It's easy to make a bad business card. Sometimes there's too much information for such a small amount of space. There are a few things that you can keep in mind when designing that may help.
I'll be using generic googled photos for examples because I'm too lazy to plug in my hard-drive.
Make sure the design doesn't overshadow the information. If anything, the design should lead the eye to the information. A business card is intended to convey information so if people can't find it, the business card is useless. Pertinent information should be legible. Fonts are fun to play with but some aren't easy to read. Also, know your audience. If you deal with elderly people you may want to consider using a larger font with a decent amount of kerning so they don't have to go on a hunt for their reading glasses. Transparency on pertinent information is not recommended. "What is pertinent information?" you may be asking...
2. Pertinent Information
- Name
- Number/Email/Website
- What you do
These are the basics. Figure out your name and contact information. When it comes to what you do, take your time to figure that out rather than listing out all of your skills on the business card. If you don't quite know how to explain what it is you do, maybe you need to try brainstorming, throw out some words that describe what you do.
Example:
Q. what do I offer my clients, what do I specialize in?
A. Operational toilets, paint, yard work, piano tuning
So with this cluster of words you might come up with "Plumber/Handyman", which makes sense. Sometimes you will find that you need to make more than one set of cards. You can't be a "Plumber, Handyman and Piano Tuner" all in one card. While some people will think you are resourceful, many others will think that you don't specialize in the trade they are looking for and find you to be an undesirable candidate for the job. I like to substitute "Senior Genius" as my job title until I figure out what best describes the position.
3. Focal Point
The focal point of a business card is usually the logo and/or the pertinent information. As stated in the first point, the design should lead the eye to the information. You can use line, color, negative space or a number of other fancy terms to get the audience to look at your name, number and other tidbits. If your logo is terrible, seek help immediately or don't use it at all...
4. Don't Clutter It Up
Photoshop offers a number of fine filters. This does not mean all of them should be used at once. When you use filters, make it count! There's nothing worse than a business card with a montage of the "Plumber/Handyman's" face with a transparency of a toilet in the background with a motion blurred wrench and some unidentifiable object. Often, less is more, not to say multiple filters can't look good, you just have to choose your battles. Don't clutter the business card with your inner-most thoughts either, too much text is too much text. Get to the point!Click on the image below to get the gist
5. Font Choice
I personally don't use more than two, maybe three fonts on a business card. Once you get past three fonts, things start to look confusing and convoluted. You might think that the variety is needed, but it makes things look unorganized and that is how the client will perceive you. The fonts should be legible and as long as this is accomplished, you're in good hands (Allstate, pay me).
6. Don't Be Intrusive
If you happen to be designing a business card for someone else, don't make your self-promotion intrusive. I personally don't put my information on other people's business cards because I think the card should be about the client, not the designer. Some designers however place their website, logo and/or email on the back of the card or somewhere obsolete which is considerate (I don't judge). And then there's other designers who like to make their self-promotion splendiferous and grand! On a scale of 1 to 10, their self-promotion is Kanye West. So if you can't be inconspicuous, don't put your information on the business card. Let your client shine!
7. Resolution and Dimensions
Maybe this should have been the first suggestion, just imagine it is...Before you even start your business cards, have an idea of what dimensions you want them to be. A typical business card is 3.5 by 2 inches, this fits in a rolodex, congratulations. You should use a resolution of at least 150 pixels/inch. I usually go with 300 just to explode my file size.
Anyway, some people have managed to stray from these suggestions and still have a decent looking business card. Go figure, "Yes we can!"
Here's some video to help illustrate my point or further confuse you:
