A person worth knowing always carries business cards with him or her. That’s how you put value not just on the card itself, but also on everything it embodies—your profession, company, brand, etc.
Last week, I was given my own business card. If I am not mistaken, eight employees (including me) were given his or her own set of calling card. Then, I heard one of my co-workers asks, “How do you hand a card to another person?”
Come to think of it, how do you give and receive a business card? What should you do after giving one? What should you say after having received a card from someone else? How do you actually present the card?
Let’s explore the answers.
A business card is a staple of networking and thus, business success. What entrepreneurs and careerist do not understand is it only takes one wrong move to jeopardize one’s professional image. You only had one shot to make a good first impression, right?
Sadly, though, we see lots of well-dressed people who speak eloquently, highly confident but still leave a bad impression due to poor etiquette. This includes a lack of understanding of how to present a business card properly.
First things first—always bring copies of your calling card with you, in a box, holder or any container that can protect the cards from wear and tear. You’ll never know when to give one.
There is nothing more unprofessional than having to say to the person who asks for it, “Oh sorry, I forgot to bring my card…” or, “Sorry, I just handed out the last copy of my card…” This leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Not to mention, a lost opportunity for you. So, make sure you always have them with you.
White at it, make sure you invest in quality business cards. This is an extension of your profession and the company you represent. It is only wise to present a business card with a well-thought-out layout, color scheme, and standard fonts.
Have as many calling card samples as you can have before printing the final one. Print new copies whenever necessary or when the needs arise (i.e. when you changed your contact info or if new information is available).
Your business card is not something you hand to every people you meet on an event. Don’t think that just because you handed out 100 business cards during an event you will receive 100 calls in a few days. Nope.
Although the goal of networking is to connect with as many people as possible, you still need to identify qualified leads, referral sources or future employers. Simply put, you need to be selective of who you are going to exchange calling cards with.
This does not mean that you should only talk and meet people who you think need or will need your products or services in the future. That’s absurd especially during a networking event.
Don’t be too aggressive about the whole process. Wait to be asked for your card. If an individual is interested in connecting with you beyond the event, he or she will ask about ways to contact you. This is the right time to give him or her your business card.
Hand your business card with discretion. Don’t give up to a dozen calling cards. This sends the message that your business card is not worth much as if you are telling the person to give them to others for you.
When receiving and giving a business card, use your right hand—the hand of discretion—or both hands. Receive the calling card the way it was presented to you. If the individual is using both hands, receive it with your both hands.
There may be a slight difference when doing business internationally. In some countries, handing over a card using the left hand is considered a grave insult. So make sure you understand the rules or practices of business card exchange first before meeting up people in another region or country.
Don’t ever give a business card with your fingers covering the details. Hold at the top corners of the card with the card facing the recipient so that he or she can read it. Look the person in the eye and smile.
You may give specific instruction on when is the best time to contact you and how (i.e. phone call, email, or chat, ) assuming that all numbers and email addresses listed on the card are up-to-date. However, do so politely, without being intrusive or tactless.
Ask for the person’s contact information as well. More likely, you will receive one’s own business card. Reciprocity generally follows. In case he or she forgot about calling you, you may simply do a follow-up as per your conversation. Just make sure that you are reminding the person of what you have talked about during the event.
One proactive way of dealing with this is through writing a note at the back of the card that is if that is the general practice in that area. You may write a note on your card before handing it over as well but ask for the permission of the person first. If he or she says no, then don’t scribble anything on it.
Some may say that asking if you may write something in the card is also an indiscreet practice. If you are in this situation, it would be wise to keep an organizer where you can write notes.
Observe how the person treats your or other business cards given to him or her. If he or she is writing directly on it, you may ask if you can do the same on his or her business card. Don’t assume that other people will welcome the idea, however.
If you are writing notes to yourself, the business card is not the appropriate venue to do so. You may only write on the card if what you will write is seemingly relevant. For instance, if the person asks you to send a copy of an e-book, you may simply put “Send e-book” on the back of the card.
Further along, make sure that your business card is not crumpled or dirty in any way. This makes for a really bad impression. Cards should be professional-looking. The same applies to giving a card where you crossed off an old contact info and written the new one.
