Let your business cards reflect how special your business is.
This lens is all about doing it yourself with business cards. Designing them and printing them, coming up with a card that is uniquely you.
Even in this digital age the business card is still important. They can be left just about anywhere, tucked into orders, given out to potential customers or clients, etc. They are your advertising introduction to people you meet.
So be creative with your business cards, design something special. Especially if you work in a creative business such as art, design, or crafts. You should have business cards as unique as your business.
Even in this digital age the business card is still important. They can be left just about anywhere, tucked into orders, given out to potential customers or clients, etc. They are your advertising introduction to people you meet.
So be creative with your business cards, design something special. Especially if you work in a creative business such as art, design, or crafts. You should have business cards as unique as your business.
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Designing Your Cards
So you're ready to design your own cards, what do you need?
Essential Contact Information:
Okay so you know you need that information so what about making your cards special? Your business card should reflect your business, if you are an artist or crafter use an image of your work or maybe the tools you use.
Business cards don't have to be plain black on white, don't be afraid to use color. Maybe vary the shape a little, use an oval, round the edges, punch holes, etc. Above all, be creative.
Essential Contact Information:
Your name or business name (or both)
Phone Number
Email
Website for online business, physical address of offline business, both if necessary.
Okay so you know you need that information so what about making your cards special? Your business card should reflect your business, if you are an artist or crafter use an image of your work or maybe the tools you use.
Business cards don't have to be plain black on white, don't be afraid to use color. Maybe vary the shape a little, use an oval, round the edges, punch holes, etc. Above all, be creative.
Free Software to Design a Card With
- OpenOffice
- OpenOffice.org: The Free, Open Source Office Suite
- GIMP - The GNU Image Manipulation Program
- GNU Image Manipulation Program
- Businesscardland - The Free Online Business Card Maker
- Free Business Card Maker, Free Business Card Templates, and Free Gift Tag Maker. Easy way to make free printable business cards that work with Avery and other brand pre-cut business card papers. After you have designed your cards, you can create a PDF file to print, save, or take to a printshop to have printed.
Free Business Card Templates
- Free Business Card Templates Design
- Free Business Card Templates for personal or commercial use. Templates are well categorized according to business nature and downloadable in compressed zip file. Easily editable with most design softwares.
Book on DIY Design
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byPrinting Your Cards at Home
If you've set up your cards correctly in Open Office or whichever software you've chosen to use all you need to do to print from home is choose the paper to use and hit print.
Paper
You can get pre-cut business card sheets just abotu anywhere that sells office supplies. They typically come in white, ivory, or gray and once you've printed your cards you just punch them out of the sheet.
If you want something a bit different and don't mind cutting your business cards yourself there's a big range of card stocks and art papers in just about every color and texture you could want. A paper cutter works best but a good straight edge and sharp x-acto style craft knife will work as well. If you want a different shape than the plain rectangle you can find large shape punches in most crafts stores.
Printing
Printing should be done with a good quality setting. Normal is fine for black and white but you'll want higher print quality for images. Make sure your print cartridge has plenty of ink and all the printer settings are aligned well.
Paper
You can get pre-cut business card sheets just abotu anywhere that sells office supplies. They typically come in white, ivory, or gray and once you've printed your cards you just punch them out of the sheet.
If you want something a bit different and don't mind cutting your business cards yourself there's a big range of card stocks and art papers in just about every color and texture you could want. A paper cutter works best but a good straight edge and sharp x-acto style craft knife will work as well. If you want a different shape than the plain rectangle you can find large shape punches in most crafts stores.
Printing
Printing should be done with a good quality setting. Normal is fine for black and white but you'll want higher print quality for images. Make sure your print cartridge has plenty of ink and all the printer settings are aligned well.
Business Card Paper and Card Stock
You can by perforated business card paper that you don't need to cut to print cards onto or get heavy card stock such as bristol.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byOr Try Art Papers
There are a number of good heavy art papers that would look beautiful used in business cards.
*I am an affiliate of Dick Blick Art Materials. I promote their products on my pages because I'm also a customer who appreciates their customer service.
