published Wednesday, May 26th, 2010 at 11:55 am by
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It doesn’t cost much more to print on the rear of a business card, but you have to make it worthwhile. Check with your printer whether you can have different messages when ordering a fixed print run of the front of your card, i.e., you order 1000 cards with 5 different messages on the back.
Here are some ideas for making the most of that valuable space:
- Place a special offer or announcement there.
- Give an email contact address and a subject line which the person must send you in return for receiving a free report. Make this useful and relevant information.
- Testimonials by satisfied customers can be very valuable
- Photos or sketches which can help convey your product’s properties or benefits.A listing of your services if there is more than one.
- Additional contact information, e.g. your branches.
- Tips on your service or product.
- A map showing directions to your office.
- A discount coupon or a discount card, even a special event. Or it could basically be an advertisement with a short lifespan.
- Table/Chart – Include a mortgage loan interest table or some staggering statistics on the back. These are helpful reminders for the mathematically challenged and effective methods to position yourself as a resource.
- Anything relevant to what you do or what you represent, such as recipes if you supply food or kitchen equipment.
- Even a quotation – especially one that’s relevant to you industry – can work wonders.
If you want to promote short-term offers which might not warrant special print runs, get high quality rubber stamps made.
published Saturday, December 5th, 2009 at 4:42 pm by
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Your Business Card Printing Options Explained
When people go about printing business cards, they are bombarded by many options. Your business card printing company may offer many things such as glossy coatings, special high quality paper, elegant text stamping, digital full color printing, and many others. Many of these options can be important or irrelevant to your business card printing needs. You may not need that full color printing on both sides of the card. You may want that glossy coating. Your budget may only cover a simple kind of business card. Overall, it is about knowing what options you really need and want. To help you with this, here are the various business card printing options explained for your convenience.
- The card size:
The first and most obvious should be a no brainer, but it still merits attention. The business card printing size is one of the first options that you should know about. Typically, you can use the business card size that is in use in your country. For the United States and Canada, the standard size is 3. 5 × 2 inches. For the United Kingdom and other European countries, they usually use cards with the dimensions 3. 346 × 2. 165 inches. More likely, however your businesses card printing company should know what sizes most people print in your country. So see what they recommend. At this stage, knowing the correct size is a need.
- The paper type
- The next option is the paper type. With this business card printing option, you should really decide for yourself. You have the choice of using normal business card paper with no coating, business card paper with a glossy coating and there is a new option, which is the use of recycled paper for business cards. Of course, the cheapest option is the normal business card paper with no coating. Some sales clerks may urge you to buy a more expensive paper. However, if you really want the basic type and you are saving money this will be your best option.
The next option is the coated kind of business card. This means that there will be a kind of glossy finish when the business card is printed. If you want to appear more professional, use this option. We will talk more about coating options later. Lastly, we have recycled paper. Some printing companies offer printing business cards on recycled paper. If you are concerned with the environment, you may want to ask for this option though it may cost you. At least you may help the environment though.
- Printing sides
After the paper type, the next option you need to know is the printing of each side. You have three options in this. First, you can have a full color front for the business card, with a blank and unprinted back. This is called a “4/0″ card. This is the standard and cheapest option. Second, you can have a full color front, with just one color on the back. This is called a “4/1″. This option is used if you want a whole color effect for your business card. For example, if you want an all red or all black business card, then you need the option of printing one color on the back so that it looks like one whole color card. Lastly, we have the full color front and back or “4/4″. This is your full color business card with color printing on both sides. Use this if you have a business card design with details on the front and back of the card.
- Coating
The coating of the business card paper is another important option. This determines the sheen or glossiness of the business card along with some other properties. The common options here are ultra-violet glossy coating and aqueous coating. The “UV” glossy coating adds protection from ultra violet light from business cards. This provides protection from any significant fading while delivering a glossy sheen effect, which makes the business card look professional. The Aqueous coating on the other hand offers improved durability by providing protection from dirt, dust, scratches and other physical deterioration. It also offers a sheen effect for the business card as well. Lastly, of course you have the option to have no coating as well. This gives no special properties to the paper, but it is the cheaper option. The coating really depends on your taste and purpose. If you are just printing a simple business card, and you are on a budget then you might want to ignore any coating options. If you want a more professional looking finish, then glossy UV coating or Aqueous coating can be used.