Also, be wary of where you put the box at all times. Otherwise, you will need to rummage through your things just to find it and lose credibility instantly. Don’t place it on your wallet too. Not only it will get creased, but is unsightly to pull out one from your wallet every time a person asks for it.
When you receive a card, make a comment about it. Always. Focus on the positives, though, like the logo, business name, and other such elements you will see on the card. You may also clarify information detailed on the card. What you will say places value on the card.
If you have to put it away, do it gently. Put it inside a card holder or organizer, and not in your wallet or the back pocket of your handbag. Don’t chuck it on the table or your bag. Place the information in a database. Another etiquette faux pas is the need to ask for the business card of that particular person again.
Don’t stash the business cards you have collected at the back of your notebook, not in front of the person most especially. Put them somewhere you can easily access when you need the product or service later.
That’s the standard practice. Why collect a business card if you do not intend to make a follow-up? Isn’t it a waste of time and effort on both ends? The premise is that you need to capitalize on the first meeting and conversation.
After entering the details into a database, you can make a quick call, send an email or send a card. You may:
Even if you have the person’s calling card, he or she is not yet a part of your network unless you connect with him or her one time or another.
Other things to consider:
You may always dress with finesse and offer a remarkable handshake. However, without knowing the basic rules of giving and receiving a business card, all your efforts will be futile. Remember, one wrong move and your business success is doomed.
By
Share
Pin
12K
Shares
Of the 27,397,260 business cards printed every day, 88% will be thrown out in less than a week. But that doesn’t happen because business cards are ineffective as a marketing medium. In fact, it only takes 2,000 business cards to increase a company’s sales by nearly 3%. That’s a shockingly high return for just one marketing resource. So why do so many cards end up in the garbage?
The fact is, a lot of business cards have crummy designs. No one wants to hold on to something that looks and feels cheap—at least, not for very long. And that means the person whose name is on that card isn’t getting their money’s worth.
But as a designer, you have the power to create an exceptionally unique business card that recipients will hold onto for months (or even years!) Of course, most cards look so much alike, it’s easy to get stuck in a creative rut. You’ll need to break out of the box, which is why we’ve made this step-by-step guide to help you design the perfect business card.
Download this super helpful graphic so you can keep this quick and easy reference nearby while you work. You can also work with a professional graphic designer to create the ultimate business card when you use our business card design services.
It’s best to start with a little research so you know what to put on the business card. Talk to your client about their goals and fill out a creative brief. Then, collect templates or real business cards to use for inspiration—you’ll find plenty of online design galleries, like Behance—and examine each one. Which concepts might help you meet your design goals? Which ones won’t?
Before you adopt an idea that you like, think about the rules of design that made it work. A black background looks sophisticated for a lawyer, but for a baker, black is more likely to remind patrons of overcooked pastries. Any idea that won’t meet your client’s needs isn’t worth putting on their business card.
Once you have a basic concept, set it aside. You need to finalize the card’s message first—starting with contact info. Choosing the right information can be a real challenge because people connect in so many ways. The secret is to learn how your target audience likes to communicate and connect on their level.
It’s sad to think that some people actually use business cards with no name anywhere. No-name cards are pretty much useless because prospects want to connect with an actual person, not some anonymous “contact.” A name and job title let people know who your client is and what they do.
You can even spice titles up to make them more unique, so long as you avoid industry jargon and clichés—while you’re at it, go ahead and remove “ninja,” “guru,” and “rock star” from your vocabulary. Something simple like “Lawn Artist” in place of “Landscaper” can do the trick.
Prospects need to trust not only the cardholder, but the brand the cardholder represents. That’s simple enough if your client is self-employed. When your client works for a company, you can help establish brand trust by emphasizing the business’s name and logo.
Phone numbers are extremely important. Believe it or not, some people still prefer talking on the phone because it’s more personal than a website and less likely to be misinterpreted than an email.
If you’re dealing with multiple numbers, be sure to label which number is which. You’ll also probably want to avoid including any personal, non-business numbers (unless the client’s friends and family are the target audience).
Most people pair email and web addresses together. That way, prospects can either contact your client directly or explore their website on their own.
As with phone numbers, only use your client’s professional email address, not a personal address that they only use with friends and family, so the card doesn’t come across as too casual.
You may want to link to a blog, video, or about page that “introduces” prospects to your client. Just make sure the URL isn’t too complicated. You can use a custom URL shortener like Bitly to make the address easy to read and remember.
