Sometimes, if the opportunity presents itself, it is worth considering avoiding some of the costs that come with running a business. Creating business cards is one of those cases when you should consider taking action on your own. If you want to create cheap business cards, you may be interested in learning how to create them in the comfort of your home. Of course, this requires more work and effort than handing the project over to a specialist, but you can have full control over the look and the costs you incur. In this article, you will learn the answer to the question "how to make my own business cards?".

What are business cards, and what are they used for?

Business cards contain on them the most important information about the company or person. Usually, it’s the company name, logo, and contact information. Going to a business meeting or a place where you can meet potential customers or other people interested in your company, business cards can be very helpful. They are used to formally exchange between people in the same industry or to hand to other people interested in your company as a later reminder to them about you.

How to design your own business cards?

1. Design business cards - do a project

The first and most crucial step is to come up with and create your business card design. You can let your imagination run wild here and have a lot of fun doing it. If you are not one of the creative people, don't worry. You can find plenty of tutorials recorded by specialists on the Internet to help awaken your inspiration.

the person designs the company logotype that will be on the business card

Logo

A logo is a basic element that every company, even small, and individual entrepreneurs has. It's a good idea to include a logo in your business card design. This way, you will have a chance to create your brand identity and the logo itself will become recognizable. The logo itself should be simple and without too many quirks. Very often, less is more, so go for minimalism.

Information about the company

You need to make a selection of the information about your company or yourself that you want to include in your business cards. The most important are:

  • Name - your full name and surname make you appear in the eyes of the recipient as a person, not as a whole company. Try to avoid nicknames and abbreviations as you strive for a professional effect.
  • Company name - your name must be associated with a specific place. The business card serves to make the recipients remember your company name.
  • Job title - you need to clearly state what your company does and what services it can offer. Use simple and understandable words so that no one will have a problem deciphering your profession.
  • Contact information - contact information is also very important. You should include your phone number, email, company address, website link, and social media accounts (if you have them).

If you still have free space, it's worth thinking about additional elements that you can add to your business card design. This could be your company's slogan, a QR code that redirects the recipient directly to your website, or other additional embellishments.

Shape and size of cards

You need to decide what size and shape you want to design your business card in. For example, in the United States, the standard size for business cards is 3.5 inches by 2 inches in a rectangular shape. It would be a good idea to stay with the basic dimensions because a lot of business card templates online are in that size. However, don't let that limit your imagination. If you have an idea for an unusual and memorable business card, then go for it.

Colors and font

Moving on to the aesthetic part of the design, you need to choose the colors of your business cards in the right way. Shade is also important, as usually dark and subdued colors are selected for serious and professional businesses, for example, accounting, and law firms. On the other hand, bright and cheerful colors are more suitable for fun and casual businesses.

You also need to choose the font wisely, as it must be both legible, but also elegant, and interesting. The font should be easy to read, without unnecessary embellishments or crazy colors.

Ornaments

It is advisable to follow minimalism when decorating your business cards. Once you have chosen a dominant color, you can add various ornaments, such as geometric figures, in shades of that color. There are a lot of business card templates, where you have ready-made designs and interesting suggestions.

2. Choose the program you will use

There are many websites and programs, adapted for creating presentations, graphics, posters, and business cards. Along with a huge number of fonts, graphics, and layouts to choose from, you can also find there templates that will make the process of making your business cards much easier. Choose one that best suits your requirements and skills, and you certainly won't regret it.

3. Choose the paper

Good quality paper is the basis of a business card. The standard thickness of a business card is 14 pt, and that's the one that your home printer will handle. You also need to choose your paper color. We recommend sticking to light colors, such as white or cream, because you may not be able to see the print on a dark one. Finally, think about adding a glossy or matte surface. The first one will go better with colorful cards, and the second one with more muted colors. If your paper won't be pre-sliced into easily peeled pieces, it's worth investing in a paper cutter, so your business cards have smooth and nice edges.

4. Print your business cards at home

The first thing you need to do is check if your printer can handle such a task. The next step is to print a test run on ordinary paper to make sure your design looks good and that the ink has the right colors. Try to print in batches, instead of printing everything at once. This will prevent the sheets from sticking together or running out of ink.

Programs you can use

1. Canva

Canva is a very simple and intuitive program for creating various types of projects. It is available in a free version and a premium version, which unlocks many additional elements and options. It is mainly dedicated to amateurs without much graphic knowledge. There are many already ready-made business card templates, which can be the base for your project. There you can choose from thousands of icons, graphics, images, fonts, and other add-ons, which makes your business card one of a kind.

2. Microsoft Word

Word is usually associated with text documents, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have more options. It comes with many business card templates that you may find very useful. Unfortunately, you must have a Microsoft Office subscription to use it, but it's worth the investment.

3. Adobe Express

Adobe Express is like a much easier version of Photoshop. This Adobe Creative Cloud application will give you access to a huge number of ways to create all sorts of graphics, flyers, logos, and much more. There is a free option where you can find a huge number of templates to use for your project.

man handing a business card

Electronic business cards vs. printed business cards

Nowadays, technological developments allow us to develop our business very much in the virtual world. More and more entrepreneurs are choosing to use electronic business cards instead of traditional ones. Like everything, of course, this solution has its advantages and disadvantages.

Printed business cards give a more personal touch. When exchanging business cards with someone, you don't do it just to exchange data and smiles, but to build a personal connection and loyal customer base. Besides, by choosing this option, you have much more opportunities to be creative. If it's printed, it can be in any shape size, and color you can think of. And another very important thing is the first impression. Printed business cards immediately attract the attention of your interlocutor and leave him with something by which he can remember you.

Looking at the downsides, here you have to take into account the cost of design and printing, the difficulty of updating information and, unfortunately, the limited amount of space that may not allow us to add all the information about our company.

Virtual business cards are designed to quickly share the most important information about a company in the form of a PDF file, via email, text message, or social media. Their advantages include that they are easy to design, edit and upload, and there is no need to spend money to print them. You can enhance your business card by making it interactive and adding various sound or visual effects to it. Unfortunately, this solution is much less personal, and no contact is made with the recipient. In addition, a person receiving virtual business cards in the mail can easily miss them in a flurry of multiple messages.

The best solution would be to choose both of these options, mainly because they complement each other. This does not generate additional costs and can be more visually appealing and timely. It's not worth limiting yourself to one option because both are associated with fantastic results.

Making business cards at home

It is possible to create business cards at home. However, you need to think carefully about whether your equipment is of good enough quality to take on this challenge. If you were to buy a new one, it would be more cost-effective than going to a specialist to design and print them. Still, it's a cheap alternative that, in addition, allows you to have full control over the project and maybe feel a bit of fun in the process.

We hope that thanks to this article, you have already learned the answer to the question “how to make my own business cards” and will be able to take on this challenge on your own.

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