How to create a business card: design tips, useful services. Rules for creating the right selling business card Tips or requirements for creating business cards

Of course, every reputable company should have a small document briefly telling about it. It’s not for nothing that they say that your business card is your face. Therefore, it must look appropriate. If your card has crumpled corners or crooked text, it's unlikely that anyone will want to do business with you. Therefore, a business card and its design require serious consideration. After all, the reputation of your company or your own may depend on this.

So, to make your card look presentable and attract people's attention, you need to learn some business card design rules.

Whom do we represent?

First you need to decide what or who your card will represent. If you do it for a corporation or firm, then it will be corporate. If you represent your personality, then you definitely need a personal (personal) business card. The design will, of course, differ, but not significantly.

A little about standards

In order to move on to thinking about the design of the map and the location of the text, you need to decide on its size. There are certain standards. It turns out that each country has certain sizes. Some of them are listed in the table below.

Choosing a size

Don't neglect the size of your business card. Follow generally accepted standards and choose standard parameters for Russia - 90 x 50. Then you definitely won’t go wrong with the dimensions of your business card. You can see templates that meet the standards in the article. Some people try to stand out by changing their shape, but it’s better not to do this. Business card holders, the sizes of which are always standard, will not allow you to store a card of an “irregular” shape, so there is a high probability that your business attribute will get lost in the papers or even go into the trash bin.

Basic Design Principles

Once you decide on the size, you can start choosing a design. First, decide what you want and what you want your business card to look like. The design must be original and eye-catching. Creating business cards is a process that requires good imagination and productive imagination. A few tips on how to make your document original and memorable will help you decide on the design of your business card.

The first piece of advice is this: think about what color should prevail on yours. According to psychologists, color has a positive effect on a person’s memory. It is a kind of “hook” for our brain, which allows us to reconstruct the course of past events. Using a bright color will definitely make your business card stand out from the rest, but you need to think about color combinations in advance. According to experts, it is not recommended to combine more than two or three, since excessive “variegation” distracts attention from the essence, that is, from the information. The most preferred colors remain standard shades: green, blue, black, white, gray, blue, yellow.

If you are a representative of a business company, adhere to ethics consistent with your business activities. Use classic colors. The combination of black, white and gray is not at all as dull as it might seem at first glance.

In any case, everyone chooses the design themselves in accordance with their tastes and preferences. Some people choose a strict minimalist style, others choose a bright and extraordinary style. And some people just can’t decide on a design. By the way, business cards designed by professionals will solve your problem. You can order a ready-made layout, or you can develop it yourself and choose any color and pattern you want. Remember: a business card, the design of which does not contradict the basic principles of design, will definitely attract the attention of not only ordinary people or business partners, but also competitors.

The most important thing in your business card is the information. Moreover, it should be meaningful, answering basic questions. The information design of which is in the article) must be consistent with certain rules.

Your document must include:

• Brief information about the type of activity of a corporation or one person. Here you should write the main directions and scope of your services.
• Your name. It is very important to choose the right font and size. Your name should stand out from the rest of the information. Whether to add a middle name is entirely your decision, but even if you write only your first and last name, that will be quite enough.
• Contact Information. First of all, there must be an address of your business. It is equally important to have a contact phone number. If you represent a corporation, it is better to write the city number. If this is a personal card, you can also use a cell number, but keep in mind that you must be in touch, and if you lose your cell phone, the information contained on the business card will no longer be relevant. A fax number and email address must also be provided.

We complement and decorate

Additional information as well as design elements may include:

• Logo. If your business card is corporate, then the logo image on it will be very appropriate. If it’s personal, then the logo can be replaced with your photo, although some consider this to be in bad taste. An addition to your business card will be an image of an item related to your business. For example, if the media represents a confectionery company, you can make your logo an image of any confectionery product.
• Tagline. A well-chosen and appropriate slogan can complement the basic information about your corporation and service sector. It can be written in prose or poetry and placed on the blank side of the business card. Interesting phrases, quotes or slogans that reflect the mood of the owner or company will make the card more lively and creative. For example, an excellent slogan for a shoe company could be the following phrase: “Find your pair!”

When composing the content of your map, do not forget that there should not be too much text, otherwise the main information will simply be lost among the extraneous noise. According to psychologists, storage media with a lot of free space look more stylish. Your business card should be readable. This means that you need to avoid illegible fonts, and also pay attention that they should not be too small. Avoid phrases and sentences that do not carry any semantic meaning. Try not to use flashy decorative elements. If you, for example, have a green business card, then an acid-orange frame will definitely not decorate it. On the contrary, the main information will be lost against its background.

So, summing up all of the above, we formulate the most important advice: do not ignore the information design of business cards. You can see samples in the article. They will help you decide how to correctly place information so that the text is placed logically.