It’s a good rule of thumb to only promote the social media presence that’s most relevant to your client’s brand. Choosing which social profile to include is a complicated process, so be sure to consider the nature of your client’s business. If they’re a no-nonsense stockbroker, Instagram probably isn’t the best choice.
You’ll also want to avoid these common mistakes when including social media in print designs.
QR codes occupy a lot of space, but they’re still the most efficient way to link printed and online materials together. They’re visually cleaner than URLs, making them the perfect combination of professional and casual. You can link them to a client’s website, or you can use them in other creative ways. For example, audible nametags (ANTs) let prospects scan the QR code and learn how to pronounce your client’s name.
Would you wear a parka in the Bahamas? Of course not. It’s unnecessary and bulky—just like a physical address on a card for someone who only works online. When your client has a strong web presence, you can skip the address to save space. Only include it when your client relies on in-store visitors.
Suppose your client does need an address after all. Instead of worrying about how much space it’s occupying, why not go all out and put a map on the back of the card? This is simple enough to do with Google Maps, so long as you include a copyright attribution. You can also create a map from scratch in Illustrator, which is useful for controlling the amount of detail it includes.
How to Make a Map on a Business Card
Contact info is the main part of a business card’s message, but a card that only informs people how to contact you isn’t very compelling. Your next step is telling the audience why they should contact your client. That usually means a tagline or a call to action.
Taglines are an easy way to instantly inform people about who your client is and what they do, like a clarifier. For instance, the owners of a bakery with a generic name like Sarah’s might use a tagline like “The Friendliest Bakery in Town” to set themselves apart.
A call to action, on the other hand, is a command. It gives prospects a clear next step, like “Call and get a free quote!” or “Visit our website!” Your call to action might even be in the form of a promotional offer, allowing customers to take the card to your client’s store and redeem it for discounts or free samples (with your client’s permission, of course). Only include one call to action, though; consumers respond best when they’re given just one thing to do.
Adding photos to a business card lets you express certain things that words can’t. For instance, you might use a photographic background to showcase examples of your client’s work or a portrait to remind prospects who the cardholder is.
Portraits are especially effective because they let people match your client’s name to the person they met earlier, making it an easy way to refresh their memory when they come across the card later. Just make sure the photo is appropriate. Quirky is cute; duck-faced selfies aren’t.
If your client doesn’t like the idea of putting their own photo on a business card, you can still create a unique visual effect with an illustration. Maybe that’s a cartoon caricature of your client (ask first) or a realistic sketch of their product. The sky’s the limit, and a good illustration is guaranteed to stand out.
You’ve heard the saying, “The medium is the message.” How you present your client’s information is every bit as important as the information itself. To stand out, you may want to opt for something more unconventional than cheap, flimsy paper. Just make sure the material you select is actually related to your client’s company before you start designing beef jerky business cards (yes, that’s a thing).
One potential drawback with unconventional materials is that you lose a lot of practicality and professionalism, while classic paper is more comforting and expected. If your client wants to stick with a traditional paper card, suggest that they invest in sturdy paper—between 14-point and 24-point—so their card won’t look cheap or tear easily.
Recycled paper is a great way to reinforce an eco-friendly client’s message. But even if they’re not “green,” this option is still worth mentioning. People throw out more than 9 billion business cards every year, and printing on recycled paper helps reduce this waste. It won’t just help your client’s image; it’ll help the planet.
Paper can be textured through embossing or a unique stock, but imagine how surprised someone would be to receive a business card made out of quilted leather, wood, or even sandpaper. It sounds weird, but texture creates a whole new experience. Engaging more than one sense makes the card—and its owner—easier to remember.
Metal is durable and attention-grabbing, but it’s also expensive. You can offset the cost by designing a card people can use for years. A miniature tool, kitchen utensil, or magnet are all practical items that are easy to emblazon with your client’s contact info—and dual-purpose cards are much more likely to survive than paper ones.
Why not thrive on the idea that the card is destined to disappear? Let the customer eat it instead of simply throwing it away. Edible cards may not have a long lifespan, but they’re certainly hard to forget.
