When designing business cards, it's a good idea to remember the basic
rules from Design Fundamentals or similar previous design classes.
1.) The basic principles of design will apply to business cards in the same way as any other printed material:
-
keep all of your important copy (words) and design elements at least
5mm (between 3/16 and 1/4 inch) away from the edge of the card
- work at 300 p.p.i. for best image reproduction
-
to make sure that your type size is not too small, check your view by
zooming to Print Size; if you can't easily read the type on your screen,
you won't be able to easily read the type on your card
- use a grid to help with alignment
2.) Think of the key information you wish to include (these items do not have to be real for school assignments:
- your name
- phone number
- email address
- physical address
- your business title (owner, author, artist, CEO, etc.)
3.)
Try to avoid a design that requires a straight edge very close to the
edge of the card as any misalignment will be very obvious. Instead:
- keep geometric elements away from the edge
- use organic design elements
- use the bleed option so that your design overlaps, or extends slightly beyond, the edge of the card
4.)
Don't overload your card design by trying to cram too much onto your
business card. KISS - Keep It Simple, Silly. Think of it this way; if
someone has your business card, they pretty know what you're about, so a
business card simply serves as a reminder. A brand message with a logo
on one side with contact details on the other is enough.
5.)
Be careful about including social media info. If you use Twitter or
Facebook for political rants or post a list and rate the bars you visit
on your Facebook page, you probably don't want potential clients
visiting those sites. ONLY include social accounts if they are strictly
business related.
6.) Reinforce your branding by
including your logo on one side. You are one and the same with your
brand and your peers or clients need to be aware of the fact. So, don't
mix up too many colors; keep your color palette restricted to your logo
colors.
7.) Don't use fancy script fonts unless you're a
calligrapher. If your font (and card design) is too fancy to easily
read, you've just removed the reason for your card. Keep font sizes at 8
points (8pt) or larger so that your text is easy to read.
Also, don't use Arial.... get creative with your font choice, but not so creative that you've chosen a hard to read font.
8.)
Last, but certainly, not least... get creative by being original. Make
this business card about you and what you represent, even if it's a
pretend company you're only creating for class.