Measure seven times - cut once

There's no need to rush. Before sending your data to the publisher, be sure to check the information you are going to print. It must be reliable. There's nothing worse than picking up a document and seeing a typo in your email address or name. Caution and attentiveness are two important factors influencing the production of business cards.

Business cards printing

First, pay attention to the quality of the paper. Your business card should remain presentable even after some time. Therefore, opt for paper that is strong enough that it will not be easy to wrinkle or bend. Under no circumstances use cheap paper that resembles an A4 sheet in structure. Such business cards do not last long, and the people to whom you give them will immediately suspect that you saved money on cards.

Conclusion: before sending your mini-document to the printing house, make a preliminary business card layout. Decide whether it meets all your requirements. Only then can you start printing business cards.

The most common mistakes

1. Secret. If someone looks at your business card and doesn't get the information they need about its owner, your services are unlikely to be in demand.
2. Poor quality. Saving and making business cards are incompatible concepts. Low quality paper indicates low quality goods and services.
3. Mess. Information noise and violation of the rules for posting information will only create chaos on your map, consisting of letters and numbers. Such a mess is unreadable.

Thus, we can draw a general conclusion: if you follow all the rules for designing business cards, then your storage medium will definitely make a lasting impression. The card will briefly describe the activities or work of your company and the contacts through which you can be contacted. But remember that the business card that is remembered is the one whose design differs from the rest in creativity and originality. The article contains photos showing business cards. Templates, layouts, etc. are up to you to choose.

The right business card is an integral part of business reputation

I am sure that each of you, since you have come to this site, is going to become an entrepreneur, have your own business, earn good money and establish business connections. Perhaps some are already successfully doing this, but this article will be of interest to you too. Today we will talk about business cards. Yes, yes, about ordinary paper business cards that can briefly tell you who you are, what you do, what field of activity you represent.
A business card is an integral part of any business. Whatever you do: providing consulting services, creating and developing websites, selling goods, you definitely need a business card that will become the face of the company. Many experts note that a business card is the simplest, but at the same time very effective business tool with which you can convey information about yourself and your business to potential clients and partners.

Many entrepreneurs ignore this business tool, believing that business cards are not effective, that they are unnecessary expenses, that they have long since become obsolete. But, as practice shows, a properly designed business card can be many times more effective than a big board in the city center. Don't believe me? I won’t try to convince you otherwise, and it’s unlikely that I’ll succeed. I’ll just say one thing: from my own experience I felt how several thousand correctly made business cards can attract more than a hundred customers, most of whom will place an order. Of course, designing a business card is only part of the overall success. You also need to be able to work with them, but this is a topic for a completely different article. Today we will tell you about 10 signs of a correct and effective business card.

10 signs of the right business card

1. Pay special attention to the text
You have all seen business cards - they are a rectangle measuring 5 by 9 centimeters. The most common mistake many entrepreneurs make is that they want to put a lot of information on this small piece of paper. Remember, a business card is not an advertising booklet, and you shouldn’t try to fit everything in there. Personally, I had to hold in my hands such business cards, on which there were photos of products, a map of directions to the office, a small description of the company, addresses, phone numbers, and names of employees. It looked terrible, and, to be honest, I didn’t want to look closely and make out what was written and drawn there.

The right business card should contain concise and clear information. It is enough if you indicate the company name, address, contact phone number, your first and last name, as well as your position. That’s it, in fact, you don’t have to put anything else on the business card. Of course, each business card has its own purpose, but the main thing to remember is that information overload is a huge disadvantage. Clarity, conciseness, and information content - these are the three main commandments of the text of a proper business card.

One more thing I would like to draw your attention to. Never duplicate business card text in a foreign language. I understand that you can save money this way, and it seems to you that in this way you will give your business card some seriousness, but in reality, this is bad form. If you have partners in other countries and you are planning a meeting with them, then take the trouble to order a batch of business cards especially for them, in their native language.

2. Graphics and background for the right business card
Just 10 years ago, business cards used by businessmen were full of different colors, designs, logos, and this was considered the norm. I don’t know how such business cards were perceived, but the trend was serious. Now the era of minimalism in everything has come. This “fashion” has also not spared business cards. There is no need to use a lot of graphic elements, drawings, logos, all sorts of photographs and patterns.
Many experts even advise against using a logo on a business card if it is not designed in a minimalist style. You may ask, why minimal? What's so special about it? Yes, everything is simple, it incorporates the three basics of a proper business card: clarity, conciseness, and information content. A business card made in light and calm colors, not conspicuous, but at the same time attracting attention, will be the best option.

