making your own business cards

LongLensPhotography

LongLensPhotography

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LongLensPhotography
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Has anyone tried and could share some pointers such as the best papers or design practices or print / cutting routine?

I am thinking about just making a row of cards on a 24" roll of some thicker paper (gloss / fine art textured???) and using the printers cut function to hopefully slice them at the top then separate them with regular scissors.

The reverse would just stay blank if that makes sense. I don't think you are even supposed to print on the reverse side???

Please share your thoughts if that makes sense or if you have suggestions for improvements.


Initially I would go with a small batch of 20-30 and then make some more (improved ones?) one I run out.
 
I think home-made and had cut-out business cards has got to be up there with making your own website and leaflet fliers... they can often look distinctly home-made and amateurish, and convey entirely the wrong impression about your business and the quality of service you can offer. That's why going to a well-established and successful design company can pay dividends. My advice for business cards would be get them professionally designed and printed, avoid novelty designs, keep them simple, easy to read and classy looking, and don't forget to use the space on the back to bullet point list the services you can offer, otherwise it's just wasted space. (y)
 
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Mr Badger said:
I think home-made and had cut-out business cards has got to be up there with making your own website and leaflet fliers... they can often look distinctly home-made and amateurish, and convey entirely the wrong impression about your business and the quality of service you can offer. That's why going to a well-established and successful design company can pay dividends. My advice for business cards would be get them professionally designed and printed, avoid novelty designs, keep them simple, easy to read and classy looking, and don't forget to use the space on the back to bullet point list the services you can offer, otherwise it's just wasted space. (y)
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I think that makes sense but on this occasion it probably would be still an improvement over my current professionally printed cards (out of date, cheapish card stock, blank reverse) and my Zenfolio made site is so crap I am taking it into my own hands by the end of the year...

My printer is right up there and I can load any paper I want. It is really just cutting the short edge (long edge cut automatically by the printer) and the reverse side that are the big question-marks. Maybe I'm too optimistic but what are the chances to load the reverse side of the half cut strip into my laserjet?

Most companies (i.e. Vistaprint, Loxley) would only offer basic templates so you effectively still have to design your own.
 
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yzfmike said:
Avery supply business card blanks. 10 on a sheet of A4 card which 'break out' to leave smooth edges. Various weights and finishes including double sided. They are very good.
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Looks interesting. Is 260 gsm enough?
 
350gsm, uncoated, 85x55mm trimmed, 3mm bleed at each edge if required.
 
I used to do Mrs Nod's cards with her business details on one side and her class schedule on the reverse. I used Avery blanks but can't remember the code number. She now gets Vistaprint to do the printing to the same design and format.
 
The only problem with the Avery blanks is they seem to be a fair bit more expensive than finished cards from Vistaprint etc.
 
That's why Mrs Nod went down the Vistaprint route. After a couple of years, her personal schedule settled down so having 500 cards at a time made sense. For the first 2 years or so, she was changing her classes round until she settled on what she still teaches.
 
dcash29 said:
At £9.99 from Vistaprint I wouldn't even bother
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Except it is anything but.

+ VAT + delivery + options + reverse printing and even with an offer you are looking at least £30 for a 100. That is still OK if you have settled with your design and are happy with their papers - premium may be good; standard definitely is not.
 
Just shy of £60 for double sided, full colour on both sides. Rather less than £30/100.
 
I got 10 made for real estate clients last night from Canson Platine paper. It is 310 gsm and I certainly wouldn't want any lower so that rules out Avery.

Top side looks awesome and will double as an example of my typical papers and print quality. The design might need to evolve slightly and there will have to be another for fine art stuff (probably easier one to do!)
https://spark.adobe.com/post/EX41eGdAnf5Cd/
I could probably just use photoshop but that was a little easier.

The reverse got printed on laserjet and it is a little faint but it will do for this time. Probably next iteration run will be on inkjet set as uncoated. Hopefully it will understand what it is being asked to do rather than default to copier paper settings.

Cutting was a bit involving. I just used a ruler and a knife cutter. It wasn't 100%, but easily a 98%. Template left all the edges for me to take care off so a borderless one would be an improvement. I will get a cutting board from ebay - I think there is an A2 one for less than £20.
 
When I have printed out materials for cutting up I have

- used a scalpel or very sharp craft knife
- a cutting ruler (clear plastic with a metal edge embedded into or on to one side (to stop erosion of the straight edge by the knife)
- a proper self healing cutting mat

Its a way better finish than scissors etc
 
LongLensPhotography said:
Except it is anything but.

+ VAT + delivery + options + reverse printing and even with an offer you are looking at least £30 for a 100. That is still OK if you have settled with your design and are happy with their papers - premium may be good; standard definitely is not.
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It was only a suggestion as youre having to ask for advice in the first place. But going off your original brief, i.e. one sided print the cost would be around £13.50 for 100 cards which inc. vat, inc. del. and discount.

However designing your own is pretty straight forward. Design the card, copy and paste multiples on a preformed layout displaying the cut marks (DTP program will do this for you). Print it out on some decent card youve purchased from a local printer or art shop and cut with either a steel rule and scalpel or a Rota paper trimmer. The latter would take you 10 minutes for 100 cards.
 
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I've always made me own, printed on cheap glossy photo paper, cut with a cutting ruler and put them into cold laminating pouches like these

The pouches add protection and make them look quite posh :)
 
I had some business cards run off by Moo a few years. I don't give many out so I wasn't worried about them being the cheapest. I went for some if their thicker Luxe range and can't fault the quality.
 
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I use instant print (web site). They are like vista print but print and fulfill here in the uk. If you visit their site they have a free paper pack that can be sent to you showing stock, sizes and finishes so you can look and feel rather than guess (business cards, leaflets, stationery etc).

For a client I just ordered 500 business cards on 450gsm with a silk finish, printed both sides which cost me £32.99 (including VAT and delivery). Print quality is good, at that price it is not worth messing about with cutting mats and scalpels!!

T
 
Thanks for that link, Tony. Forwarded to Mrs Nod - looks considerably cheaper than Vistaprint.
 
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