One of the most creative areas of graphic design is the creation of business cards. Having such small space to make your potential customer or business partner interested can be considered an art and science.
It gives you just enough space to leave a good impression on the person you are talking to, and help the person be reminded of you when they need your services. This is why it is of utmost importance for your business card to be impeccable and reflect only the best sides of what you do.
How business cards came to be?
Business cards originate from visiting cards, also known as calling cards, which were also small paper cards that had the holder’s name on it with some artistic design. They started to be used in the 18th century Europe by aristocrats who would announce their arrival to one’s house by sending the visiting card to the servants of their hosts. They were used as a tool of etiquette that was governed by the convention that a person would not be allowed to enter someone’s home without being previously invited or introduced via the visiting card.
Nowadays, business cards are usually designed on rectangular 9×5 cm card stock (note that dimension standard differs according to country), but lately we see the emergence of all kinds of dimensions, with unusual shape and design.
Even though you cannot practically know to what solution the graphic designer will come, there are however, some guidelines you can ask them to follow when designing your business card.
Follow these tips:
Use logo as the basis
Let your company logo be the central, focal point of your business card, the largest element on it.
KISS, or Keep It Super Simple
Make sure not to hide the important details with unnecessary information. Let it breathe.
Contact information
Do not forget to include the essential contact information:
- your name
- company name
- your position at the company
- address
- phone number
- website address
If you happen to have social network profiles or pages relevant to your business, you can include them as well (following the KISS principle, of course).
Readability
Pay attention to the typeface you are using – it should be readable and (if possible) match your corporate brand’s typeface.
Coloring test
In the past, only two-colored cards have been used, but recently, with the development of printing techniques and aiming at leaving the best possible impression, we see the emergence of multi-colored business cards and the advent of ever-creative designs.
Make it neat
On such small space, it is important to use every millimeter in your advantage, but not overuse it! Do not overcrowd the card and make sure that it is neatly designed.
Do not economize
Your business card should reflect your business, so if you economize on color or design, you can only achieve the opposite effect, and instead of attracting potential customers, you can easily chase them away with cheap design.
Do not neglect traditional dimensions
Even though many people today like unusual size and shape, business cards still need to fit the traditional dimensions so that you do not risk of having your card being thrown away just because it cannot fit a business card holder.
Keep it current
Trends change, and so does every business. If you happen to change any information, do not forget to include the change in your business card as well.
Use both sides
Even though business cards are so small and there is not much space to go wild with the design, what many people forget is that they can use the space wisely put designing both sides of the card.
Use your logo
If you have a company logo – use it! If you do not, you can order it easily.
How to make the most of business cards:
- Always give out more than one
- Send them always in your business correspondence
- Carry them always with you and make sure they are neatly stacked and protected in a card case
Allow creativity
As it was previously said, business card design allows for an incredible amount of creativity, which rises this area of graphic design to the heights of art and science.
Take a look at the following creative solutions and do not hesitate to consult us about your preferred business card design.
Source: Niice
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