Share your best business card design tip?

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Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.

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Share your best business card design tip?



I'm no expert, but I have people give me their business cards all the time and I like to scan them and check out their design, kind of do a critique and one of my pet peeves is when someone uses a hard to read font for their name and their phone number.

Especially if it's a small font in a wacky color against another color making it yet harder to read.

I think one of the goals of a business cars is that it should be a mini version of "you", selling you. And one thing you want to do is make it easy for people to contact you and that starts with an easy to read font for at a minimum your name and phone number.

Call it boring but I like Arial text, plain and simple when I'm reading anything, including web copy or paper copy.

Like this,


Mike Phillips
000-000-0000



What are your best tips for business card design?



:xyxthumbs:
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
one of my pet peeves is when someone uses a hard to read font for their name and their phone number.
Click to expand...

How about when a wacky font or layout (circular, etc.) is used and you can't even figure out for sure what the name of the co. is? If I have a tip, it's don't do that.
 
My tip...make sure people know what you sell!! For detailing, make sure you indicate that you detail cars, boats, etc. For example, if you leave some cards at a restaurant you go to and someone goes to pick it up without ever speaking to you, they need you know what the service is.

My business card says "Full Service Mobile automotive detailer"

NO questions about what I do.

While I do agree to have a readable font, you also need brand consistency. I think you should use the same font across all mediums for your business (website, facebook page, flyers, cards, etc), but the font on ALL of those should be readable.
 
Utilize both sides of the cards

Here is mine i just designed and printed via uprinting.com

Businesscardfrontandback1.png


The top is the front. I wanted just the logo since it is self explanatory and gives it a sharp crisp feel. there is no number on the front so folks would naturally flip the card for more info. i had a front/back design before and people didnt realize there was more info on the back because i had so much on the front. keep it simple!

the back side, i wanted to have my name in large print so people would know who they were dealing with. also then, my number to follow.

i wanted a sharp picture of my car since most people in my community recognize it and it is the poster-child of my work. i wanted the logo incorporated on the backside of the card so i went with the ghost look of it on the bumper. i think it almost looks like a decal on it.

then i wanted a list of what i do. people see this and ask, "what is clay bar?" "why would you polish paint? why not just 'wax' it?"etc.

i also wanted folks to know i have a business facebook page as well, so i put the logo in also.

So as a review:


  • Keep it simple
  • Use both sides of the card
  • Use contrasting colors to make it pop
  • Have a strong logo
  • Include contact info. Mine is in the logo, phone number, and facebook
  • Have your name and the business name
  • List services
 
+1 to APAD. Using both sides of the card is a great idea. I use both sides on my card.

Using one side of a card is almost a bad idea now-a-days. Even a lot of professional and Fortune 500 organizations have business cards that use both sides (the company I work for being one of them). Put something eye catching on one side and info on the other
 
I saw someone on this site use a QR maker and put the code on their cards. These seem to be popular now and you can make one so it will put the contact in their phone or lead to your website. I think it's an ingenious idea and a way to keep up with tech trends
 
Twister said:
I saw someone on this site use a QR maker and put the code on their cards. These seem to be popular now and you can make one so it will put the contact in their phone or lead to your website. I think it's an ingenious idea and a way to keep up with tech trends
Click to expand...

i actually was going to do one on my card, but couldn't tune it to look just right, so i scratched the idea for now
 
Twister said:
I saw someone on this site use a QR maker and put the code on their cards. These seem to be popular now and you can make one so it will put the contact in their phone or lead to your website. I think it's an ingenious idea and a way to keep up with tech trends
Click to expand...

That's a great idea! How do you get one of those made up?
 
Mike, I hired a student from a local graphic artist program to do my LOGO, and card design. Here is what I went with:


2sided-1.png




2sided2-1.png
 
richy said:
Mike, I hired a student from a local graphic artist program to do my LOGO, and card design. Here is what I went with:


2sided-1.png




2sided2-1.png
Click to expand...

i like! keeping it simple! I am partial to red black and grey though :dblthumb2:
 
Maybe as a good referral business you could add a line somewhere to present card and receive a discount?

Anyone do this practice?
 
Same with the front and back. Think I have the basics covered so far. Always room for improvement though.
 
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. :-)
 
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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