3. Arrangement of elements
How you arrange all the elements on the business card also plays a very important role. That's why I say that you shouldn't do a lot of them, because then the possibility of correct placement will be very limited, and the business card will not bring the desired effect.
After you make a business card layout, order several test versions. Let the printing company print them out, and then you can really evaluate the practicality and ease of use of your business card. How to do it? Well, one of the simplest options: take a business card in your left hand and a mobile phone in your right, as if you were about to dial a number. When holding a business card, do you cover up part of the phone number? If you close it, then draw conclusions about how it would be more convenient to place it. In general, twirl the business card in your hands, evaluate it, give it to several friends, let them look at it, tell you their opinion, pay attention to what they like and what they don’t.

4. Fonts
Playing with fonts is perhaps the worst thing a designer can hear from a client. Why? Yes, because there are a huge number of fonts, and the customer wants to try and put the most beautiful ones on his business card.
Yes, there are a lot of beautiful and attractive fonts, but you need to understand that you can combine a maximum of two on a business card. This is done so that your card looks solid, and not like one drawn by a fifth grader in a simple graphics editor. Always remember - two fonts and no more. Otherwise, even if you think it is very beautiful, you risk getting a low-quality business card that can significantly damage your reputation.

5. Color scheme
The rainbow has seven colors, monitors can display millions of shades, and in your imagination such incredible combinations can appear that it’s hard to imagine. But this does not mean at all that you need to make your business card a riot of colors and imagination. Again, stick to the rule of minimalism, and use a maximum of 2-3 colors when creating a business card color system. And the colors need to be selected so that they combine and complement each other as well as possible.

Look at the largest and most popular sites in the world - Facebook, Vkontakte, Google, Wikipedia, Yahoo. They all have one thing in common - a clear and concise use of colors. So you build on this trend. Believe me, the design developers for these Internet giants certainly know what and how they suit most people in the world, what their preferences and reactions to certain colors are. Also, don’t forget about your signature colors. If they exist, then the business card should be made in a similar color scheme.

6. Material the right business cards
Here you can already fantasize and not stop. Now there are many materials on which your business card can be made. This includes paper, plastic, various types of wood, and even exotic materials such as leather or rubber.
So what should we start from? As a rule, the material should be selected based on the scope of your activity and the objectives of using business cards. If you are selling some unusual and amazing gifts, then it is better to make a creative, attention-grabbing business card. Looking at such a business card, it will be immediately clear that you can find something interesting and unusual. If the business card is intended for business partners, then it is better to choose standard thick paper and cover it with a thin layer of varnish.

7. How to make the right business card
Here, too, you have freedom of choice. First of all, the method depends on the material you choose. Next, you should pay attention to how and where the business card will be used. Modern printing centers offer many different options for making business cards - offset printing, silk-screen printing, embossing, die-cutting, and dozens of other methods, each of which has its own pros and cons. Here, as they say, there are no comrades according to taste. If you see that one of the listed methods fits perfectly with the style and material of your business card, then go ahead and do just that. You can read more about the various manufacturing methods on the websites of printing centers that offer a similar service.

By the way, since we are talking about making business cards, I ask you to promise me one thing. You will never print your business cards on a color printer and then cut them out with scissors. Believe me, this way you will not save money, but will only spoil your reputation. Self-made business cards on a printer are terrible quality, callousness, and disrespect for those to whom you give such a business card. If I received a similar card from a business partner, I would think several times about whether it’s worth working with him if he costs a couple of tens of dollars for a thousand high-quality business cards.

8. Storing business cards
Back pockets of trousers, inside pockets of jackets, various compartments in bags and backpacks are absolutely not the places where you can and should store business cards. Firstly, it’s not entirely respectable when you take out a wrinkled and not very “fresh” business card from your back pocket. Secondly, by storing your business card in this way, you will wear them out very quickly and they will become unattractive.
Therefore, buy yourself a business card holder. It will keep your cards in good shape, and it will look respectable when you present your business card, taking it out of the shiny, beautiful, neat business card holder.

9. Correction on a business card
Has your address or phone number changed? Then we throw out the old business cards and immediately order new ones, with more up-to-date information. Of course, you can correct incorrect data with a pen, and this will help potential clients get information. But at the same time, they will conclude that you are not serious about your business.

I once encountered such a case myself. I wanted to order household appliances in the store, but they were out of stock, and they offered to place an order, leaving a small prepayment. I decided to think a little, and they gave me a business card with their contact information so that I could call them and tell them about my decision. Imagine the surprise when the address and phone number on the business card were corrected with a pen. As for me, a company that wants to bring me equipment worth a couple of thousand dollars should not save several hundred rubles on high-quality business cards. I immediately got the impression that they could also save on technology by bringing me a TV “fixed by hand.”

