Many people believe that for a good Business Card the original (creative) ideas and rare font is enough… This is one of the most common misconceptions. In the manufacture of a good business card there are involved two specialists – a designer and technologist. Knowledge of technology, proper prepress, using classical and new methods of postpress finishing – that is what can make a business card really interesting. It is such a small design called. If a design is possible to argue for a long time eventually it is a matter of taste, the technology – something quite definite. Let us briefly look at technology.
The size of Business Card:
The first thing we usually come across. Change the size of a standard business card and you will immediately be noticed. Standard dimensions: 90×50 and 85×55 mm. The last one is considered as more original, it is more common in the US and European business cards. Look for originality – forget about 90×50.
P.S. Don’t do your business cards with more than in standard sizes. It should be fit into a standard business card holder. So, make smaller, but not bigger.
Rounded corners Business Card:
The simplest thing you can do with the form – is corner rounding. It’s just beautiful and in the trend. Perhaps that is why it is very often used. But still, we recommend. Mainly because it is quite inexpensive.
P.S. If you have a logo, sharp angles, rectangles and squares, it can be dissonance.
The corners can be rounded in very different ways. You can cut all the corners, and it can only be one or two. So a business card will be less like a plastic card.
The radius of rounding can be different – it all depends on the stamp. Ask your manufacturer what stamps he already has, and what cutting angle radius it can perform without additional cost. This is important because a specially designed stamp is very expensive.
Design paper
There are a lot of them. And Touche Cover will soon cease to be a sign of exclusivity. For those who do not know it is thick paper with a surface like “rubber”. “Cool black business card” are often made with this paper. But design papers are really very much, there is great choice, texture, density, and even transparent ones.
P.S. “Cool Black” and “cool blue” business cards and others in dark colors are usually printed by silk-screen printing. This is a much longer and more expensive than regular digital or offset printing. More expensive because silk-screen printing – it is a stencil, handmade, drying, etc.
Foil stamping
Usually about this technology they say, when they see the bulged gold letters or characters. However, foil may be not only silver or gold. It is available in different colors, different textures, sometimes with special effects. Again, we recommend to turn to manufacturers catalogs. There are a lot of options.
P.S. Don’t be confused with foiling. Foiling – a trick using the foil laminator. They look alike, but it is much easier and a little cheaper.
Foil stamping is the most common way of blind embossing. This embossment is when the letter or character is pressed into the paper in depth, which by the way may also be different.
Embossing/Debossing
Embossing is when the image is raised on the paper – think certificate or diploma. This is done with a die + counter and is done without ink or registered to foil. We use metal plates which are slightly more expensive but hold finer detail.
Debossing is the effect that occurs with deep impression letterpress. The image or design is pressed into the paper and can be done with or without ink (blind).
P.S. For all kinds of stamping there are limitations to the small details.
Debossing looks very impressive with foil, and without any coloring. It is due to its volume, it is very stylish and noble combined with classic design paper.
Edge Printing Business Cards
Edge Printing it is a process in which a thick card stock (usually 400 GSM or above) has its edges printed or painted a certain color. The result is often very striking and screams of an attention to detail rarely given to these small pieces of paper.
From our own experience, the best edge-painted business cards tend to have a monochromatic color scheme with an unexpected splash of color for the edges. It is a very subtle design choice but one that really makes a very strong statement. We’ve also found that keeping the card design minimal will immediately draw the eye to the edges of your business card allowing the recipient a chance to appreciate that extra attention to detail.
Spot UV Business Cards
Due to its eye catching appearance spot UV is one of the most popular printing techniques available. “Spot UV” is a relatively simple production method. The “UV” portion of spot UV comes from the ultraviolet light that’s used to instantly cure the glossy varnish you see shining in spot UV printing. While all UV coatings protect the paper they cover, spot UV is mainly used for its decorative effect as light catches the partially coated portion of the paper on a piece – rather than an all-encompassing protective solution.
P.S. Spot UV is very well stand out on dark or dark business cards design elements. On a bright ones, almost not visible.
Die Cut Business Cards
In fact, we have already talked about this sort of decoration in the beginning, when we remembered rounding the corners. A complex form of business cards is achieved by cutting the stamp. The stamp can have any shape: round, oval, heart-shaped or repeat the contour of your logo.
P.S. The main thing- do not miss with the size.
The complex shape – it is also creasing, i.e. business card folded twice or even three times. So it will be more informative, but most of it is suitable for corporate business cards-booklets. In such a business card may be, for example, a list of addresses of your branches or offices.
You can also cut down in business card a window. What is it for? Maybe your business – dental implants, and cutting inside the business card – the one missing tooth of client?