-Business Cards Guidelines-

Hi, Im planning to make a business card but I honestly dont know where to start, I know a couple of things like use a resolution of 300 dpi and in CMYK mode but I dont know for example what is the recommended font size and font type (I try some but looks terrible dont know why), I want to hear some tips or recommendations to make one, Im going to be very grateful for any help, thanks! :slight_smile:

just try to keep your font small, I’ve seen some UGLY buisness cards, most of them had crazyhuge fonts…

a big part of how you design it is your budget… stock, ink and color choices all effect the look and the price in a big way. What kind of budget are you on?

remember the almighty bleed area that normally should be 1/8". Crop marks is another term you should get acquainted with. And before designing go talk to your printer to see their prerequisites. Not all printers use the same equipment.

I want to design something similar to www.andreoni.com , those cards are cool but they requiere a lot of colors and stuff, but the budget is not a problem, its a card for a web design business, it has to impress, not the regular white cards everybody gives… what is a good font for this kind of job?

remember the almighty bleed area that normally should be 1/8". Crop marks is another term you should get acquainted with. And before designing go talk to your printer to see their prerequisites. Not all printers use the same equipment

Im not familiar with those terms, I´ll inform me more :slight_smile:

I would avoid those business cards like the plague. Especially for a design company. Something that conveys well and appealing will do a lot better. Grab you a print design book and read through. Save yourself a bunch of trouble on re-works.

U think exactly like my brother 3D :stuck_out_tongue: I guess Im going to make it clean and simple then…

I disagree with DDD. What about those flashy cards isn’t appealing? I bet the people handing them out get a lot of compliments and business because of them.

im with DDD. those cards look too much like the crap you get put on your car in parking lots. if people are like me they think its some junky ad and not a business card. you want it to be clean so the user can see exactly what they want (NAME, NUMBER, WEBSITE, ADDRESS) if they cant find those readily on the card they’re going to throw it out. the cards on that website are more along the lines of a broucheur than a business card.

I should re-phrase. If you run a magazine or a car dealership. Then those cards are probably right up your alley. But for a design company I think they do not convey well.

So those kind of cards do have a place in society…:lol:

argh, Im in a dilemma, I want to make something different, like andreoni´s, if someone give me a bcard like one of those I dont think it twice to say that businness must be good, but I dont know, Im kinda agree in what 3D said, they are too flashy for a design company…

you can download a template from their site so you meet the bleed and margin reqs.

your font is part of your design, there is no “right” font. Whatever suits the style you are trying to achieve. Just be sure it is legible and clear.

I still disagree with DDD. If anything I’ve always believed that graphic designers cards should be the flashiest of 'em all. Strut your stuff and show your skills. I’m never impressed by a couple of wavy lines or the simplicity of lime green text on a white background.

I guess I´ll decide by making two cards and posting a poll, the old fashioned way :P, I agree with CG but the people opinion is what it counts :wink:

I dont like it for a design company (or any COMPANY for that matter)… reasons being:

too hard to quickly locate information.

for a design co. it kind of solidifies your style right off the bat…someone may look at it and go “hmmm thats just not the look Id be going for, I’ll contact someone else”. Even though as a designer you can please any sense of style.

It doesnt look professional, it looks cheesy and like someone said it looks like a flyer.

something with a professional feel is usually simple, clean, offers quick/concise information, etc.

Sticking to the above ideas I think a designer can still strut his stuff - infact I think it is harder to design the above instead of those other ones - ie its easy to throw a buch of cool looking crap on a page. Metal textures + drop shadow + light reflection = cool card :-/

Peace

something with a professional feel is usually simple, clean, offers quick/concise information, etc.

agree

too hard to quickly locate information.

disagree, its a business card not the bible (but I´ve seen some very bad designs :sure: )

A b.card is an extension of your hand shake and will ofter precede meeting you. meaning there is alot at stake when designing a card. I believe in going against the grain. But there are reasons why most people do what they do. For a design company I would go clean and crisp. Those cards look more like flyers or promotional materials. But the choice is yours.

:lol:

DDD how do you shake hands? I like to grab on real tight and give a good couple of shakes. I also like to mix it up a bit with the following:

Option 1 a.k.a.“The Your arm looks so tasty I think I might bite it shake”:
Procedure: shake with one hand, place other hand on elbow squeezing
gently but firmly

Option 2 a.k.a “The Hand Sandwich” :
Procedure: shake with one hand, place other hand on top of their hand

:smiley:

lol…when I see those kind of business cards I think sleezy gigolo. They just seem so gaudy and purpose-less

Well first off… don’t try to design something that you’re not good at. If you can’t do it good, and you can’t do it right… DON’T DO IT.

Most ppl like the more simple business cards, empty space is MUCH more appealing than a big ol graphical card. Why is it more appealing? Because it has a focal point. Because there is less confusion, oh yea… it looks cool whoo hoo. Those business cards on that link are way to gaudy and have way to much info on them. Although I did like that airforce one, looked neato.

Your card is an extension of your personality.

1/8 - 1/4" bleed is applicable to everything that has to do w/ offset printing. What that means is if you have a 3 x 2 card or something you need to make a 3 1/8 x 2 1/8 card and then set your guides to 3 x 2. The reason for the bleed is so when your stuff is print and cut, it doesn’t leave a white line on the edges. Crop marks are the guides to which the printer will cut your graphic.

300dpi? BAH design in Illustrator