Business Cards – what not to do

By Winn Apple   |   Published April 23, 2013

A business card can give you the most bang for your marketing buck, but they can also work against you if it is poorly crafted.

Obviously the design of your business card is number one on the list. If you aren’t a graphic designer and you are attempting to create your own business card, just keep it simple. I’ve seen some real wild looking carnivals on a card. Someone may hang onto your business card simply because it is outrageous – that doesn’t mean they send business your way.

Another thing that can set you back is cheap card stock. A flimsy business card is like a damp handshake – you just want to toss it off. If you go with a business card printer who cuts corners, you’ll pay the price in the end. No amount of design can fix a cheap business card.

Random lines in the print job are a bummer. If you have a quality printer, they are not sending out poorly printed business cards. They want you coming back. And if you paid just a weee bit more than you did with the shoddy printer, isn’t a couple of clams worth it?

If you have images with a low resolution, a cheap printer is not going to bother notifying you. Nope. They will just go ahead and print your sad little business card, fuzzy images and all. If your printer is worth a hill of beans, they will give you the heads up.

Please, please if nothing else, don’t turn your card into something only a private investigator can decipher. Let folks know what the heck you are selling. They aren’t gonna remember getting your business card. If they can’t figure out what your business is in a matter of second, they will toss it out and hit up google for the top ten list of other providers.

Oh, and geeze, can you please make the font large enough. I don’t care how super cool your contact information looks at 4 points. We don’t want to enlist the help of a magnifying glass. Infact, your audience won’t suffer small print – they will toss your hip little card into the recycling bin….or worse, the trash. They may not be as eco-friendly as you!

Um, why the large business cards people? The standard is the standard for a reason. I’ll let the slim and square card pass – they can still fit into wallets and holders. Don’t get clever.

Refrain from putting a bunch of pointless images on your card. Just put the necessary information on there – maybe an image of a product if it is your primary business – some specialized widget. A logo and your contact will suffice sir.

And ofcourse, whenever possible, print your business cards on eco-friendly, recycled card stock. There is an endless variety of FSC Certified and Forest friendly paper to choose from. If you are printing with a certified green printer, like Bacchus Press, then they can direct you to the best recycled paper options for your eco-friendly business card.

We also offer on-line business printing. If your booklet files are ready to send to press – visit our on-line eco-friendly printing site, PrintingGreen.com. Send your business card to press instantly.

Return to Article Listing

About the Author

In addition to crafting content and blogs, Winn Apple writes short stories and novellas for middle-grade readers. You can find her short stories along with a portfolio on her site, MysticJunkyard.com or on her soon to release website, snugbuggle.com - the best darn place to find short stories for kids.