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Business Cards

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First impressions are important for any number of reasons. Often for a individual/ business or organization the business card is our first (and sometimes only) chance to impress. This small leave behind can have huge impact as long as you pay attention to design, message and your audience.

This post will outline a few tips to help ensure your business cards represent your company, your brand, your image, your ideals, and your values… I could go on but you get the idea.

Business Cards

What is one thing you always bring

to a new business meeting or networking event?

If you said…

Then, you’re right!!

Design plays a huge role in your business cards. Now we are not saying it has to be complex. But if possible unique, memorable and representative of your brand or image. A few things to help your design in these areas are paper stock, color choice, and layout. These samples above are from our “who we’ve met” stack and are just some neat, eye-catching cards. Although we did not design these, we admire their look and feel.

back

sactown magazine Crocker art museum

front

Image sources: BrandedSac,LLC

The nature of your business or product should dictate some of the design elements. We have covered an aspect similar to this in our last post about logo design and ensuring it’s appropriate. The same holds true here for example, if you are a professional agency or firm, you may want to shy away from using numerous bright colors all at once, or a fun bouncy font. This is not to say the design must be boring or dry just remember to keep your potential audience in mind, and aim to convey who you are, and if possible why what you do matters.

Here are a few color tips for inspiration from Web Designer Depot:

• Use one or two colors for a simple minimalistic feel.• Multiple colors or patterns, or even splash of color over a solid background for a fun or creative image/ feeling.• Soft shades and pastels can lend to calm, or happy, or even childlike feel depending on usage.• Using a monochromatic scheme can be applicable for demonstrating wisdom.

• White (clean, clear nature, pure)• Brown (stability, and growth or roots)• Gray (practicality, calm and wise)• Red (confidence, strength, power and passion)• Yellow (idealism, energy, happy, bright)• Blue (trust, reliable, calm)• Purple (wisdom, calm, ancient or royal, classic)• Gold (wisdom, calm, ancient or royal, classic)• Orange ( many love or hate – vibrant, vitality, endurance)

Color is Key

The color wheel then and now

Categories of color from color wheel

Image sources: the color wheel

Continue on for more tips on color

According to Color Matters, “ In visual experiences, harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye. It engages the viewer and it creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience. When something is not harmonious, it's either boring or chaotic” (Basic Color Theory, 2012). They further provide “Some Formulas for Color Harmony” which are as follows.

Continue on for more tips on business cards

Another important aspect to pay attention to is paper stock, details, embellishments available to use, and

even shapes. These samples are fabulous examples of unique paper stocks with various treatments.

Paper Stock

New layouts can bring creativity to your business cards

Layout

This unique business card, designed by BrandedSac for DuFault’s Beauty Boutique, is a great sample of memorable layout. The folding style allows for the desired content in a simple yet, elegant fashion.

Image sources: BrandedSac, LLC

This is another awesome sample designed by BrandedSac, to display a fun, creative environment. It also has a additional leave behind piece that fits perfectly into the design, if you want to leave a little something extra..

Image sources: BrandedSac, LLC

One Last Sample for the road

Image sources: BrandedSac, LLC

We couldn’t leave out our own business card design. We are always getting compliments on our design, shape, color and the embossed detailing.

There are so many, in not infinite combinations and possibilities for your business cards, so take the time to find a design worth handing out to clients.

It could be your only chance, to seal the deal with that new prospect.

Contact us today for designing your business cards, and getting your company or organization off on the right start.

The End!

Thank you for reading!