How to Make a Business Card and Leave a Lasting Impression

When you’re pitching yourself as a freelancer or your business as a provider, you only have a few seconds to leave a lasting impression while also containing the needed contact information. You open up your browser and look through the plethora of websites and options out there, but you can’t find the right one, or, worse yet, you are unable to decide because you don’t know what exactly is a business card and what needs to go on it. Well, have no fear, Fotor is here! Let’s talk about business card design sensibilities, and then we can work together to make our own business card using Fotor’s tools available to you!

Business Card Still Matters

But, isn’t the business card dead in a world of phones and chat apps like What’s App and social media like Facebook? Well, not necessarily for a couple reasons.

• Everything in One

The first is that you can give them more than one means of communication. Some people like texting, some What’s App, some e-mail. You don’t know, so giving them a piece of paper with all the different methods you can be reached is still necessary.

• Business Cards Are Always in Fashion

The second is: some people aren’t as technically savvy as you may be. Younger generations are used to the digital world we live in, but there are still many who are living a decade or two behind, which means they call and e-mail. The same is true for business cards. They still see them as essential for doing business. So, for the time being, you’re going to need a business card. Also, entering information into a phone can take a while. If you want them to add you on their social media of choice, do they have internet connection? A Spanish translator missed out on a job with me because she didn’t have internet on her phone to add me. She didn’t even consider phone numbers.

• File It in Your Memory

One of the reasons I like the business card is because it’s a physical thing. Things stick in our heads longer when it’s something we can interact with. Yes, someone will interact with their phone while entering your information, but they do that all the time all day. This is something unique that you’re giving to them. It’s a new possession and will likely be easier for them to remember.

What is a Business Card?

This might seem like a silly question to ask; however, reviewing the basic principles behind anything is a great way to spark the imaginative process. So, what is a business card? A business card is a 3” by 2.5” stiff piece of paper with contact information that people exchange with one another for further contact after a face-to-face meeting.

What’s the primary purpose of the business card? It’s clear that it’s about exchanging contact information that the recipient can use later when needed. That tells us one thing: we need to make sure that our information is not only easy to read but up to date. You can’t be crossing out old information and writing in new information with a pen. First off, what if it fades or rubs off? Then, they can’t contact you. Also, it looks unprofessional. If you can’t get your ducks in a row when making a simple business, that doesn’t bode well for larger projects and can dissuade others from picking up their phone to contact you. So, we need readable and up-to-date contact information because that’s what the business card’s for: contact information exchange.

What Information Goes on a Business Card?

The next question we need to answer is this one. We need to make sure we have relevant information that makes it easy for businesses to contact us. Most would agree that you need:

• Name
• Company
• Title
• Phone
• E-mail
• Address
• Website

Depending on your region, it will depend if you include other information. As someone who works in China, I need to also include my QQ number and WeChat account, since those are the primary means of communication. In other areas, you may need Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or others. Some still may need to even include a fax number.

Consider QR codes as well. Many areas use them, and it’s a quick way to get people to your website or transmit other data to the person. It’s a great way to also gauge interest!

Something else you’ll need is you or your entity’s logo. You should make this more prominent, probably in the center. As we learned in the logo article (LINK HERE), logos are a powerful tool to express your message. So, make sure to feature it.

What Shape is right for you?

Nowadays, you don’t need to stick to the standard rectangle that business cards have traditionally been. You can choose from a variety of shapes. Die-cutting your business cards can really make them stand out amongst the rectangular monotony.

You can even form the card around the shape that can help express even better your business and what it does. Check out the pictures above for some inspiration.

How Should I Layout My Business Card?

Here are the standard sizes for business cards:

• 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)

Also, you can’t use every square inch on it because you need to leave room in case of errors

What are those three lines mentioned above in the diagram?

• Bleed area: on the edge of the card, more than likely to be removed.
• Trim line: where the card should be cut.
• Safety line: outside the line can be hit with cutting errors.

These are the safeties you need to have in place for your design. The trim line is set at .125 in. (3mm) from the edge. Then, comes the safety line .125 in. (3mm) inside, for a total of a .25 in. (6mm).

Where Do I Put My Logo and Graphics?

Like I said earlier, your logo should be front and center. Include your information on this side, so they get everything in a compact design all on one side. Don’t forget, though, you have another entire side to use. You could add a few different things, like:

A map

Courtesy of boat.jeremyeaton.co

Logo

Courtesy of uprinting.com

Now, if you operate in a region that has a large population of different language speakers, it would be a great idea to add the translation on the back.

What Colors Should I Use?

When it comes to coloring, using your business’ colors is always an apt choice. You can do a bunch of different color schemes on Fotor, and it will help you choose complementary colors that won’t clash, simplifying the process of coloring that even the most color-impaired individuals can use.

• How Can I Make My Business Card Stand Out?

Like I said above, there are so many new things we can do with business cards with the advent of technology.

• Embossing

This technique creates three-dimensional reliefs, letting you choose areas that pop out. It’s great to draw attention to specific parts of your card, including words.

• Letterpressing

What this technique does is imprint some of the paper down while inking. It looks like your card has been engraved, and special ink can draw further attention to it. It is really great to give your words greater gravitas.

• Foil stamping

To add something shiny and reflective, you can apply foil stamping to either the whole image or parts of it, kind of like the holofoil trading cards you collected as a kid. It also works great for accented text with a bold enough typeface.

• Spot UV coating

A lot of people apply a sleek varnish to create a sheen and smooth texture for their cards. Spot UV coating is the same thing, except applied to areas of your choice. This means you can give your logo, specific graphics, or words a glossy finish.

How to Make a Business Card?

Let’s take a look now and see how to make a business card. Follow me!

First, you want to choose Design and scroll down to “MARKETING” where the business card template is.

On the next page, you can see tons of templates to choose from. And you can also broswer more business card templates in our Design Gallery.

After choosing one business card template, click “Use this Template” to apply and modify the front page and back page.

On the right side you can add an additional page for the other side of your card.

You can also import and then drag and drop your own images that you like to replace the one in the template.

If you want to edit the photo, click “Effects”, then “More editing options”. You’ll be taken here to the photo editor page. Once you’re done, click “Save and return”.

From here, you can easily modify the text exact way you wish, such as changing the fonts, the colors, and the text itself.

Now, to create a logo, you can upload your own design. If you don’t have something ready, never fear! There is the “Sticker” tool on the left, and you can simply use Fotor’s stickers to create your own logo.

Take some time and explore all the stickers they have available. There are some great options for you to explore.

And then click page two on the right side to do the corresponding changes of the back page.

When you’re done, now you can save it. Make sure you save all pages. For printing purpose, we strongly recommend using PDF format when saving.

And that’s how you create a beautiful business card of your own from Fotor’s template.

Templates for Any and All Businesses

If you don’t have the time to create your own business card from scratch, Fotor has a bevy of options available to you no matter what industry you’re in. They have options that range from bakeries that specialize in cupcakes to freelancers in music, writing, law, you name it. It will take you no more than one hour to go from a stock template to a business card all your own with a few simple clicks.

Our template styles are varied, which means we have a look that will match the feel and atmosphere you want your clients to absorb. No matter your proclivity for a traditional look or something more avant-garde, Fotor has you covered. Their fonts, color schemes, and structures are easy to read, eye-catching, and colorful enough for any needs you might have.

Now it’s time for you to design a stunning business card of your own! Making a business card that leaves a lasting impressing is much easier with Fotor now right?