Treats like chocolate and beef jerky seem to work especially well; they’ll keep for a while and are popular snacks. For foods that aren’t print-friendly, you may want to attach a business card to a sample package instead. Or, print the business card on a candy wrapper and seal a tasty treat inside.
No matter where you go in the world, business cards are almost always rectangular. The standard size in the U.S. is a 3.5x2 inch horizontal rectangle. But why stay stuck in a rut? Ditch old standards for something fresh and creative.
A die-cut card can take any shape your client wants—whether that’s a circle, a giraffe, a car’s head gasket, or something else entirely. Die-cutting also lets you put holes in the middle of a card to create an interactive or stencil design.
3D designs go a step further. At this point, you’re not really designing a card anymore—you’re creating a small object (say, a miniature wrench or a tiny toilet plunger) with your client’s contact info on it. And that’s awesome, because it will stand out no matter where your client goes, with very little chance it will end up in the trash.
Of course, shaped business cards come with their own set of problems. Bulky or unusual shapes are inconvenient—it’s not like they’ll fit in a pocket or wallet. Think about whether the benefits are worth the risk before you start creating random shapes.
Here’s a tip: to add a little shape without being too wacky, round the card’s corners. On top of giving the card an interesting look, this will help to prevent dog-earing and natural wear-and-tear.
To a large extent, the type of material you choose will dictate your imprint options; you wouldn’t want to print non-edible ink on a piece of beef jerky, obviously. Unusual mediums like meat and metal can typically only be imprinted in a single way, but printing on paper opens you up to several different options, ranging from colorful ink to shiny, metallic foil.
PMS stands for the Pantone Matching System, which is based on over a thousand standardized ink colors. PMS inks are pre-mixed to match those color values, making this an excellent choice when you need to match an existing logo or color scheme as closely as possible. PMS also gives you the option of using colors that CMYK can’t handle as well (like orange and navy blue), along with specialty inks (like neon and metallic).
Four-color process is also known as CMYK because each ink color is formed from a combination of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (also known as “key”). That gives you access to a full spectrum of color instead of just specific hues. If you want your business card to incorporate full-color photography or a design that contains four or more colors, this is your best option.
With this method, your card is stamped with sleek, smooth foil in your choice of color. Both metallic and non-metallic foils are available, so you don’t necessarily need to use shiny gold or silver; you might go with a smooth matte red, instead.
Your design is physically raised (embossed) or recessed (debossed) into the business card’s stock. This technique is often used in combination with other methods; for example, an embossed foil effect suggests elegance and class. Be careful when embossing text; if the words are too small or if you don’t use ink or foil to accentuate them, they won’t be readable.
A coating is a film or sealant that enhances your card’s durability and appearance. Coatings are often called “finishes” because they’re applied after the project is printed. But since they can have a huge effect on the look and feel of the final design, it’s never a bad idea to plan ahead.
If you’re using an imprint method with an element of texture (such as embossing or foil stamping), you’ll probably want to avoid using any coatings so you won’t diminish that effect.
Aqueous coatings are water-based and eco-friendly, offering basic protection against scuffs and fingerprints. Depending on what printer you work with, you might have several types of aqueous coatings to choose from. Different coatings provide different levels of shininess, ranging from high reflectivity (gloss) to no shine at all (matte).
This option is usually a bit more expensive, but it grants your card heavy-duty protection against spills, rips, and other damage. Laminated cards last longer, so your client should be able to get more use out of them.
Ultraviolet (UV) coating won’t do much to improve your business card’s durability, but it will add a great deal of reflectivity—even more than aqueous gloss. UV coating also helps bring out the colors in a design; bright business cards will really pop with this technique.
You don’t necessarily need to coat the entire card, or even use just one type of coating. Spot coatings let you apply a finish to a specific area of the business card. This is especially popular with UV coating, which you can use to draw attention to the text or logo on a card by making it extra shiny.
Color is extremely important to your design, especially considering that people keep colorful business cards ten times longer than standard black-and-white ones. The best colors for business cards are black backgrounds or pops of red because they stand out the most. That said, the colors that grab the most attention won’t always match your client’s needs.
If your client already has a corporate color scheme that they use for their other branded materials, more power to you. If not, you’ll need to design a whole new palette to suit your client. Stop at two or three colors, though—anything more is too distracting.
