The Rolodex isn’t dead, but it’s barely breathing.

Although there are still a few strongholds out there in the older generation who refuse to give up their business card flipper, it’s mostly dead. At least for people on-the-go. Why?

In a word, technology. Smartphones, CRMs, and mobile apps are the go-to choice for people who need mobility. 

Ironically though, business cards are far from dead. And now more than ever, you need to make yours stand out. Even if a prospect creates a digital version of you, your card should scream, “I’m too cool to throw away!” Whether you’re an old pro or starting a new business, here are five business card ideas to do that.

1. Stand Out or Die

Die-cut cards have been around forever, but the ability to play around with the shape of the card gives you almost limitless ways to be creative. You can ditch the rectangle and create any shape you want. 

Die-cutting even allows you to “punch out” shapes or larger text inside the boundary of the card, or create ways to create additional shapes with fold lines.

2. Silver and Gold

Ever heard of dye-sublimation? Imagine your full-color design on a piece of silver or gold aluminum. It’s a real eye-catcher that makes an executive statement, and it won’t get tossed because it’s so unique.

It can be a bit pricey, but if you need larger quantities or want to have several designs, you might check into getting your own sublimation printer.

3. A New Dimension

Embossed and debossed cards are still a thing because it’s different than the boring, plain and flat. It’s okay to get creative here. You can deboss/emboss more than your logo or name. Try an embossed border, and if the printer can, a double deboss or combination of debossing and embossing can create a real wow effect.

For another take on dimensional cards, look at options like foil-stamping, textured surfaces, and lithographic printing.

4. Business Card Ideas That Promote

For a real stand-out card that’s guaranteed not to fit into a Rolodex, try promotional products that represent your business. What if your card is the only one among hundreds that must be put on the CEO’s desk?

There are literally hundreds of thousands of promotional products that can be imprinted with your contact info. If you’re a plumber, get small imprinted pipe wrenches. If you’re a trash service, try small imprinted trash cans, and fill them with candy before handing them out. The possibilities are endless.

5. Get Playful 

Some of the best business card ideas are those that play off the name of the business or owner. If that doesn’t work, create a tagline for your business that does. Try combining the other ideas above with this playful creativity. A few examples might be:

Green or natural business: kraft paper or laser-engraved wood cards.
Public speaker: podium shaped cards.
Yoga instructor: flexible rubber cards.
Window cleaner: clear business cards.

If you don’t have the budget for unique materials or die-cutting, you can make your own business cards stand out with a little mental elbow grease:

A wine-maker did this by creating wine stains on her cards. She used real stemware and red wine to give her cards a chic look—and every card was unique.

A lawn service company had a cool business card idea by putting flower seeds into business card-sized manila envelopes and used a green rubber stamp to imprint his info on them. 

Please, No Limits

The important thing to remember about creative business card ideas is to color outside the lines and make your own rules. Don’t think outside the box—shred the box and burn it. Come up with a few ideas, write them down, and sit on them for a couple of days. You’ll likely improve on those or come up with even more ideas.

If you want to create real momentum in your business, or have questions about strategy and branding, check out our services page.

Did you know that 10 billion business cards are printed yearly? And out of those millions of cards printed, 8 billion will be thrown in the trash within a week!

Yes, people live in the moment. If they don’t need the service right now, they’ll throw your business card away without a second thought.

But, if you get the design right, these pocket-sized billboards can elevate your business above your competitors.

What can you do? How can you make this lasting impression?

Read on to find out the essential business card design tips that you’ve probably been getting wrong all these years.

Business Card Design Tips

With Microsoft Word, some clip art images, and a home printer, you can design business cards and a lot of cool stuff. However, a professional business card needs more than the basics.

Bright Beginnings

Before you begin planning your business card, there are two crucial design components you need to finalize first:

1. Color scheme
2. Completed logo

These two components are vital when it comes to your branding. From your website layout to your formal office stationary, the colors and designs will influence literally everything you design from now on. So choose wisely.

Once you’ve got your branding finalized, you will have a color scheme and theme to work from for your business card’s design.

A Way with Words

Although each business has different needs, there is some very specific information that should be printed onto your business card:

• A catchy slogan
• Business name
• Logo
• Your name
• Contact info (email address, telephone number, website or mailing address depending on the business)
• Links to social media pages (only relevant ones, as no one wants to see your selfies)

A catchy slogan is a great way to grab attention. Think about some of the most memorable catchphrases in advertising and get some inspiration.

The name of your business should feature quite prominently in the business cards design, even if the logo is there. This is because your branding may not be recognized yet. Only massive cooperations can get away with just using their logo (for instance, Nike or McDonald’s).

If the business card is for clients to contact YOU directly, make sure to have your name on the card. And don’t forget any contact information. Your business will determine what form of contact you should decide on.

Adding at least one social media profile is vital. Your social media accounts are indispensable tools for advertising purposes, so make sure your potential customers know about them. They are more likely to add you on Instagram than they are to email you directly.

However, don’t overload your business cards design. Simplicity is key, so keep it snappy. You can always use a double-sided card or folded business card if you really need more space.

Triple Check

Whether your business card has many words or not, always double, no, TRIPLE check your work!

Correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation are crucial to looking professional. If you make just a teeny tiny mistake, it’ll stick out like a sore thumb.

