or look cheap.
7. Will it Look Great in Print?
When printed, your business card needs to look professional. Colors should be bright and clear and images should be sharp. For example, a photo of a person should not have any jagged or blurry edges. This is especially important if the photos are part of your logo. Your logo will represent your company for years to come, so make sure people see it just as you intended!
Your card doesn’t necessarily need to look exactly the same when you print it on different-colored paper, but there shouldn’t be any distracting differences that will keep people from recognizing it’s your card.
8. Is it Easy to Spot in a Pile of Cards?
The material your cards are made of also matters. You want a card that will stand out from afar and hold up well in stacks. Thick cards can easily be seen from a distance and don’t tend to get lost as easily as thin cards do. Try to make your cards thick enough that they stack on top of each other without causing damage (this is especially important for business cards with magnets that people can keep on their fridge).
This card has a highly visible design with bold text and bright colors. The color scheme doesn’t clash with the logo, so the card looks professional from a distance or when stacked together. The overall thickness of the card helps it stand out from other cards and stacks easily.
So, What Should You Include on Your Business Card?
The best business cards are simple yet professional. They can lay out the information you need to give people about your business, but they should also be designed in such a way that they are easy to read for anyone who sees them!