Canson Mi-Teintes Drawing Papers
Hahnemühle Premium Velour Paper
*I am an affiliate of Dick Blick Art Materials. I promote their products on my pages because I'm also a customer who appreciates their customer service.
Having Someone Else Do the Printing
Print Shops: Most good sized towns have a print shop, either a small independent business or one of the large chain printers like Kinkos. They can usually print you off some cards for a reasonable price.
Online Printers: There are a number of companies online that will print your cards for you and usually for around the same amount as a printshop or less.
MOO does some really beautiful photo business cards and I recently had some printed by Zazzle that I really love. If you're budget is really tight you could try out VistaPrint's Free Business Cards
Printing with Zazzle
Lime Flowers Business Cards by KrispysKingdom
Make custom business card Designs on www.zazzle.com
Browse Business Card Templates
Make your own business card from scratch.
Making a card is very easy, use one of Zazzle's templates or upload your own images and then add text.
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- Aika Aika Nov 11, 2009 @ 2:52 am
- I just want my card to be simple yet creative. I use GIMP or Photoshop sometimes in creating business card for me and for my friends.
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Reply
- brutus1 brutus1 Oct 26, 2009 @ 9:46 pm
- Great info for Do it Yourselfers! I really liked your lens. Thanks you!
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- pkmcr pkmcr Oct 16, 2009 @ 4:36 pm
- Very well put together and informative lens. Blessed by a SquidAngel
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- CPAjunkie CPAjunkie Oct 8, 2009 @ 1:20 am
- Great lens, very artistic on the business cards.
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- mitchking mitchking Sep 21, 2009 @ 11:32 am
- There are lots of printing companies on the web that make designing and printing your own business cards not only easy but affordable. These are still the easiest way to pass out your info and very effective at drumming up business.
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- jamesparker486 jamesparker486 Sep 18, 2009 @ 5:49 am
- great lens and also great ways to make your own Business Cards.i like the creativity of these cards.
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- JenOfChicago JenOfChicago Aug 18, 2009 @ 11:13 am
- Excellent resource!
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- whitemoss whitemoss Aug 14, 2009 @ 10:17 am
- Thanks for this lens- I've had a pack of blanks for business cards for ages and not got round to using them- this will be avery helpful resource,
Sue
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- Noadi Noadi Jul 17, 2009 @ 2:12 pm | in reply to johnmerk
- I agree for most businesses that you should have them printed. However I wrote this lens mainly for people running small businesses selling handmade products and are just starting out. The DIY ethic for handmade goods is pretty strong and I've seen some amazing homemade business cards. I have mine printed for me but I did all the design work myself.
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- Noadi Noadi Jul 17, 2009 @ 2:12 pm | in reply to johnmerk
- I agree for most businesses that you should have them printed. However I wrote this lens mainly for people running small businesses selling handmade products and are just starting out. The DIY ethic for handmade goods is pretty strong and I've seen some amazing homemade business cards. I have mine printed for me but I did all the design work myself.
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Reply
- johnmerk johnmerk Jul 16, 2009 @ 4:03 am
- Great ideas. I would caution against home made cards for a business though. I figure if a person does not think their business is worth less than a hundred for prof cards why would a customer think their business is worth anything. It tells me they are getting their feet wet, which is perfectly ok but I would rather work with someone that will be around 5yrs from now.
I'm going to be redoing cards soon and will be going with a clean design like these rounded business cards for some company named blit.
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- Jimmie Jimmie Jul 9, 2009 @ 2:21 am
- You're officially blessed!
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- Bharce Bharce Jun 30, 2009 @ 10:00 pm
- Great lens!
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- PizmoBeach PizmoBeach Jun 22, 2009 @ 1:57 am
- This is really useful. I wish I had discovered this lens before I ordered my business cards (which, unfortunately looked a lot better at the digital proof stage than in final print version).
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- Tiddledeewinks Tiddledeewinks Jun 5, 2009 @ 10:05 am
- Wow! Some of these cards are really creative originals! 5 *'s
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This handmade business lens is a creation of Noadi's Art
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by Noadi
Hi! I'm Sheryl, a sculptor and jewelry designer, I create in polymer clay and mixed media, please visit Noadi's Art to see my work.
I'm obsesse...
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