Make sure the colors you choose match the goals you discussed with your client at the beginning of the project. Don’t just pick colors that you think look nice. This business card is an extension of your client’s personality—not yours.
Finding the right combination of typefaces can be a challenge. It’s usually best to limit yourself to two or three fonts—like colors, too many fonts can be distracting. Consider pairing a neat, easy-to-read serif or sans serif with a decorative font. That way, you’re adding personality to your client’s name, but the contact info stays readable.
You can also create hierarchy with type size, with the most important elements—like your client’s name and website—being larger. Your ideal font size will depend on the card’s layout and the amount of text you include, but always use at least an 8-point font so people can read the card easily. Here are the best fonts for print design.
Now you have all of the elements you need for your business card design. So how on earth do you put them together? You want a layout that’s easy to read, but you also have to make a lot of information fit a small space.
Start by creating hierarchy with size. The more important an item, the bigger it should be. Items of equal importance should be similar sizes and placed physically near each other. Make your focal point—usually the name or logo—the largest element, occupying at least ¼ of the design.
As you establish hierarchy, you’ll start to see whether or not your design is too cluttered. White space is a good measuring tool for this; each element should have an area that is all its own. If your design doesn’t have any white space, you probably need to cull something out—or at the very least, use the back of the card.
Some people say the back of the card should stay blank so prospects can write notes on it. But no one is going to write on the back of the card if the front is too crowded to read. Moving contact info to the back is especially wise if you have a cool photo, illustration, or logo you want to showcase on the front.
Let’s say you’ve tried creating hierarchy, using white space, and moving info to the back, and your design is still squished together like sardines in a can. You may need a fresh perspective, such as a vertical layout instead of horizontal. The new point of view may spark your creativity.
Or, do a radical overhaul. Pick the five most vital items. Then, cut everything else. Yep, everything. You’ll be amazed how much neater the design will look. (Your client may need some time to accept this idea, but most will like the new, cleaner design.)
Contrary to popular belief, a successful print run isn’t just the printer’s responsibility. As a designer, you have the power to make the process much smoother. Communicate with the printer and prepare the business card artwork for optimal printing—especially when designing for yourself or for inexperienced clients.
Small inconsistencies can occur when products are die cut after they’ve been printed. It’s not noticeable in most cases, but it sticks out like a sore thumb on a small product, where one wrong cut can ruin a whole design. Protect your design by including at least a 3mm bleed area. To be doubly safe, make sure all elements are inside a “safe area”—usually 5mm from the edge of the card—and avoid the use of borders, which are likely to be lopped off unevenly.
For the best print results, create optimal design conditions. Check that you’re using CMYK or PMS colors—not RGB. Then, make sure your resolution is set to a minimum of 300ppi. (Any lower, and you’ll end up with a fuzzy business card.)
Last but not least, save your design. We suggest saving as a PDF, unless your printer says otherwise. PDFs are easier to access and usually clearer than a JPG or PNG.
If you ignore everything else we say, at least hear this: proofread your design. One typo can render a business card entirely useless—meaning you and your client just wasted a lot of time and money. Always, always review your typography, formatting, and artwork.
If your client finds someplace that offers “free printing,” be wary. It sounds too good to be true—because it is. The print job may be free, but the back of the card will become a mini-billboard for the printer’s ads. Promoting another company on their own business card makes your client look cheap and unprofessional.
If they want to save money, suggest that they order more cards. Most of a printer’s costs come from set-up expenses, so the more cards your client orders at once, the lower the cost per card.
Click the image below to view it full-size.
Design is all in the details…but it can be pretty hard to remember those details when you’ve seen so many of them. We’ve created this free downloadable resource for you to keep at your side while you’re working on your amazing new business card.
This work by Company Folders, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
One of the best parts of your job as a designer is that you can rock people’s expectations. Instead of the same old boring designs, you can create a totally unconventional business card that people will want to hold onto for years. That sort of card isn’t just an investment in the business it represents. It isn’t just an extension of the cardholder’s personality. A truly phenomenal business card is one that starts a conversation—and keeps it going. Check out our business card printing services and get started today.
Have questions about how to design a business card? Have design tips or an example of an exceptional business card? Share it all in the comments!
Previous: How to draw pictures for childrens books?
Next: The Best Places to Buy Sticker Printing Online and In-Store
Comments
Please Join Us to post.
0