A business card design is the most fundamental yet crucial marketing tool every brand must have. It provides you with a convenient and relatively affordable strategy to promote your business to everyone you meet and everywhere you go. However, often, the business card and its design are treated as an afterthought and not leveraged to its full potential. Although you can hire a professional to help you print your business cards, you can also get it done by yourself, thanks to business cards online. With simple guides and affordable tools, creating this vital professional and personal branding card is as simple as ever.

Are you looking for effective ways to leverage online platforms and tools to design, print and order your business cards? This blog will answer all your questions for you. We will help you by guiding you through the entire process. So, continue reading to learn more!

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating the Best Business Card Design.

Business card design is priceless and has multifaceted purposes. Spending a little time researching the design concepts and elements will help you in the long run. Let us explore the brief guide on how to design your business cards online that will effectively reproduce your brand and capture everyone’s attention. 

1. Know your Dimensions

Generally, a standard business card’s dimensions will be 2’x3.5’.If you are going to stick to the practical mode, you can opt for the same size. However, if you want a modern twist or a classic approach to your business card design, you should think about adding folds or incorporating a custom shape to make you stand out. Therefore, ensure to make your decision with the desired shape with adequate space to leave your brand messaging.

2. Include the Details in the Business card design.

Designing business cards online is an art, which serves as an informational touchpoint as well as an extension of your brand. The best card will emphasize the communication of important data without trying to cram in details. Some of the elements that can be included in your business card design are:

• Logo -  A well-designed logo establishes professionalism and credibility, so you should place yours front and center. 
• Company name  - Add your business name on the card to showcase your identity to the world.
• Your name - The business card design should always include your name to help associate your brand with you. 
• Your job title - Add a word about your role in the business to outline a clear idea about what your function in the company is.
• Email address - Don't forget to add your professional email address which will get you more potential leads.
• Phone number - Include your business’s official phone number to make it convenient for your customers to get in touch with you.
• Website - If you have an official business website, ensure to include your domain name on the business card design. 
• Tagline - A tagline or a catchy slogan can be helpful for branding. Ensure that it is brief and attractive, describing what you do in a few words.
• Social media info - Also, ensure to add your social media handles.
• Call to Action (CTA) - Add a call to action (CTA) with a quick message such as ‘visit our website, book your appointment, connect with me, ' among other things. This will help encourage prospects to contact your brand.

3. Pick a Color Scheme

Color is extremely important to your business card design, as it captures the attention of your prospective customers. The best colors for business cards are black backgrounds or red pop,  as they will stand out the most. Make sure that the colors you choose on your business card align with the goals of your band. 

4. Select the Shape

The standard size of the business card design is 3.5 inches wide and 2 inches tall. However, business cards can be designed in endless possibilities in terms of size and shape. From squares and circles to unconventional shapes like diamonds and cards, you will have the flexibility to get creative in your design process. If you want to have a professional look with a unique touch, you can opt for a vertical orientation of the standard design. It will drive you to stand out while conveying your professionalism and creativity to potential customers. 

5. Get A Design App

If you are designing your business cards online, you may not have the skill or knowledge to do it on your own. Fortunately, there are plenty of designing apps in the market that require zero skill to use. Some of them are,

1. Canva 

Canva is a popular design app with thousands of predefined templates for your business card design. You can choose the desired option from millions of icons, images, fonts, and illustrations to add more flair to your card. Whether you want to create your card from scratch or use a customizable template, the platform gives you complete freedom.

2. Adobe Express 

Adobe Express is the best tool for designing business cards online. It offers a wide range of templates and customization options. Moreover, if you opt for the premium plan, you will automatically have access to included branded elements to speed up the process. 

3. VistaPrint

VistaPrint offers a suite of creative businesses to enhance your branding efforts. It provides an array of custom merchandise, including business cards, to promote your business. Vistaprint offers a wide range of business card templates with categories like digital business cards, Eco cards, and Premium cards. 

4. BrandCrowd

Another great, free platform for designing business cards online is BrandCrowd. To get started with this tool, you select a template, customize it with your details and brand colors, and print it. BrandCrowd offers industry-specific designs as well as over 5000 unique templates to craft a unique business card for your brand. 

5. MOO 

If you want a business card that not only looks premium but also feels sophisticated, MOO should be your go-to option. From cards made from cotton linters and Mohawk luxury paper to cards with gold and silver finishing, MOO offers a range of options for your business cards that will help you set yourself apart from the competition. 

