Six Bomb Diggity Business Cards from a Graphic Design Shop

We are a graphic design shop that absolutely loves the art of business card design. But, are business cards a dying breed in the age of digital that we live in? Let's explore. Well, it’s definitely true that the first customer touchpoint for most brands is digital. You’re gonna go through Google to get to a website. You're probably not going to carefully type a url into a browser that you found printed on a business card. But does that mean there’s zero purpose for a business card anymore? We think not. If you have an opportunity to meet with someone and pass them your card, it’s potentially the first touch they have with your brand. When we say “touch,” we are surely referring to the sense of touch, which is an impactful connection to make with potential customers. The business card is quite possibly the first printed piece or experience they have with your brand, other than the conversation leading up to the all-important pass off. So, we say that business card holds a lot of weight for your business. Is it cheap, flimsy, or foldable; or is it well-designed, sturdy, solid, sleek, and professional? We’d be the first to wish you well on your quest to not give off a first impression that’s anything relatable to cheap, foldable, or flimsy— can we get an amen? As a graphic design shop, we pour our heart and soul into the design and printing of each and every business card that we create for our clients. Our job is to design something so compelling that it makes a huge statement in the hand and mind of someone you need to impress. Over the years, we’ve designed tons of awesome cards for brands in all kinds of industries. We consider both the design and layout, as well as the printing, cardstock, and inks used. Designing cards to be custom-printed is sometimes not an easy sell for us. We have to explain why our clients should spend money on the enhanced print techniques for a business card, why a business card is such a significant customer touchpoint, and why you should go above and beyond to design the heck out of something so simple. Essentially, we’re trying to convince clients that going to Staples for your business card is not advisable, really, ever. Yes, we do know that it’s cheaper. Usually, we point these folks to our blog on business card development. But sometimes we just show them this video. It really says it all. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YBxeDN4tbk[/embed]

Graphic Design Shop Card Trick #1 | Quirky Imaging

This is a great card because it gives such a quick connection to what the brand stands for. It’s fun, fruity, and personable, just like the brand. This card doesn’t just serve to exchange contact info, it also sets the tone for what people should expect from them online, in-store, and through all the other customer touchpoints. For this card, we varied the images on the back of the card. This way, each of the owners and manager would have their own business card design. The variety really emphasized the spontaneity of the brand. The images are youthful, fun, and summery. This serves to capture the feel of the brand and hint at the target audience, too; trendy hipsters hangin’ in Franklin.

Graphic Design Shop Card Trick #2 | Colorful Sides

Can’t blame us for a little self-promo when your cards look this good. These thick, square, pink painted-edge cards are hot. Here, the thick stock serves two purposes: it feels more substantial in your hand than your typical flimsy card. And it adds more surface area for the hot-pink sides. There are tons of options for stock weights. So no matter what you’re going for, you can find a card that feels right for your brand. Colored edges are a great way to include a punch of design that is anything but understated. Custom PMS colored edges are a great way to use your brand colors to make a statement.

Graphic Design Shop Card Trick #3 | Spot UV

There is nothing better than an ultra-matte silk card card with some sleek spot UV highlights. This monochromatic card we did for Honest Coffee Roasters shows it best: the shiny black on black matte provides an elegant pop through the skillful placement of a little change of texture. The uniqueness of this texture makes these cards stand out. We’re super-proud of the design we did, but the spot UV trick really sealed the deal on these. This card is the reason we tell other brands to step up their business cards… this one’s got game.

Graphic Design Shop Card Trick #4 | Foil Overlay

A great trick we used on these patterned business cards for Sweet Remedies was adding the gold foil. It really breaks up what would otherwise be a busy design, with shine and texture to highlight the good stuff: their name. The use of gold foil instantaneously elevates the sophistication of the brand. Foil comes in a multitude of colors but is most often used in silver or gold to provide a metallic accent.

Graphic Design Shop Card Trick #5 | Square Shape

At this point, you’ve seen some square cards in this list already, and for good reason. This is such an easy way to obtain a unique card shape without upping the budget significantly on a super-expensive custom die-cut. Bonus: square cards tend to be slightly bigger in surface area than your regular card, so while it will still fit in a wallet, you’ll have a little more room for design. In a pile of cards collected at a networking event or trade show, a square card will stick out from the stack. We call that winning.

Graphic Design Shop Card Trick #6 | Size It Down

Okay, now we’re going to give you the exact opposite advice, because sometimes tiny is a mighty statement. Slim cards feel sleek, special, and are just generally more interesting because they are so unique. It’s a bit out of the ordinary, so, similar to the square shape, it’s an easy way to be unique without breaking the bank. Your design will have to be minimal due to space, but if your brand is one of a simple stature, it might be a good option for you. If you’ve made it through this and you’re feeling a little card envy, it might be time to assess your current card situation. If you’ve got a foldable, rippable, stainable card... please call our graphic design shop. Nobody needs to be able to fold up, rip up, drip coffee on, or throw away YOUR name in print. Not on our watch. We are branding experts, but even if you don’t want to fully brand with us, at least let us perfect your business card so you don’t have terrible ones out in the wild.