You also need to check that your contact details are 100% correct. There’s nothing worse than receiving your printed cards and realizing there is a typo in the contact phone number. Cue the forehead slap.

Size Matters

The size of the card will mostly depend on the basic standard of the country you’re working from. Even if you plan to do something out of the box, you’ve first got to see what everyone else is doing first. So do some research.

For instance:

• European: 3.346 x 2.165 inches
• North American: 3.5 x 2 inches
• Oceania: 3.54 x 2.165 inches

When choosing your sizing, you should take into consideration the “bleed area,” which will be removed; the “trim line,” which is the target line for cutting; and the “safety line,” which is there for safety measures. Keeping your text and imagery at least 3-5mm from the trim edge is a good standard to keep.

Mix It Up

Instead of the traditional horizontal business card layout, try something different. For instance, go portrait instead. Or double the width of the card to make it feel thicker.

Another idea is instead of having square corners, to round them off. Or you could cut shapes in the center using a die-cutter. You could even use scented inks.

Just a few simple adjustments can make your business card stand out from the rest and modernize your companies look instantly.

Things to Avoid

Avoid using a straight border around the edges of the card. If there is even a slight misalignment in the trim, the edges of the border will show up and make your perfectly designed card look unprofessional.

Choose your typeface wisely. There’s nothing worse than a professional business card design being ruined by tacky fonts. Comic Sans, Curlz, and Papyrus should not even be considered.

Another essential thing to avoid is a lack of imagination!

Yes, boring old business cards that are designed without an ounce of vision are just asking to be thrown in the trash. Keep reading for some AMAZING business card tips and ideas that’ll blow your socks off.

Business Cards Design Ideas

How to design a business card that won’t be chucked away? The key is to get creative, make them laugh, get them intrigued, and make it functional!

Check out these clever ideas to make your card stand out from the crowd.

Special Finishes

A quick way to instantly add a touch of class to your card is by using special finishes. They may be more pricey, but they can create a visually impressive design that won’t be forgotten easily.

For instance, emboss your card or use Letterpressing to make areas and words pop out. Or use foil stamping to accent text or your logo in shiny reflective materials.

Spot UV coating is another sleek idea for your business cards design. The UV coating can be applied to specific areas, such as the text or logo. This looks really trendy when the card is in a matte material and the main text is glossy.

Unique to Your Purpose

Use what you’re selling to inspire your business card.

For instance, if you’re a dance or fitness instructor, use the skill to define your card. Have a photo of a person, cut out two leg holes, stick your fingers through, and instantly the card becomes a comical dancing puppet.

Another example is if you’re a gardening company, put your business details on a packet of seeds for growing. Or if you’re a Divorce Lawyer, design a business card that tears in half with your contact details on both sides.

For photography, try a transparent business card which doubles as a viewfinder. When your clients are looking for spots for their wedding photo session, they can use their viewfinder to visualize the final result.

Make It Useful

There are two different kinds of people in this world: the hoarders and the throwers.

Some hold onto every piece of paper they receive, whereas others ruthlessly recycle anything they can. To avoid your card becoming the next recyclable material, make it functional.

For instance, one cheese company designed a two-fold business card. It not only has all the info needed, but it also doubles as a cheese grater. Now that’s a “grate” idea!

Another cool concept is having a business card that converts into a holder for hair clips or can be folded into a miniature armchair for your smartphone.

A Variety of Materials

Most business cards are printed on regular cardstock, as it’s the most cost-effective option.

However, there are all kinds of different materials that you can print on, including transparent plastics, rubber, wood, slate, or even metal.

Metal designs give a really neat modern vibe and they can also come with a dual purpose. For instance, some metal business cards are also bottle openers — nobody in their right mind will throw that in the trash anytime soon.

Forget the Card

Maybe instead of an actual business card, you could use something completely different.

For example, a lego person with your all the needed details printed on the figurine. You could have them dressed in your companies uniform, or even make them look like you.

Whatever whimsical design you choose, keep in mind that although you want your business card to stand out from the crowd, it still needs to be portable. If it’s not easy to file away in a briefcase or pocket, it’ll be thrown away anyway.

There are several more essential reasons why your business cards should be portable and kept with you at all times. Read more now about a few of those reasons.

Business Card Tips and More

As you can see, designing a business card takes more than Microsoft Word, a generic clip art image, and a home printer. To be successful, you really need to put time, effort and a lot of IMAGINATION into it!

Of course, these business card design tips won’t work if you’re business is stuck in a rut. If you need a helping hand to get your business back on track or to start something new and exciting, you’ve come to the right place.

To find out the secret strategies behind a successful business, click here!

Photo via Foter.com

The business card doesn’t use the latest technology, but it is still a very powerful marketing tool. This infographic from Colourfast looks at its influence and gives you some advice on how to print the perfect business card.

This isn’t an area where you should try to save a few bucks as cheap looking business cards will leave a bad impression on people. 39% of people would not do business with someone who had a cheap looking business card so don’t make this mistake.

Make sure you include all the vital elements on your business card. Take your time on this as the last thing you want to do is end up with 500 business cards that have a discrepancy or a typo.

remember that because you have printed a load of cards; it doesn’t mean that you should give them to absolutely everyone. Be a small bit selective about just giving them away and a good rule of thumb is to give one to every person with whom you shake hands. Check out the full infographic for more information.