Imagine your business card as a pocket-sized billboard. Its purpose is to advertise, enhance your brand identity and call-to-action. But the most important difference is that business cards mainly serve as contact information.
When designed properly, it will surely grab people’s attention. With that in mind, there are a lot of things to be done to design a top-notch business card.
Although you can always leave it to the designer, having your own personal touch on your business card can be fulfilling and a fun experience. Especially with all the tools and platforms available on the internet. Now you can design your business card online with ease.
In this article, we’re going to tell you the step-by-step process of designing your business card online. We’ve simplified the process to the following eight steps.
1. Do your research
Before starting anything, it is vital to know and thoroughly plan what you’re going to create. The best way to build a picture of what your business card is going to look like is to find inspiration from others.
You can make use of platforms such as Pinterest or many other design blogs. Try to get inspired, but don’t copy. Gather as many inspirations as you can and see if you can get inspired to create your own personalised business card.
2. Pick your tool/platform
The next step is to pick what platform you will use to create your business card. There are tons of online platforms you can choose from, such as Adobe CC, Canva, Visme, Jukebox, and many others. Even Microsoft Word has templates for business cards that you can use.
These platforms usually provide many template options you can choose from. You can then customise those templates to your liking. Using an online design platform is convenient because you can save your design and then access them from any device.
3. Choose your shape and size
Next, determine the size and shape of your business cards. For this, you can refer to your country’s standards, as mentioned below:
- North American Standard: 3.5 × 2 in. (88.9 × 50.8 mm)
- European Standard: 3.346 × 2.165 in. (85 × 55 mm)
- Oceania Standard: 3.54 × 2.165 in. (90 × 55 mm)
At the very least, you need to make sure that your business card will fit perfectly in a wallet.
Now, regarding the shape, there might not be much variation. But you can opt to make your card a portrait or landscape, or even make variations on the cut as long as it does not overlap with the maximum size standard.
4. Determine your colour palette
Your business card’s colour could also be a brand marketing initiative when done right. One of the ways to do this is by using your brand’s pre-existing colour scheme. If you don’t have a brand colour scheme, then it’s time to decide it altogether. Pick two to three colours that represent your brand’s personality.
Most importantly, choose colours that go well with each other. In other words, choose text colours that go well with the background colour of your card. Always prioritise legibility over other elements.
5. Pick the fonts you’re going to use
With the same importance as colour palette, the fonts you’re using will also determine your brand’s personality. For example, if you want to show professionalism and discipline, thick serif fonts are more favourable. On the other hand, if you’re more casual and modern, a sans serif font might be a better option.
Just as it is with choosing colours, try to pick fonts that have high legibility. Since business cards are small in size, you might not benefit from using calligraphy-style fonts.
6. List the information you’re going to put in
What are the things you want to put in your business card? Typically, a business card should have these informations:
- Company name and/or logo
- Name
- Job title
- Address and contact information
But, aside from the things mentioned above, you can also add other pieces of information, such as social media handles, a QR code leading to your website, or even your picture. Be creative, as long as your business card does not end up looking like a cut from a newspaper article.
7. Content placement
After deciding the size and shape, the colour palette, the fonts, and all the info you’re putting in, now it’s time to put it all together. In this step, you need to set the sizes of your different pieces of information and where to put them on the business card.
Remember to always include white spaces or blank spaces in between your information sections to increase legibility and add professional aesthetics to your card.
8. Determine the printed material and finish
Now we’re getting to the final step. Even though digital or online business cards are a trend nowadays, there’s nothing wrong with having the printed version. Moreover, a printed business card is more personal and memorable for those receiving it.
Normally, business cards are printed on stock papers with different thickness. But why stop there? Nowadays, many printing companies offer various printing media for your needs. You can opt to print them on plastics, woods, or even metals.
This also leads to various finishes for your card. You can choose embossed texts, letterpressing, or spot UV coating. Choose one that fits your preference and your budget.
And this last step concludes our how-to on designing your business card online. Now it’s time for you to try it yourself and create your own personalised business card, ready to handout in your pocket.