6. Assemble the Art

Once you have chosen all the elements for your business card design, it's time to put them together. Ensure that you completely assess your business card before ordering it for print. Here are some important areas to focus on.

• Bleeds - It indicates the spaces around the edges of the business card that will get trimmed away. Extended ensign past the bleed line will ensure that there won't be any white edges around the design.
• Trim line - This line refers to the edges of the card, indicating where the printer will make the exact blade cut.
• Safety margins -  Safety margins mark the lines beyond which no crucial design elements should be placed. This practice is usually used to prevent the design from being cut too low, as the printer will cut anywhere between the bleed and the safety margins.

7. Choose a Printing Method

The type of material you choose will influence your choice of business card printing. For instance, using a metal business card will allow you to imprint in a single way, while paper printing opens up several different options, from color ink to shiny foil. 

• PMS printing - PMS (Pantone Matching System) is a pre-mixed method of printing based on over 1000 standardized ink colors. 
• Four-color printing - Four-color processing (CMYK) is formed by combining cyan, magenta, yellow, and black to give you access to a full spectrum of colors. 
• Foil stamping - With this method, your business card design will be stamped with a smooth folio of your desired color. You can opt for metallic or nonmetallic colors like gold, silver, red, or more.

8. Print a Test Copy

Before actually placing your order for business card printing, take out a mockup and review it for any final changes. In addition, you can also ask a peer or colleague for a spot-check. Additionally, be sure to review spelling, images, and the design areas. Hence, you can be assured that your business card design is error-free, properly formatted, and visually appealing for final printing.

9. Choose a Printing Provider and Get it Done. 

Once you are content with your creation, simply place your order through digital or offset printing services. There are plenty of providers in marketing available at competitive prices without compromising on the quality to leave a lasting impression. This will also help you alleviate excess stress while making it easy, fast, and budget-friendly to print your business cards.  

Tips to Make A Pitch-Perfect Business Card Design

While you are ready to create your business card design, you must keep certain things in mind to make it flawless. Some of these tips include: 

• Plan ahead - It is always best to start early on your research about business card design online. Think about your rules and inspirations to ensure you meet your overall branding goals.
• Brainstorming ideas - The first step for seamless business card printing is to come up with ideas of how you want your card to look. Survey common business cards used in your industry to find inspiration. 
• Print on both sides - While you are printing business cards online take advantage of the factor that your business card has two sides. You can add more information on the back of your business card to develop your brand image. For instance, you can use the front for contact details and add your product or service details in brief on the back.
• Avoid borders - Borders or frames on your business card design might look good, but they can jeopardize the overall appeal. Moreover, trimming cards to exact precision is impossible. 
• Make sure to proofread - Before placing your order for business card printing, take a close look and double-check all the formation. Ignoring typos or formatting issues can create a negative impression about your brand. Also, ensure that all your images and texts are clear and error-free. 

Wrapping Up

Business cards are a unique way to grab someone’s attention and present your brand to them. It paves you a great way to carve a professional connection and build a strong, meaningful business relationship. Nonetheless, be sure to take your time and choose the right business card design and printing services for your company. It will help you to stand out from the competition, consistent across all branding elements. Moreover, the right business card printing service will give you more creative freedom, flexibility, and elegance, with plenty of templates and simple-to-use tools and workflows.

If you want to enhance your branding further, using a paid or free professional business email without your domain name is not a good idea. Use Neo, an email hosting service that lets you connect a custom domain with extensions like com or edu email for a polished look. It even lets you create a free email address with its limited-period free trial. So, sign up for Neo today and create a uniform brand identity!

 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is a business card?

A business card is a small, printed, and usually credit-card-sized card that holds your business details. It includes your name, contact details, and brand logo. Your business card design plays a vital role in your branding and serves as a visual extension of your brand’s reputation.

Q2. Why is a business card design more important?

An attractive and thoughtful business card design will catch the eye of potential investors or customers, building a favorable impression for your business. A company logo, when used with the right brand colors and layout, will give the card a professional look. Overall, it will make your brand more recognizable in the minds of customers than the competitors in the industry. 

Q3. How to format business card design?

Most business cards are rectangular, resembling the size of a credit card, and have a horizontal layout. It is because people are familiar with their format, which makes it a safe choice for enhancing the visibility of your brand. However, if you want to make your business card design stand out, you can opt for square, rounded corners, or even vertical orientation.