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2. Full Colour or Spot Colour?
3. Getting your business card artwork ready for printing
4. What information to include on a business Card
General Design Hints
Typefaces
- Select typefaces that reflect the nature of your business
- Try to limit your business card to one or two font types
- You can use bold and italic in the typefaces you select but avoid overuse
- Avoid using all capital letters, they are more difficult to read
- Do pay attention to alignment. Left align for easiest reading. Too much centred text can look cluttered and is hard to read
- Don't use decorative or unusual fonts for your name and contact info, unless it's right for your business image
- Use easy-to-read fonts
Text size
- The organisation name should have a minimum of 12 point
- The contact/card holder name should be either 10 to 11 point and possibly in a bold type
- The title could be the size point size as your address details or 1 point smaller
- The remaining information should be 9 pt. to 10 pt.
- Do not make any type too small to read
Paper Selection
- Try not to use cheap, thin papers. The recipient will wonder about the quality of your product or service
- Be sure that when you choose your paper that it will look good with the ink colours you have chosen
- If you are going to be printing letterheads and envelopes, and are planning to use matching stock, be sure to check availability of stock for those items
- Your business card will be put in pockets, briefcases, purses and drawers. They need to be durable to withstand any potential damage
- Try to match the coating of the paper to your purposes. Gloss stocks make photos standout. Select a dull or matt finish for smooth, non-shiny business card printing that's easy to write on. Uncoated paper has a more textured feel that can look more formal and match stationery such as letterhead and envelopes
Full Colour or Spot Colours?
Full Colour Printing
If your design has more than three colours or includes photographs then this is the option you need. Also known as "Full Colour" or "Four Colour Process" printing. The four colours used are C-cyan (process blue), M-magenta (process red), Y-process yellow, and K-black.
Most online printing services use this technique as they can print almost everyone's designs the same way in bulk. When ordering online, full-colour printing is an economical choice.
Pros:
- Can reproduce photographic images
- Often an economical way to get colourful cards
Cons:
- Small type in shades of colours can be fuzzy
- Super-bright, fluorescent, or metallic colours impossible to achieve
Spot Colour Printing
When your design is made up of one or two colours only, such as simple black ink cards or cards designed in your organisation's colours, spot colour printing can be a good choice. The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is the most commonly used method of identifying the exact colour to be printed for each ink – sometimes referred to as a "Spot PMS Colour".
Use spot colours to:
- Attain consistent colours for corporate logos, etc...
- Achieve bright colours which exceed the capability of CMYK Process Colours
- Gain clarity in your text and crisp lines
Pros:
- Vibrancy and availability of colours. Because of the way spot colours are mixed, there are many colours that can be created with spot colour inks that can't be duplicated accurately in the CMYK colour spectrum
- Consistency of colour
Cons:
- Can be more expensive especially with multiple inks
- Cannot reproduce photographic images
Getting your Business Card Artwork Ready for Printing
Artwork is setup in correct size including bleed (usually 3 mm bleed)
Bleed is a printing term that refers to printing that goes beyond the edge of the sheet after trimming. If there are areas of colour that you need to go right to the edge, then you need to include bleed. “Bleed” that colour past the trimmable area so as to ensure there are no white marks left post trimming.
The colours are either CMYK or Spot PMS only
Make sure all colours are nominated PMS or CMYK depending upon the printing process by which your job is to be printed.
All images are (i.e. logos) have a 300dpi resolution minimum
All images must have a minimum resolution of 300dpi (dots per inch) when printed. Images that have a lower resolution may print fuzzy.
Fonts must be converted to outlines or flattened
Fonts in your artwork need to be “converted to outlines” or “flattened” into a graphic. This will eliminate the chance of fonts not displaying correctly and not printing the way you intended.
Include a 2mm margin from trim marks
Try to ensure a 2mm margin from the trim marks to ensure that no key information is lost from the card when being trimmed
Setup black as maximum of C50 M50 Y50 K100.
Larger saturations may create problems during printing depending on the printer
What Information to include on a Business Card?
The main purpose of a business card is to provide key information about yourself and your organisation. Key details that should be included on the card include:
- Contact Name
- Organisation name and address
- Job title
- Main telephone number
- Direct number
- Fax number
- Email address
- Website Address
- Logo
Other details you might like to include:
- Slogan
- Product or Services
- Unique Selling Point
- Department
- ABN number
The business card has a limited amount of space available, so it is important that you do not include any unnecessary information. The business card should not look overcrowded.
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