First impressions are the ones that last. That’s not just some saying your parents use or a little thing we tell ourselves to justify buying new shoes… it’s backed by science.
Studies suggest that first impressions are made in less than a second. In that time, people form some pretty striking assumptions about your trustworthiness, influence, and much more.
In many settings, a business card is the first introduction to your branding. By the time your friend from the networking event looks up your website, the business card you handed them already locked in their impression. Your business card is integral to your overall appeal, no less important than your website or storefront.
All this is well and good, but how can designers get the most out of this phenomena? By making striking, standout cards as part of the overall experience of meeting someone.
Close your eyes and imagine a business card. Chances are you imagined a pretty standard business card — flat typeface, white or cream color, monogram logo. A real Patrick Bateman style card.
Now, visualize the last time you were really wowed by a business card. Did that card look like the one you imagined before?
The reality is that there’s a substantial gap between the business cards we imagine and the ones that make an impression. Maybe that memorable card had especially vibrant graphics or subtle texturing, maybe it had a die cut logo or raised typeface.
That card likely didn’t come from an online template or a big chain store print shop. The card you remember was probably made with special care. The cards we remember are part of an overall experience (or actually create that experience themselves).
So, here’s our ultimate guide to designing a custom card that stands out.
Creating an engaging business card is about knowing where and when you can break boundaries. One of the founding principles of design is that you should understand the rules before you throw them out the window.
That said, there are certain rules about business card design that aren’t meant to be bent or broken. You will want to use a font that’s legible on the card, appropriately position all design and text… things like that. Here are some key commandments:
Font size will depend on a number of factors: typeface, color choices, paper finish and texture, et cetera. Always make sure that your important information — name, contact info, company name — is clear and legible on the screen before you go to print.
Ask a friend or colleague for a second opinion, you may be missing something big.
Misunderstanding the capabilities of your chosen paper and ink media can lead to big mistakes that even accomplished graphic designers make. When converted from digital to print, serifs on letters in small font sizes can obscure, connect, or blend letters together. Alternately, minimalist sans-serif fonts are popular for their lightweight look, but they may all but disappear when printed too small on a dark background. When in doubt, go a little bigger to ensure legibility.
Each element that makes up a business card design can be used to create innovative effects. Many designers get caught up on what’s on their laptop screen, forgetting the creative license they can take with the cards themselves. Great card design uses the whole card to create impact.
In order to make a truly unique custom card, first you should know a little something about what cards are made from. You have a number of custom options available, each of which will influence the total look and feel of your card. Remember that business cards are about more than just visuals — texture is as big a part of the Silkcards Experience as anything else.
Thicker than other uncoated papers, cotton paper is highly responsive to debossing, the process by which indentations are created using a metal stamp. On the surface, cotton cards are lightly textured with a soft touch.
Often incorrectly referred to as letterpress, Cotton paper is a throwback classic that has a more refined quality, but offers a lot of creative freedom.
The best example? Wood business cards.
Wood cards are made from razor thin veneers of real wood, usually birch or beech. Each veneer is selected for its quality of grain, and uniquely finished to create a vibrant, natural effect. From there, your logo and information is etched into the wood and the card is custom cut to shape.
Hand someone a wood card and you’re telling them a lot about your brand.
Your standard business card is between 14 and 16 point. 14 point cards are best used for wide exposure, while 16 point cards are more personal and valuable (the difference between an industry conference and a client dinner).
Cards with a 32 point thickness are qualified as, well, thick. These cards are twice the standard thickness of a high quality standard card. Thick cards are more rugged than standard cards, which keeps them looking great even on the go in a laptop bag or jacket pocket.
Then there’s 48 point business cards, which are popular with frequent travelers who don’t want to carry a card holder. Ultra thick cards are rigid and stand up to wear and tear well. They also make a bold statement, and look great with a color edge effect.
Now that you understand the tools you have available, it’s time to tap into your creative spirit.
BRAND STRATEGY TOOLKIT
Branding is one of the most important aspects of marketing in today’s competitive business landscape. Often, the deciding difference between two very similar products or competing services will be the brand voice they express.
How do you lock in a brand voice that connects with your audience?
The first step is understanding what your company is all about. When Silkcards underwent a recent brand revamp, we had to sit down and ask “what company values guide our mission? What matters the most to our customers?”
We took the experiences we had during our rebrand and collected them into this indispensable brand strategy toolkit, which takes you from a-to-z when it comes to a rebrand:
