If you want to appear professional, you need business cards. A nice card makes a good first impression. Moreover, most people do not throw away those tickets so quickly, which gives you an edge over a competitor without tickets. Should you hire an expensive graphic artist? Not necesarry. You can also get started yourself. We explain how to easily design beautiful cards, we give tips for having them printed and we teach you how to quickly digitize cards from others.
If you are going to work as a freelancer, self-employed person or entrepreneur, you will need business cards. It is, as it were, an extension of your company. Don't have the faintest idea how to get started with business cards? No problem. We help you on your way and explain to you, among other things, what can be on it, how to start the design, where you can go to have the cards printed and so on. When they are ready, you can hand out the cards to interested contacts, new relations, or take them to networking events. Do you also get a lot of business cards printed in your hands? On the last page, we explain in detail how you can digitize it quickly and easily using a special scanner or user-friendly app.
01 Format
Business cards come in different sizes. The most common in the Netherlands and the rest of Western Europe are cards of 85 x 55 millimeters. In other regions such as the US and Russia, slightly different rectangular dimensions are common. Of course you can opt for different sizes to stand out even more. Square or with rounded corners, for example. Keep in mind that such sizes do not always fit in wallets or special business card folders. If you work in a professional business, it is best to stick to the convention. However, deviating dimensions, shapes and materials are not uncommon in particularly creative or playful industries.
02 What information?
Once you've decided what size your business cards should be, you need to determine what information should be on them. Your company name and any logo, telephone number, your own name and e-mail address form the basis. Perhaps you would also like to mention your title and/or position? You probably also have a website and it is of course worth mentioning. Are you active on social media for business? Then you can consider putting their URLs on the card as well. If you still have space, you can add a VAT number, slogan or a short summary of your services or products, for example. A passport photo or background photo is also worth considering. Mind you, not all parts need to be on it, it just depends on what you find beautiful and useful. Think carefully about the content and in any case keep it clear. If there is a need for a lot of information, opt for a double-sided printed card. People often initially look very briefly at a received card, so make sure that the information that is most important to you can be seen quickly.
With or without photo
Many professionals opt for a business card with a photo. That may seem a bit strange at first sight, but it works. You simply remember a person much faster by looks than by name. Especially if you have had a pleasant conversation with them, for example.
03 Getting started yourself?
Of course you can outsource the design to a graphic designer. In most cases, this will cost you a pretty penny, but it also provides a ready-made professional result. Would you rather get started yourself? That too is possible. There are many services where you can design and print the cards (see Tip 4 and 5), but you can also get started with your own software. Adobe InDesign CC is a professional DTP package. It is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud and costs 24.19 euros per month. However, there is a fully working trial version that you can use for free for 30 days. To use the correct format - including bleed and safety margin - you can call on your printer. On his website you will in most cases find a so-called idml file that serves as the basis. For example, take a look at www.oble.nl, www.esprinto.nl or www.slimdruk.nl for the specifications. If you find it too difficult to start with a blank design, use a template. For example, use www.stocklayouts.com or google "free template business card". Choose a file with a resolution of 300 dpi and set the colors to CMYK.
04 Paper type
There are many different types of paper. A standard paper weight for business cards is 250 gsm. Prefer something thicker? Then you can go to 290 g/m2 or even 350 or 400 g/m2. The thicker, the more expensive. Another trade-off to make is matte or glossy. As extras you have UV spot lacquer, a soft touch or glossy plasticization. The more bells and whistles, the more striking, but also the higher the price. Because there are so many different options, it is advisable to request sample cards from your printer. In many cases you will receive it for free.
05 Digital or offset?
Another decision to make: are you going for offset printing or digital printing? Digital printing is cheaper for smaller runs. The printer does not make printing plates for this, but prints the cards with a professional printer. The quality is a little bit less, but you will receive it super fast. Offset or traditional printing is ideal for large print runs. The printer uses a printing press for this and charges a one-time start-up fee. The higher the print run, the lower the price per piece.
