CARMINE MAGAZINE

Less Is More

24th February

2009

written by agentb

LESS IS MORE
Or: The Art of Designing Your Own Business Card

(Good example #1)
A business or calling card is an extension of yourself. This is the one bit of you that people have to remember you by. First impressions are important but a lasting impression will get you the business or attention that you desire. It’s a big responsibility, but worry not. The following tips will make designing your business card easier.

Size and Stock
While everyone wants their card to stand out, a card with an obscure size or shape is not the way to do it.

Half-cards, squares, and die-cuts are eye catching but not practical for a client/associate/fan to store. Half-cards can get lost in the shuffle. Squares and die-cuts rarely fit well into someone’s wallet or business card holder.
Stick to the standard sizes. The North American standard is 3 1/2 in x 2 in. In parts of Europe it is 85mm x 55mm
The touch and feel of your card is one of the first things people notice when you hand it to them. Thinner cards may be less expensive but a nice thick stock is almost always noted.

Copy and Layout
This is the most important element of creating an effective card. Your card should be both nice to look at and useful.

The first thing you want noticed is your name or the name of your company. This should be larger than everything else. You can use a more unique and intricate typestyle as long as it’s legible.
Only include methods of communication that you will respond to consistently. Consider who you’ll be giving your card to and what kind of info they will actually need.
Omit things like phone numbers and email addresses unless you actually want people to use them. Once you put something on your card, consider it public information.
Do include a tagline or small detail about you or your type of business. We don’t need an essay. You should be able to summarize things in a few words.
Include a website address. If you don’t have one, provide an email address. The internet has given us an endless audience and most of them find it easier to contact someone via the internet.
Unless they are specifically for your business, keep any MySpace, Facebook, or other personal networking profiles OFF your card.
No matter what kind of information you decide to include, be sure to keep them all together and in one place. Don’t send a person’s eyes to all corners of the cards searching for different bits of information.

(Bad example #1)

Font & Colors
The possibilities are endless when it comes to design. You can make it as detailed or minimal as you like. When making these decisions, keep the following points in mind.

Do not use more than two fonts. Most people choose a unique font for the main line of your card. This will be the first thing people look at when they receive your card.
For the details and contact information, choose a clean, easy to read font. Remember that this is the core information and therefore must be legible.
Dark backgrounds can be really unique and eye-catching as long as your typestyle is clear and easy to read. Script fonts are rarely a good choice when using darker backgrounds as they tend to be difficult to read.

Motifs/Clipart
If you want to add a motif for a little more style, remember to keep it small, subtle, and relevant. You might really like the look of a shell or guitar but if you’re an illustrator, it doesn’t make your card memorable.

(Good example #2)
Resources
Once you’ve decided what to include in your card, it’s time to find a place to have them made. There are a huge variety of sites and shops that offer quick and affordable business card printing.

My personal favorite is Moo (www.moo.com). They offer two-sided printing, which can be incredibly useful for artists as we can’t all carry our portfolio in our back pockets. You are able to upload images for the front or back or both. If you don’t need that much control over it, they offer pre-designed templates and images. The card stock is of good quality and your order comes in handy containers in case you don’t have your own holders. Give yourself a bit of time if you decide to order. The company is based in London and getting your cards if you’re in the States can take up to 2 weeks.
Vista Print (www.vistaprint.com) also offers several options for printing at a reasonable price. Their Premium Business Cards allow you to upload your own image or use one of their pre-designed templates. They also offer printing on the back of the card for an additional fee. Free cards are also available on their pre-designed templates. Note that if you order the free cards, their website info will be printed on the back of the card. The cardstock used for both types of cards is thinner than most but they ship quickly.
[Ed.'s Note: We've been alerted to the fact that some people have had shifty charges put on their credit cards after dealing with Vista Print. I've ordered from them and not had this problem, but if you are considering going through them check out this link first. If you're turned off by Vista Print, another highly recommended site to check out is Overnight Prints.]
Posh Betty (http://www.poshbetty.com/pbBizCards.php) is a choice to consider for unique pre-made layouts that look like you spent a hundred years designing. They’re a bit pricier than the two listed above but they use heavy stock and the digital printing is of high quality. Their templates have a fun and retro look to them – just make sure it’s relevant to you and your artistic style if you decide to order.
Last but certainly not least, your local paperie or stationery shop. They are still out there, I promise. They do this for a living and they can help you put together something truly unique for not much more money than any website can. If graphic design and layouts are not your forte, the personal help they can offer may be worth your time and money.

(Bad example #2)

Agent B of serpenthes.com is a typesetting zombie, font fiend, and stationery pusher extraordinaire. She has designed business cards for artists, authors, editors, musicians, dandies, doctors, lawyers, and other persons of ill repute.

Tags: Business Cards

Articles

10 Comments

sweetcheese

24/02/2009

Thanks for the great tips!
Jody Pham

25/02/2009

Fabulous article. I love the examples. <3
Hubbers

25/02/2009

Please don’t use Vistaprint or recommend it to your readers.

Using Vistaprint could very likely lead to you being signed up to FAKE discount clubs and hundreds of dollars benig taken from you Visa/bank without your knowledge or permission.

I have a huge blog post with all the details of all of the different scamming sites Vistaprint and Adaptive Affinity run and how best to get a refund.

http://www.hubbers.com/index.php/i-got-scammed-by-vistaprint-and-adaptive-marketing-and-adaptive-affinity-ltd-and-amazon/

If you don’t believe me check this blog and the scores of comments form people who have been ripped off!
http://www.thegeneva.com/vistaprint-scamvprewards-scam-warning/

You can also sign this petition!
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?stop1111&1
Davel

25/02/2009

Great article! I’m definitely going to get a card made up soon!
emily j. hibsman

25/02/2009

fantastic article! i’ve been meaning to get a new cards printed ever since my old domain name was stolen. thanks!
the serpent sapient » my card, madam

02/03/2009

[...] Read it here: LESS IS MORE or: The Art of Designing Your Own Business Card [...]
Agent B

02/03/2009

I’m glad it’s been of use.
I also want to note that MOO cards – being printed in London – are the European standard size, not the American.
Strip News Business Edition — ArtPatient.com

03/03/2009

[...] we can accomplish it with a little elbow grease.) It could also be time to redesign (or create) your business cards, [...]
Business Cards Printing

03/04/2009

I like your the Motifs/Clipart design. It so depicts what the card holder does! I enjoyed this site! And yes, less is more!
invenus

09/04/2009

i don’t really think the good examples are that good. The Black Rabbit one looks as if the text has been distorted in some way, the leading leaves the relationship between different lines of text unknown, and the kerning look as if it hasn’t been altered at all which generates a sloppy and undesirable look. There’s also the matter of all the blank spaces creating dead zones on the card: for example, in the space after “A” in “Black” and between the two words in “Graphic Design”; there’s just a huge gutter there. And I don’t know what it is, but the website address in all caps is hard to look at, too, like I have to try to read it as opposed to just reading it. It’s so narrow it could be sad to resemble a barcode.

I like the Kat Buelle one more, but again, the leading and kerning look unprofessional, and I feel that the design could be more evenly balanced, though I’m not sure how.

I am by no means a graphic design guru, but even with the little training I have, I can recognize some problems in the designs and layouts of these cards.

Hope this doesn’t come across as harsh.