{"id":214,"date":"2010-08-06T16:14:49","date_gmt":"2010-08-06T20:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mmprint.com\/blog\/?p=214"},"modified":"2013-01-08T10:00:15","modified_gmt":"2013-01-08T15:00:15","slug":"offset-digital-business-cards-tips-effective-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/2010\/offset-digital-business-cards-tips-effective-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Offset and Digital Business Cards &#8211; Tips for an Effective Design"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote><p><a href=\"http:\/\/mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/business_cards_logo.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-231 alignright\" style=\"margin: 10px;\" title=\"business_cards_logo\" src=\"http:\/\/mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/business_cards_logo.jpg\" alt=\"Business Card Printing and Design with Logo\" width=\"252\" height=\"132\" \/><\/a><strong><a title=\"Business Card Printing Services\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/cards.html\" target=\"_blank\">Business cards<\/a><\/strong> are more than just portable contact information; Designed properly, they can convey character and utility. When designing your business cards, it is important to consider the end-user.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Who will be looking at them? (Design)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"> Who will use them? (Information)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"> How will they store them? (Finish)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">Will it go into a wallet or be digitally scanned? (Paper Stock)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>All of these questions are utterly important to avoid your card being the one that gets disposed of because the information in it did not justify the bulk in the wallet, or because the lack of specificity did not remind customers of what the company does, or even because it is so overly simplistic that it gets lost among other ones. Keep all this in mind and find the right balance for a successful, informative, eye-catching business card worthy of retention.<\/p>\n<p>.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/business_cards_simple.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-220 alignleft\" title=\"business_cards_simple\" src=\"http:\/\/mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/business_cards_simple.jpg\" alt=\"Business Card Design - Simple\" width=\"309\" height=\"190\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>The same applies when choosing your printing format<\/h3>\n<p>You want to be different, but not so different that confuses your clientele. Again, think whether you are catering to traditional customers who will expect a more traditional font and paper stock, or adventurous individuals who will appreciate your company having taken risks on the size, cut, material, and finishing. People want to identify&#8230; help them identify with your company.  Going even further, you should consider using double sided cards. You want your business cards to be recognized from every angle, and you want to take advantage of the space. Sometimes it is smart to even include information that can help the customer in their daily lives. A calendar, a time\/currency\/metric system converter, a tiny bus\/subway map &#8212;these can be great ideas, as long as you can make a connection with your company and why this tool was included. Do not just put it in because it is cool and useful; your customers will want it to make sense.<\/p>\n<h3>Paper stock makes all the difference<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_creative1.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-464 alignright\" title=\"business_cards_paper_stock\" src=\"http:\/\/mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_creative1-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Business Cards Paper Stock Options\" width=\"213\" height=\"161\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_creative1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_creative1-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_creative1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 213px) 100vw, 213px\" \/><\/a>A great design can become a horrible one when the substrate it is printed on does not reflect the same quality.<br \/>\nThickness (paper weight), gloss coated, un-coated, matte finish; Linen, Laid, natural white, solar white, textured or smooth? The paper stock can be considered part of the design process and choosing one is not as difficult as it may sound.<\/p>\n<p><em><br \/>\nA few things to consider when choosing a paper stock for your business cards:<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><em>Is my design contemporary or modern?<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><em>a gloss paper gives colorful designs a more vibrant look<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><em>textured stocks such as linen or laid convey elegance and are considered premium papers<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><em>Paper colors and tones can have an effect on the colors in your design<br \/>\n<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Besides the aforementioned, paper mills produce an incredible line of paper types that can take your design above and beyond and increase the retention rate way past expectations.<\/p>\n<h3>The Finishing Touches<\/h3>\n<p>Some of you may be risk takers or outside-the-box thinkers; You like being different and you want your business card to express these features as well.<br \/>\nAs we have seen above: options, options, options is all we have. Remember to choose the right combination of structure, colors, paper and last but not least, finishes. The wrong or unnecessary finish can ruin the beauty of a well designed and thought-out business card.<\/p>\n<address><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><br \/>\nHere are a few of the most common finishes for your business cards:<\/span><\/strong><\/address>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote><p>Custom Die Cut<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Standard shapes and completely custom cuts<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/biz_card_round.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-258 aligncenter\" title=\"biz_card_round\" src=\"http:\/\/mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/biz_card_round.jpg\" alt=\"Custom Die Cut Round Business Card\" width=\"222\" height=\"296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/biz_card_round.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/biz_card_round-60x80.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 222px) 100vw, 222px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<blockquote><p>Rounded Edges<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Accent one, two, three or all four edges<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_round_corner.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-262\" title=\"business_cards_round_corner\" src=\"http:\/\/mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_round_corner.jpg\" alt=\"Business Cards Round Corners Edges\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_round_corner.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_round_corner-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_round_corner-60x40.jpg 60w, https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_round_corner-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>Spot UV<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">UV coating in custom shapes<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_spot-uv.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-270\" title=\"business_cards_spot-uv\" src=\"http:\/\/mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_spot-uv.jpg\" alt=\"Business Card with Spot UV Coating\" width=\"389\" height=\"374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_spot-uv.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_spot-uv-300x288.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_spot-uv-60x57.jpg 60w, https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/business_cards_spot-uv-150x144.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 389px) 100vw, 389px\" \/><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Free Resources:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You can find Print-ready business card templates for many standard sizes by visiting our <a title=\"Bookmark Design Templates\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/art_templates.cfm\" target=\"_blank\">Business Card Templates<\/a> page<\/li>\n<li>Make sure your files are print-ready by following our <a title=\"Print-Ready Checklist for Designers\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/print_ready_checklist.cfm\" target=\"_blank\">Print-Ready Checklist<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"divider\" style=\"color: #3366ff;\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">What combinations have you used to make your business cards stand out?<br \/>\n<\/span><\/h5>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Post your comments below&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Business cards are more than just portable contact information; Designed properly, they can convey character and utility. When designing your business cards, it is important to consider the end-user. Who will be looking at them? (Design) Who will use them? (Information) How will they store them? (Finish) Will it go into a wallet or be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,204,1],"tags":[19,31,30,33,13,11,32,21],"class_list":["post-214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-graphic-design-resources","category-marketing-tips","category-printing-resources","tag-advertising","tag-business-card","tag-business-cards-printing","tag-business-cards-template","tag-cmyk","tag-color","tag-design-business-cards","tag-printing"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}