Share your best business card design tip?

One important tip that I profess in all Business documents including web sites is SPELLING, SPELLING, SPELLING. Make sure everything is spelled correctly.

Ed
 
craz0boy, WOW, there is A LOT going on with those cards. Type seems really small and the tagline is so much like mens warehouse you might get some chuckles.

I have a background in design and have spent quite a bit of time on my own cards. I am not a professional detailer but my speciality is photography. My cards are photography based and there was design after design that when into them.

I don't mean to pick apart peoples work I am just giving an opinion. I have made quite a few of these mistakes along the way.

Sorry if I have offended
Tom
 
richy said:
That's a great idea! How do you get one of those made up?
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There are sites you use to make them for free. I had a link tha the person PMed me but I can't find it now. Google it and you can find it. I have an app on my iPhone that can make them also.
 
musicman66 said:
I had a friend of mine design a logo for me and used a few pictures of cars that I've taken on the backs. They just got sent out today and I can't wait to see them. :-)
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Very sharp card!

RChicago said:
APAD - While I LOVE the front of the card, I think there are too many things on the back. Makes the type very small and hard to read. This is just my two cents. The front is killer!!! Love the logo! I look at that and instantly see polished auto detailing.

I think the back might be better just saying, AUTO, BOAT and MOTORCYCLE Detailing.

The facebook logo is larger than your website text which indicates to me your more proud of your facebook than your website.

Make the card drive (pun intended) people to your website where you can tell people what you do. ie. the waterspot removal, and polishing etc. Make the website text stand out more than your facebook.

Again my two cents.
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Thank you for your feedback!

In my neck of the woods, people don't know much about paint correction. I wanted the card to be educational about what i do. to you and I who understand about compounding and polishing and refining paint, the logo on the front says it all. Yes it may be more wording, but i want people to know that i am more than just a wash and wax service.

now as far as the font size, i agree with you! it is harder to read than i would like, maybe on my next batch i will have "Paint Correction Services - Visit our website to learn more!" or something along those lines. that would free up at least 1 line enabling me to have a larger font on the wording.

the logo on the back on the bumper is just to incorporate the logo into the back of the card. i want the FB to stand out so people go and "like" the page. from either source, the site or the FB page, they can easily navigate to the other, so i dont mind which one they go to, as long as they call me.

thanks for taking time to critic!
 
RChicago said:
craz0boy, WOW, there is A LOT going on with those cards. Type seems really small and the tagline is so much like mens warehouse you might get some chuckles.

I have a background in design and have spent quite a bit of time on my own cards. I am not a professional detailer but my speciality is photography. My cards are photography based and there was design after design that when into them.

I don't mean to pick apart peoples work I am just giving an opinion. I have made quite a few of these mistakes along the way.

Sorry if I have offended
Tom
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None taken my friend. The punch line was done purposely to get those chuckles lol but I did get the feeling that it was a tad overcrowded. Thanks for your input, this is far from my finished product. You should have seen my cards before this. haha I needed an update bad.
 
UltimateDetail said:
Never use the vistaprint or staples pre made designs.
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Why not? They actually had a great design that was eye catching. The general public isn't going to know where it came from. Plus, like I said, it looks pretty good. Everyone seems to like it. And I like how you can take the general design and have hats, t-shirts, signs, address labels made on the cheap. Vistaprint is hard to beat for the cost conscious.

Perhaps one day I will make my own design and have them printed on high quality plastic, but for now it's fine. WAY better than doing it at home on an inkjet printer.

Vistaprint used to be cheap quality and limited designs, but they've upped their game and now give you many choices of pre-made designs and use good quality paper. Plus, 500 cards for $5 is unbeatable.
 
I agree ^. I use vista print as well basically unbeatable prices and they can make anything from biz cards to t-shirts to coffee mugs. Also have the options to upload you own custom designs. Recently received 500 front and back biz cards for $20, free t-shirt, 50 free custom color front & back high gloss brochures, 25 free biz magnetic cards, 10 gift cards, free car magnetic sign, free biz card holder. Total came out to about $40 including shipping.
 
richy said:
I think it's cool to use a car you detailed.
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I agree. Actually, if a person is going to use a car on their business car I think it's important and cool to use a car they have actually detailed.

It can be a point of conversation and it can showcase your talents plus it shows you can walk the talk.