- Business card cuts
Finally, you also have the option of a custom cut for your business card. Of course, the common cut is a standard rectangular straight cut. Some business card printers however may offer you “rounded” cuts with various sizes. This will smooth out the edges of your business card to a curved or rounded edge. These options depend entirely on your taste. Most will just choose the straight cut because it is the most common, but others might want to have rounded edges to stand out among other business cards. The choice is yours.
Those are the common business card printing options. Now that you know about them, you should be able to choose the best business card options that suit your purpose. You can ignore all the sales talk printers give and focus on what your business card really needs. Good luck!
Know more about printing business cards or business card printing.Kaye Z. Marks is an avid follower and writer of the developments in the color printing and online printing industries.
published Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 11:42 am by
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Prospecting With Your Business Card
There are many ways in which you can and should use your business card for prospecting. Which is why it’s absolutely critical that you learn to always have a supply of business cards on your person or close at hand. Equally as important is the means to store and administer the business cards you receive in turn.
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published Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 12:51 am by
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Is Online Business Card Design Right for You?
by Christopher J. Brunner
Designing a business card online is right for you if:
- You want a professional and classy business card to represent you and your company.
- You don’t want to learn an unfamiliar graphics-editing program.
- Paying a graphic designer is not in the budget.
- Read the rest of this entry »
published Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at 4:08 am by
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Most people assume that their business card is merely a means of providing a prospect with their contact details and to serve as a reminder of what it is that they do – hopefully impressing the prospect in the process.
But, the goal of the card can and should determine the appearance, choice of material, and the type and amount of details that go on it. You must give thought to whether your business card is there to sell yourself, your company, or a specific product or service. Or maybe it must combine a number of communication goals.
Consideration also needs to be given to how the business card will usually be distributed. Will it go merely to prospects, or suppliers as well? What will the overall impression need to be? For example, if you offer a “serious” service such as counseling, you certainly don’t want a glitzy card. Something plain and simple can still be very stately.
At the end of the day you might discover that you need more than one type and style of card for your business.
The purpose of the business card could be to promote:
- Yourself: a realtor, even if part of a franchise, might want to promote his or her own personality. A photo of the individual could then be used. If you’re dealing with mainly serious individuals who don’t want to waste much time, then opt for a basic yet neat card with minimal graphics and just the bare contact essentials.
- A trade: a screenprinter might use plastic as the material for his business card, making it highly relevant, noticeable and memorable. Someone in the cardboard trade could have their business cards printed on cardboard. Such tactile cards could be die cut into unusual shapes and folds, but they are obviously a great deal more expensive. This can be worth it for someone selling very costly capital equipment where the return is high. Else, print something relevant on the back of the card, like business card stock weights for a printer.
- Corporate card: here it is primarily the corporation that is being sold, usually with string graphics, with the individual’s name of secondary importance. In these cases it is the title of the person and name of the department or division they represent which become important.
- Marketing or General business card: this business card sells not only the company or product, but also the person. It’s the type used by most small and medium businesses.
- Appointment Cards: used by doctors, dentists, hair dressers and beauty or health professionals, these are normally double-sided with the firm’s name and contact details on the front and space for the time and date of the next appointment on the rear.
- Personal business cards: these are used for social contacts and can be as creative as the type of personality you wish to convey. Many retired people who travel a great deal use these to hand out to people they meet along the way.
- Fold-over cards: these become mini brochures and work well when there is a lot of product information to be conveyed. They can include photographs, and are often used by accommodation establishments.
- CD-rom cards: a great way to provide a lot of detail such as making a presentation, including photographs. Contact details are on the CD itself. They are not as widely used as was first thought.
- Special Purpose cards: these could be a discount coupon, a discount card, even a special event. Or it could basically be an advertisement with a short lifespan.
In the final analysis, it remains a case of what you want to achieve with your card or cards. But do it well … or every contact might become a lost marketing opportunity.