06 Select printer
If you are going to design yourself, you will of course also have to choose a printer. Do you go to the printer around the corner, or do you prefer to use an online service? The price pressure is high, so you better compare. Also keep in mind that not every printer or online printing service uses the same file specifications. It is therefore recommended to first determine which printer you are going to work with and only then start on your design. We have good experiences with www.drukzo.nl, www.drukwerkdeal.nl and www.drukland.nl. Also keep in mind that there are often discounts or voucher codes on the web. That way you can lower the price a bit or, for example, qualify for free shipping.
Ecological alternative
Do you find it difficult to estimate exactly how many tickets you need? Or do you want to use recycled cardboard, for example? Then a stamp with all your data is an ecological alternative. You can make all kinds of stamps in various sizes via www.stempelfabriek.nl. The Colop Printer 60 self-inking plastic stamp, for example, is very suitable. This gives you space for up to 8 lines of text and a logo.
07 Vista print
A very interesting service for designing and printing cards is Vistaprint. On www.vistaprint.nl, click through to Business Cards and then start with one of the three suggested paper qualities: Standard, Deluxe or Super Thick. Once you click Start Now, you can browse through thousands of templates. In the left column you filter based on industry, style, theme, color and location (horizontal or vertical). Once you've found a design you like, you can personalize it with your own details. The possibilities are endless. You can add a logo, photo or back and the price will be updated automatically. Once you are happy with the design, choose the number of business cards (from 100 to 10,000 pieces), the finish (standard, deluxe or metallic) and the paper type.
So far, Vistaprint is very affordable, but in the next steps Vistaprint tries to sell you all kinds of extras, such as business card holders, stamps, pens, address stickers and so on. These extras all cost money, of course, but are fortunately not mandatory. So just ignore it if you just want the tickets.
08 Moo.com
Another interest service is moo.com. This British service has an original product range. The biggest asset is Printfinity. You can use a unique photo for each business card. This is particularly popular with photographers and graphic artists, because in this way each card is an extension of the portfolio. Here you can also choose from various paper types and finishes such as Gold Foil, Spot Gloss and Raised Spot Gloss. It is also possible to have postcards, stickers and labels printed. One of the biggest advantages of Moo.com is that you only need to order a minimum of 50 tickets. With other services, this is often a multiple. Once you have chosen your paper type, you can get started with the many MOO Designs. Through Design your own you can also start from scratch: via the online designer or via your own software (Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign).
09 Apps
If you often come home with other people's business cards, you have a few options: you throw them away, you leave them lying around everywhere and nowhere, you store them neatly, or you digitize them in your address book. We go for the latter option. You can also automate that process somewhat with the help of a special app. Take now CamCard (iOS and Android). With this you can not only scan your tickets (via the camera of your smartphone), but also immediately save the data in your address book. In most cases, the app is very accurate. Depending on the background color and the font, you don't have to change anything. You will find both a Lite and a Business version on Google Play and the App Store. In the free version you are limited to a maximum of 200 tickets. Do you want more? Then you can upgrade. A similar app is Business Card Scanner from ABBYY. The app is free but offers more options thanks to in-app purchases: export to Excel and automatic backups, for example.
10 Special software
Do you really have a lot of cards and don't want to hire a secretary? Then you can also opt for special software that takes the job off your hands. ABBY Business Card Reader for Windows (24.95 euros) works with almost any flatbed scanner. The tool scans up to ten cards at the same time and automatically exports them to your database. The software works with Microsoft Outlook, but also with Salesforce. Cardiris 5 for Windows and Mac (99 euros) is more expensive but goes a step further: this software automatically removes duplicates and is, in addition to Outlook and Salesforce, also compatible with Lotus Notes, Google Contacts and Microsoft Dynamics.
11 Compact Scanner
Do you often network and then come home with dozens of business cards? Then a compact scanner like the IRIScan Anywhere 5 (129 euros) highly recommended. The device can handle documents up to A4 size, but is also very suitable for business cards. You put the cards in the front of the device and as soon as they come out at the back, they are scanned in jpg or pdf format. There is a micro SD card in the scanner and an adapter is included so that you can read the files on your computer. Do you choose the IRIScan Anywhere 5 Wifi (149 euros), then you don't have to deal with the SD card, but you can send the scans wirelessly to your computer, smartphone or tablet. It is even possible to link the app to a cloud service such as Dropbox, Google Drive or Box.com. It is even possible to export the text to editable text via an in-app purchase.