10. Errors and typos
Check business cards at all stages of production. You’ve written the text - check it, made a preliminary layout - check it, ordered a trial copy - check everything for errors and typos. Also give business cards to your colleagues and company employees, let them look with fresh eyes and maybe find some inaccuracies. Even when you double-checked everything, sent the layout for final printing, and after some time came to pick up the finished product, check everything in detail again.
One small mistake on a business card is a hundred times worse than several typos in an advertising brochure. Be as demanding as possible of yourself and the text of your business card.

A business card is an integral part of the image of any entrepreneur. This is not only an advertisement for your goods and services, but also the face of the company, so the production of this business tool should be approached with all responsibility, and we will help you with this.

A business card is not an advertising brochure

This is worth remembering for every person who is going to make their own cards for the employees of their company or for themselves personally. Pay attention to what format the future business card will be. Examples of sizes are varied, but it is worth choosing the standard 5 by 9 centimeters. This will be quite enough to place important information, not to “blow the mind” of the future client with unnecessary trifles, and to place the card in the most compact wallet.

There should be a minimum of information. Conciseness and information content, that is, the phone number and address of the company, what you do, the name and surname of the employee, position. All. You shouldn’t cram in information about all your products and services, list the names of employees, and even less push in a map to your office. Most of these overloaded business cards end up in the nearest trash can before they even have time to warm up in the hand of a future client.

Variety of languages

One wrong decision can completely ruin your business card. Examples of incorrect business cards include putting information on them in different languages. If you decide to attract clients from other countries or you have business partners in different countries, then spare no expense in producing a batch of cards for foreigners.

By printing in different languages ​​on the same business card, you will ruin the company's reputation and will be known as greedy people. In business, this should not be allowed to flourish, and not to overwhelm the whole business with the wrong “face of the company.”

Rainbow of colors

Not so long ago, business cards were more fashionable if they had a variety of colors in their graphics. The fact is that even 10 years ago, using a color printer was a status symbol. Now this method is not relevant, and the era of minimalism has come. She touched on everything, including the business information cards.

Just looking at the examples of business cards (photo below) with the wrong choice of colors, you want to close your eyes, because it seems that you are holding in your hands not business information, but a dancing gypsy camp. Few people will want to cooperate with a company whose business cards have no meaning or taste.

Remember the three rules of an elegant card: minimalism, conciseness, and information content. This also applies to the colors chosen for decoration. Use your company's color scheme (if you have one), making sure that all the tones are compatible. Business cards, the design examples of which are correct, have no more than three or four colors that are completely in harmony with each other.

Also, the font color should be business black. You cannot write in a new shade on each line, even if you offer to buy paints.

How to arrange the elements?

Business cards, the design examples of which inspire admiration, differ in the arrangement of all elements.

To make the card truly work, order several types of printed business cards, this is the only way you can identify their shortcomings. Take the phone in one hand, and an informative “piece of paper” in the other, then swap them. If in any case the contacts were covered with your finger, then change the arrangement of the elements.

The company logo should be placed in the upper corner, or you can completely abandon it so as not to clutter the information view.

Materials for business cards

A business card does not have to be exclusively cardboard. Examples of materials for manufacturing: leather, wood, plastic, rubber, exotic base and others. It all depends on your imagination. But keep this point in mind: the raw materials for making cards must correspond to the line of business of your company. It would be unethical to give out business cards made from animal skin when you are raising funds to save rare species.

Companies involved in the production of business cards offer a lot of options for applying fonts: embroidery, burning, and simple application of information with paints. To ensure that the base of the card is in harmony with the method of applying letters and numbers on it, think carefully when choosing this or that design proposal.

An example of the right business card: professional production

To avoid being branded as a redneck and a person who does not respect business partners, never make business cards yourself. It is clear that everyone is chasing savings, but this should not affect the company’s reputation.

Nowadays, all offices have color printers, and you might think that it is possible to make cards yourself. If you are not a professional designer, then do not undertake to create, print, or even cut out business cards with scissors. This is poor quality, possible bad taste, incorrect design. As a result, we saved two rubles, but lost a million by missing out on clients. Order business cards from professionals.

Business card holder

If you think that allocating money to purchase a business card holder for storing cards is a waste, then you are very mistaken. Would you personally like it if you received a business card from someone who took it out of his back pants pocket? I think not very much. First of all, it's unethical. Secondly, the card will be in terrible condition.

A person can sit down several times during the day. Thus, business cards become wrinkled and worn out, losing their entire appearance. Jacket pockets are also not able to preserve the original appearance of the card, so it’s worth purchasing a business card holder to store them. It will not only keep the “face of the company” intact, but will also emphasize the style of a business person.

A business card, the design examples of which we have provided you with, should become a business tool for attracting clients and partners, so do not spare any expense on its production!