Enjoy this week’s guest post from graphic designer, Chris Hilbert, and consider her tips for business cards that stand out.
Did you know that you have only a few seconds for people to be able to find and read the information on your business card before you have lost their attention?
If you lose their attention, they won’t keep your business card – and that is the opposite of what you want!
So, what keeps their attention?
Basically, it comes down to a bit of attention grabbing images/text/logo *and* readability.
There are so many tips and ideas for great business cards that it can be daunting to remember them all. I thought I would share with you what I consider the top 6 best practices for a biz card with “mojo.”
Whether you design your own or pay to have it done, knowing these tips can increase the success of your business card!
1) White Space – White space allows for better readability!
It is the space surrounding your images, text and logo. The more white space you have, the easier it is for the reader to find your name or other contact information.
A cluttered or hard to read card will be an unread and a discarded one.
2) Images – Images should be of high quality!
If you are going to use an image, logo, graphic art, or a photograph on your card, make sure it is of high quality in both content or subject matter, and in file resolution.
If you have to, please PAY someone to design your logo or to take your photograph. You don’t want to skimp on quality on the one thing that is going to cement a first impression!
Placement, colors, and intensity of the image also can also contribute to the impact your business card will make on the recipient. Not all graphics applications allow you the range of changes that can be done with professional grade software.
Images downloaded from a website or ending in .gif are NOT suitable for any printed product, as the resolution is too small for professional printing equipment.
Note: Just because you can download something from the internet doesn’t mean you can use it in your marketing or as a logo. Everything on the internet is copyrighted by the author, the photographer, or the artist. You must get permission to use any image, logo, icon, etc you find and want to use.
3) Fonts – Fonts should be simple and easy to read.
The font you use for your name and contact information should be as simple and easy to read and as large as possible. It is very hard to read contact information that is in a specialty or script type font.
Which of the following would you prefer to read… and keep?
What I did in the before & after example above was resize the logo and make the 3 “bullet items” less wordy making more “white space” and a less cluttered look. I changed the fonts to make the contact information more readable, and I also slightly adjusted the color, size, and placement of the background image to make a more visual impact and tie-in with the word “multimedia”.
Your goal is for the recipient to keep your card, not throw it away as “not worth the effort to read.” Keep your audience in mind when designing your business card, save the fancy stuff for a large sign or a wedding invitation!
4) The Rule of Three.
This rule is a good way to keep from overwhelming your reader with “visual overload”, especially on a business card!
- Three colors are the most that should be used for best results.
- Limit your usage of font types to 3 – including bold and italics.
- Bullet items or a list of items should be limited to 3 points or details.
When it comes to font types and font colors, more than 3 of each, and your mind will see it as “busy” and “too much effort” to read – these are not the feelings you want to present to your reading audience. No one will “work” to read your business card!
5) Both Sides – Use both sides of your business cards to promote you and your services and/or products.
Today, many printers have a flat-rate for printing whether you print on one or both sides of your business card. Take advantage of this and use the opposite side to detail what services/products you provide, an appointment area, a link to a Welcome Video, you can even use the reverse side to offer a “one-time only” special!
6) Print Professionally.
Have your cards professionally printed, there is a definite difference between what you can do at home and what a professional service bureau can provide in terms of quality in printing, ink, and paper.
Make a great first impression… and stand out from the crowd – remember to use: plenty of white space, use quality images, an easy to read font for your contact info, limit your design to 3 fonts, 3 colors, 3 bullet items, and quality printing.
There are times and places that rules can be thrown out the window, but generally speaking, these 6 “rules” will:
1) make your business card quick and easy to read
2) keep your audience from being overwhelmed by so many different fonts and colors
3) make your business card more effective and more likely to be kept
These rules are an easy way to make sure that your audience is not overwhelmed… overwhelm your audience, and you’ve lost them – and their business!
Chris Hilbert owns Puffin Enterprises, Inc. and loves providing graphic design and photo fix services to Crafters, Makers, & Artisans so they can spend their time doing what they do best: creating! Her need & love of designing and creating is so strong, that in the evening and on weekends she crochets one-of-a-kind shrugs, shawls, and ponchos.
You can view her design portfolio and her blog posts at: PuffinEnterprises.us
On FB: https://www.facebook.com/PuffinEnterprises/
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishilbert1/
The post 6 Tips for Business Cards with “Mojo!” appeared first on Melissa Forziat Events and Marketing.