6 Business Card Printing Tips

Business cards serve a variety of purposes: They provide your contact information to a potential client or partner, and they serve as a marketing tool for your business. It’s important to carry your business cards everywhere with you, because you never know when a simple errand can turn into a networking opportunity. Chatting up the fellow next to you at the auto repair shop? He could be your next customer! And that’s why your business cards need to be memorable. Here are five tips for the next time you order a batch: Start with a template. Maybe you’re not the best graphic designer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create your own great-looking business card. Templates provide a good starting point and ensure your cards will be print-ready. Also, free templates are available to you! Include all your information. Think about what type of business you’re in and which contact information is the most important. If your company is a brick-and-mortar one, definitely include your address prominently. But if customers don’t come to your office, think about including your physical address on the back of the card and list your other contact information – phone number, e-mail, website – on the front. Do you have a blog, Twitter account or Facebook page? Consider adding those to your card. Do you have international clients? Consider ordering an extra set that includes your country code and phonetic name spelling. Go green. Business cards don’t need to be a waste of trees. You can choose top-quality, 100 percent recycled paper. Also, look for printers that use soy-based inks, which are environmentally friendly since they emit fewer volatile organic compounds than traditional, petroleum-based inks. Try a die cut to make them stand out. Some people collect a lot of business cards; they might have multiple Rolodexes of them. To make a potential client pause as he or she flips through all those cards, print them with rounded corners or a custom die cut. People respond to visuals, and a tangible business card in their hand that has a unique design will create a stronger memory. Order an extra set with no name on them. How many times have you started a new job only to be sent out into the field immediately? It’s happened to me, and I had to introduce myself to a slew of contacts with no business cards to hand out. When ordering new business cards for your staff, think about getting a set with no name but all the company’s information – they’ll be great for new employees to use until their personalized ones are printed. Free isn’t always best. You’ve probably seen advertisements offering free business cards – “You only pay shipping and handling!” But beware, because it might be too good to be true. A lot of these offers are advertising ploys for the printing company, as they might promote their own business on your cards. And what will the people you meet think of your company then?