If you use a car you snag off the Internet somewhere there's no discussion and worse, if the customer asks if you actually detailed the car on your card you'll have to say "no" and that doesn't help a person's cause.


:)
 
These are the front of two of mine. They look betterin person because these pictures are not cut.
drippingwetcurv.jpg

beautiful-black-porsche-car-hd-wallpaper-1680x1050.jpg
 
Use MOO.com (I use them for two businesses, photo and detailing, but I'm not affiliated with them in any way.)

A few reasons why:

  1. Rounded corners. If I can't fit it in my wallet easily, it goes into my pocket and into the wash, or even worse, onto my desk. The rounded corner cards are great because of their texture too. While you're talking to someone, they'll be flipping your card around in their hands and feeling the satin finish of the card. Works every time...and it's funny to watch.
  2. Flickr integration. Set up a flickr account with a bunch of great photos of cars that you've detailed and then import them when you're setting up your cards. Say, you have 7 images you'd like to use - they'll rotate the images through the stack of cards so you're not just handing out the same image to everyone. The same info is on the back though.
  3. Easy interface. Their gui is easy to navigate and you can save different projects and come back to them easily.
  4. Leave behinds. I just got my stack of postcards today to use as a leave behind item when I've had a meeting with perspective clients. It's a big business card with my price list on the back. (yup, small amounts, in this case only 60 ordered, so I can make changes as needed.)
 
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NewNickel said:
Use MOO.com (I use them for two businesses, photo and detailing, but I'm not affiliated with them in any way.)

A few reasons why:

  1. Rounded corners. If I can't fit it in my wallet easily, it goes into my pocket and into the wash, or even worse, onto my desk. The rounded corner cards are great because of their texture too. While you're talking to someone, they'll be flipping your card around in their hands and feeling the satin finish of the card. Works every time...and it's funny to watch.
  2. Flickr integration. Set up a flickr account with a bunch of great photos of cars that you've detailed and then import them when you're setting up your cards. Say, you have 7 images you'd like to use - they'll rotate the images through the stack of cards so you're not just hanging out the same image to everyone. The same info is on the back though.
  3. Easy interface. Their gui is easy to navigate and you can save different projects and come back to them easily.
  4. Leave behinds. I just got my stack of postcards today to use as a leave behind item when I've had a meeting with perspective clients. It's a big business card with my price list on the back. (yup, small amounts, in this case only 60 ordered, so I can make changes as needed.)
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+1 for moo cards. I used then for the first time with my new detailing cards. I'm planning on getting some more made for my photography very soon. I am thinking of trying the luxe card this time around.

Sent from my Samsung GS3
 
even if people can't use / don't understand the QR code, they think its cool. For those that can use it, most apps store the history of what you scanned. So once the card is long gone, your info is still in the phone if they choose to find it (what was the name of that car waxing guy again?)

they have free QR code generators online, but not sure I trust those. Plenty of people on fiverr offering custom QR codes. But again, not sure I trust that on a few hundred business cards

this was designed by a local graphics shop. The background front & back is water beading on my tacoma

business-card.jpg
 
It's YOUR business card. You are representing the business.
Keep it clean. Not a lot of little print. Use the "white space".
Keep it simple. Who it is. What it is and how to contact you.

BuisnessCard.jpg


and yes, I did that vehicle in the pic!
 
Mine have up-turned edges so that they spin and carry after I throw a boxfull off the top of a building. With the right breeze, a guy can cover 2-3 square miles. Marketing done. Gonna play some golf.
 
My motto is keeping it clean and simple, and naturally that came into effect in my business card design. (picked that up from my father).

I intially made 10 different designs and narrowed it down to 5. After picking the final 5 I had a test print of one sheet each made of all 5 from Staples. It was actually a unanimous decision to pick the one you see before you :xyxthumbs:.

Best way I find to make any decision regarding advertisement is to have several designs(if you can make them yourself) a test group of friends and/or family help pick the best one. Even if you do none of the above, if you keep it simple, right to the point, and clean you should never have a problem:dblthumb2:

386058_10152069557595007_1033445236_n.jpg


424678_10152069556960007_1054151380_n.jpg
 
But remember that you are not marketing to yourself. You are marketing to others. So I deem it better to know what type face works for others.
 
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