28 May How To Design a Business Card That Rocks – 5 Rules You Need To Follow
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How To Design a Business Card That Rocks – 5 Rules You Need To Follow
Your business card says a lot about you. It provides an immediate first impression and is a detail that many recall when reminded of your business.
Therefore, its design should convey everything you want to say about you and your brand. There’s a lot of planning to do before you actually sit down to design your business card, and many don’t know the importance of this step. Which is why we want to guide you through every little step involved in creating a business card that rocks.
There are 5 main rules you need to follow to ensure that your card is perfect, and we will be covering those right now. Grab a pen and paper and take note, because these 5 rules to designing a business card will set you up for success!
the five rules for success
#1 The right measurement
This step may seem pretty obvious to some, but it’s actually one of the most nightmarish when designing your business card. There is nothing more annoying than going to print your design and finding out that your design is missing a part because it did not fit within the printing guidelines.
If you follow our advice here, you will save lots of money and your precious time too! This is what you should keep in mind before printing your business card:
- Never work below 300dpi – this is the best image reproduction
- Don’t use typography below 12px as it will make it hard to read
- Keep in mind that you need to have a breathable margin of at least 5mm from the trim edge
- Design in CMYK, since you will be printing your card
If you are unsure of the size that your business card should be, there are a few “standard” sizes that you can choose from. These will vary depending on where you live because some countries use bigger or smaller wallets than others. For example, in Europe, wallets tend to be bigger because their paper currency is much larger than US dollars.
One of these standard sizes is 55x88mm but search the web a little more to find out which size best suits your country’s needs.
Another tip is to use a grid system to lay out your cards. This will help you with alignment, and it will be very helpful once you print them. Same concept applies to bleeds. Always check with your printer first, but every design must have breathable space from the margin. Otherwise, you risk your design being cut off. Some common bleed dimensions are 3mm and 5mm.
Our final tip on the right measurement for your business card is to avoid using borders around the entire edge of the card, as these will likely be messed up during the cutting process.
#2 Keep the target audience in mind
We know that at some point, you probably had a cute little logo that your daughter made in mind for your brand. Or that you were absolutely set on those gold and pink colors that say absolutely nothing about your business. We’ve all been there.
Worse, we’ve all even done that at some point. And the results were not what we were expecting. Do you know why? Because you designed something without having your customer in mind. Your target audience dictates most of the communicational strategies of your brand, and you should design your pieces with your audience in mind.
When you design with your target audience in mind, you are proactively sending the right message, and it’s one that your customers get. This is the ultimate goal for any brand. If you truly know your customers, if you know their needs, their fears, their desires and what they expect from you, you are well on your way.
If you are otherwise unsure about who your real customers are, you can try to take a look at your competitors and see what they are doing, how they’re transmitting their information to their customers. Think about the qualities of your competitors’ cards. Think about their brands and try to discern if their personal image, as well as their services, come across well on their cards.
This might give you some insight if you feel truly lost. However, remember that copying others is not an option. It’s wrong, and it will ultimately hurt your brand too.
“Prime your business for success with stunning new business cards.”
#3 Originality
What do you normally think of when you picture a business card? Yes, the rectangular white-paper card that is serious-looking and kind of boring too, right? That doesn’t have to be the case for your business card at all, though. Depending on the industry that you work in, you could try to go against the flow and actually come up with a revolutionary idea for your card.
Imagine a business card that is unique and original; how would it look? Perhaps it would have a round shape or an odd one. It could have bold colors, or you could even use a recycling paper. There are millions of options, but it will all ultimately come down to your particular area of business and your imagination. Play with the colors, shapes and functionality.
If you can come up with a business card that communicates your brand effectively and is useful to your clients, you will have hit the jackpot, my friend. However, before you start designing your business card, we recommend that you are dead set on your brand logo, as well as your typography and color palette. Basically, you should already have everything that constitutes your brand identity predefined before trying to design your business card.
If you skip these steps, your card will look nothing like your brand, and it will not convey the message that you need it to. All your communicational pieces should be cohesive with each other.
#4 The right info
Resist the temptation to overfill your card with text and details – just fight it! We know that a business card is usually very small and that you’re concerned that it may not say all that you want it to say about your brand and the services you provide. But it’s really not necessary to do this.
Here’s the information that you should focus on:
- Your company name and/or your name
- Service you provide or job title
- Contact information – phone number, address, email, social media channels (no more than 2)
The data you include here will depend on your business and service. But at the end of the day, your business card should look more or less like that.
Once you are done, including all the important contact information, make sure there are no mistakes. You definitely do not want people calling the wrong number or emailing the wrong person, right?
#5 The printer – your new best friend
You have followed all our tips so far, and you have come up with a wonderful business card that truly represents your brand. You are proud of what you have accomplished, and now you want to print your design.
Here’s our final advice – do not home print your business cards. We are aware that this could be a temptation, especially if you have a nice printer at home. However, you want to produce cards of the highest quality, right? After all, it will be the lasting impression you leave to your clients once you part from them.
You have put everything you had to give in to this design. It now looks professional and neat, and it will help you establish long-lasting relationships with your clients. So, make sure you don’t ruin it all on the final step. Make sure you turn to a professional printer to perform this last task for you. Use good card stock, as this will also help with the durability of your cards.
Conclusion
Your business card is a personal representation of you and your company. When you design it, you need to keep your target audience in mind, as well as the spirit and values of the brand. Your design should properly communicate what you stand for, as well as the services you provide. Your design should also help you to distinguish yourself from the competition in a way that is memorable.
The information you include in your card is also one of the crucial steps of designing your business card. You need to guarantee that people will be able to reach you and that they will have all the necessary information about you and your business.
If you prefer to have a professional business card designed for you, the team at edirect would be more than happy to make it happen. Always keep in mind that your business card is your tangible reflection. You want to give it your best so that you look your best too!
