Do you know where your business card is right now? Here’s a hint: it probably isn’t with the person you gave it to. Nearly 90% of business cards don’t survive more than a week before the recipient tosses them into the trash. But what about that other 10% of business cards—and more important, how do you make sure your card is in that category?

The other 10% of business cards are the successful designs. These are the cards that are so beautiful, clever, or creative that the recipient can’t possibly fathom throwing them away. And with help from Company Folders’ design services, you can make sure your business card is one of them.

Whether you simply want to make an existing design better or go wild creating something totally new, the great image below has all the tools you’ll need to create a business card that truly represents your brand. It will teach you valuable skills like:

• How to streamline your contact information
• How to improve your card with cool shapes or materials
• How to incorporate custom images into your design
• How NOT to drive your printer crazy

Check out great examples of these concepts in action, plus four more ways to improve your design when you read these 8 tips to make your best business card.

The 8 tips – in infographic

 

Recap: Eight steps to design the perfect business card

1. Choose contact info: Add the neccessary details on cardfront, such as name, title, company name, address, office/mobile phone, email address, and – don’t forget – your logo. On the back of the card, you can also add specialty info like QR code, social media accounts and map.
2. Include supporting images: Images catch your audience’s eyes. Consider to use the whole side of your business card for displaying the image. You can include photo, call-to-action or illustration – your choice.
3. Select card materials: While cardstock is the most common material, you can explore other materials, such as recycled paper, textured materials, metal, even edible snacks. The key is to choose the material that represent your business’ personality and line of business.
4. Select card shape: Standard-shaped business card is always acceptable, but if you want to explore other shapes, such as custom die-cut or 3D, you might grab your audience’s attention more effectively.
5. Select an imprint method: PMS colors are most popular, but you might want to explore other methods, such as CMYK, foil stamping or embossing/debossing
6. Choose color and typography: Classic typography still works, but you might want to consider fancier alternatives. Again, your choices should reflect your brand image, as well as your audience’ preferences.
7. Design layout: Aim for clean and professional look. Cramping too many items in such a small space can backfire.
8. Format finalization: Note the bleed of the printing – ideally 3 mm; don’t forget to proofread, and always aim for 300ppi print resolution.