Are you stumped on how to design your business cards? Take a look at some graphic design ideas to inspire a new look for your business cards.

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If you’re paying for a suit or evening dress and see the stack of business cards that offer professional tailoring… You take the business card.

If you walk through an art gallery and you fall in love with the craftsmanship… You ask for a business card. They are the quickest way to learn about a business.

Far from being relics in the advertising industry, business cards are powerful marketing tools that enhance your credibility, increase brand awareness, and show that your business is professional and legitimate.

If you want to create an eye-catching, memorable, and effective design for your business card, read on for our top graphic design ideas.

What Information Goes on Your Business Cards?

Before jumping into using graphic design software, you need to know exactly what information your business card needs to carry. A stunning business card isn’t going to drive people to your company if they have no idea who the company is!

Make sure to include the following basic information:

• Your name (for smaller businesses, entrepreneurs, or commission-based services)
• Name of business
• Job title (what you/your business does)
• Contact details (email address, mobile phone, company phone)
• Address of the physical store
• Website address
• Social media accounts

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Once you’ve got your contact info laid out, make sure to include visuals that point to your business. Include your logo, regular brand aesthetics, and company mascot to build brand familiarity with your potential clients.

You can keep it simple with just this information, or play around with other aspects. Make your business card work for you by including:

• Business slogan
• A call-to-action
• Short testimonials
• Trade association memberships and relevant accreditation
• A QR code

These elements aren’t essential, but they can go a long way towards gaining new customers and encouraging them to interact further with your brand.

Now that you’ve covered the essentials, it’s time to get designing.

Choosing Your Color Scheme

The first thing anyone will notice about your business card is your choice of colors. You probably have an idea of your business color scheme from your website, social media pages, and logo.

Apart from your logo, your color scheme is the most important visual aspect of your brand. To keep your designs cohesive, stick to the colors your company already uses.

If you’re starting from scratch – consider what message different colors convey. Softer pastels lean towards serene and elegant work environments, while bright neons point to exciting and vibrant services.

Planning the Layout

Your business logo is the most important visual of your brand. Most successful business cards have their logo front and center on one side of the card, and more subtly in the corner on the other side.

Although this is a popular design choice, don’t let it limit you. If you have a clever idea for graphics, use it!  

Some brands build intrigue by using one side of the card for a simple image relating to the business and a URL. When you flip the card, the rest of the information gives them context for the image!

Choosing Fonts

A graphic designer knows the impact font has on the information it contains.

Think of your typography as the voice of your business card. What tone do you want to convey?

Since space and text are limited on business cards, you want to make sure you choose the perfect font. When deciding on a font, consider the following:

Is It Legible?

You want all text to be at least 8 pts to maintain readability. You can make your name and business name larger to make it memorable and help them stand out.

What Personality Does It Bring?

Delicate and curly script fonts bring a feeling of elegance and timeless ease. Bold fonts with harsh edges and dark shadows are dramatic and strong.

To choose a font, make a list of your company’s qualities. Compare those with the qualities you feel a font conveys. When they match – you’ve got a potential font!

Unique Materials

Most business cards are printed on standard white card stock. If you want your business card to stand out amongst the hundreds of other small, rectangular pieces of card stock, consider using a unique material.

An easy way to stand out is to print your designs on a heavier weight of paper. This not only feels luxurious and professional, but it can stand up to wear and tear.

Other options are to use textured paper, wood, leather, or even metal! When a unique textile matches the purpose of your company, customers are more likely to remember you in the future.

Special Finishes

Once you’ve designed your business card, consider adding something extra. These take your business card design one step further and help set it apart from other designs.

Some finishes to consider include:

• Embossing: creates three-dimensional reliefs, raises certain features
• Letterpressing: pushes down and inks features
• Foil stamping: adds shine and reflection to features, can be gold or silver
• Spot UV coating: adds sleek ‘varnish’ to features

With the right type of accenting on the right design, your business cards will become invaluable assets in your company.

Connect to Your Customers With Business Cards

Business cards do more than tell people about your business, they build a relationship between you and your future customers. Connecting via the physical, in a world that’s shifted towards the digital, is an important part of creating brand loyalty.

By now you should be armed with tools and techniques to create business cards that accurately reflect the heart and purpose of your business.

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