Of course, every reputable firm should have a small document describing it briefly. No wonder they say that a business card is your face. So it should look right. If your card has crumpled corners or crooked text, no one is likely to want to do business with you. Therefore, a business card and its design require a serious attitude. After all, the reputation of your company or your own may depend on this.
So, in order for your card to look presentable and attract people's attention, you need to learn some business card design rules.
Who do we represent?
First you need to decide what or who your card will represent. If you are doing 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, of course, will differ, but not significantly.
A little about standards
In order to move on to thinking about the design of the card and the location of the text, you need to decide on its size. There are certain standards. It turns out that each country is characterized by certain sizes. Some of them are listed in the table below.
| Country | Dimensions, mm | |
| Width | Height | |
| USA | 89 | 51 |
| China | 90 | 54 |
| France | 85 | 55 |
| Germany | 85 | 55 |
| Russia | 90 | 50 |
| Japan | 91 | 55 |
Choose size
Don't neglect the size of your business card. Follow the generally accepted standards and choose the standard parameters for Russia - 90 x 50. Then you definitely won't go wrong with the dimensions of the business card. You can see templates that comply with the standards in the article. Someone tries to stand out by changing the form, but it is 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 be lost in the papers or even go to the trash can.
Basic Design Principles
After you decide on the size, you can start choosing a design. First, decide what you want and what your business card should look like. The design should be original, 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 tip is this: think about what color shouldprevail on your business card. According to psychologists, color has a positive effect on human memory. It is a kind of “hook” for our brain, which allows us to restore 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, as excessive "variegation" distracts attention from the essence, that is, from information. Standard shades remain the most preferred colors: green, blue, black, white, gray, blue, yellow.
If you are a representative of a business company, adhere to the ethics that are appropriate for 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 of a business card according to their own tastes and preferences. Someone chooses a strict minimalist style, someone - bright and extraordinary. And someone can not decide on the design at all. By the way, business cards designed by professionals will solve your problem. You can order a ready-made layout, or you can design it yourself and choose any color and pattern your heart desires. 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.
Goodcontent is the key to success
The most important thing in your business card is information. Moreover, it should be informative, answering the main questions. The informational design of business cards (samples of which are in the article) must comply with certain rules.
Your document must have:
- Brief information about the type of activity of a corporation or a single 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 ascribe a middle name is purely your decision, but even if you write only the first and last name, this will be enough.
- Contact information. First of all, there should be the address of your enterprise. Equally important is the presence of 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 in case of loss of a cell phone, the information contained on the business card will no longer be relevant. The fax number and email address must also be included.
Complementing and decorating
Additional information, as well as design elements can be:
- Logo. If your business card is corporate, then the image of the logo on it will be very appropriate. If personal, then the logo can be replaced with your photo, although someone considers this to be in bad taste. An image will become an addition that decorates your business card.item related to your business. For example, if the media represents a confectionery company, you could choose any confectionery as your logo.
- Slogan. A well-chosen and appropriate slogan can complement the basic information about your corporation and service industry. It can be thought up in prose or poetry and placed on the blank side of a 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, a great slogan for a shoe company would be "Find your pair!"
When compiling 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 extraneous noise. According to psychologists, media with a lot of free space look more stylish. Your business card should be legible. This means that you need to avoid illegible fonts, and also pay attention to the font size: it should not be too small. Avoid phrases and sentences that do not carry any semantic load. Try not to use flashy decor elements. If you have, for example, a green business card, then the 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 disregard the information design of business cards. You can see samples inarticle. They will help you decide how to place the information correctly so that the text is logically located.
Measure seven times, cut once
Don't be in a hurry. Before sending your data to the publisher, be sure to check the information you are going to print. It must be reliable. There is nothing worse than picking up a document and seeing a misspelled email address or name. Precaution and care are two important factors in the production of business cards.
Print business cards
First, focus on the quality of the paper. Your business card should remain presentable even after a while. Therefore, opt for a paper that is strong enough, which will not be easy to wrinkle or bend. In no case do not use cheap paper that resembles an A4 sheet in structure. Such business cards do not last long, and the people you hand them to will immediately suspect that you saved money on the cards.
Conclusion: before giving your mini-document to the printing house, make a preliminary business card layout. Decide if it meets all your requirements. Only then can you start printing business cards.
The most common mistakes
- Mystery. If someone looks at your business card and does not get the necessary information about its owner, your services are unlikely to be in demand.
- Poor quality. Saving money and making business cards are incompatible concepts. Poor paper quality indicates poor qualitygoods and services.
- Mess. Information noise and violation of the rules for placing 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 media will definitely make an indelible impression. The map will briefly describe the activities or work of your company and the contacts by which you can be contacted. But remember that a business card is remembered, the design of which differs from the rest in creativity and originality. The article has photos that show business cards. Templates, layouts and more to choose from.
