There are 2 primary ways to facilitate a business card fold: perforation and scoring.

A perforation is a series of small holes on a sheet of paper so that a section can tear easily over a straight line.  This is a common attribute of event tickets, business reply cards, notebook paper, and hundreds of other items regularly used in our society.

A score, on the other hand, is a crease applied to a sheet made of a heavy stock paper to eliminate cracking and to facilitate a straight and accurate fold.  Pick up any greeting card, and you will see scoring.

Folded business cards are typically printed on a 4” x 3.5” card stock.  The 4” side is folded in half along the scored or perforated line, leaving you with a standard 2” x 3.5” business card when folded.  Scoring or perforation typically works best on silk business cards and glossy business cards.

The main benefit of this type of business card is that it offers additional “marketing space” for your card.  In other words, instead of the standard 2 sides (front and back), you now have 4 sides to work with – double the marketing space.  You could leverage this additional space for any number of creative purposes – for example, including a map to your business, your company mission, or even an appointment card.

The other benefit is that folded business cards are extremely unique, and as such will help your business cards stand out from the masses.  Unique business cards are more likely to be retained by customers and clients, even if just for novelty reasons.

Folded silk business cards also allow for additional enhancements, like spot UV, foil stamping, and embossing, any of which will serve to dramatically embellish your folded business card’s uniqueness and stickiness even more.

So there you have it – a quick and dirty overview of folded business cards.  To sum it up, the folding is usually done on silk business cards or glossy business cards, utilizing either perforation or scoring.

Till next time…

So, what exactly is a silk business card?  Well, the silky coating is accomplished via silk-lamination, and this laminate coating is completely unnoticeable and invisible unless you try to tear the card.  It is this lamination which gives silk business cards their uniqueness. 

For one, it makes the cards more durable.  The laminate coating makes the cards a little more difficult to tear, and helps minimize the possibility of corners and edges getting frayed.  Additionally, the silk lamination is completely writable, meaning you can write on the card with pens, pencils, and markers with ease. 

Another key attribute of silk cards is that they are non-glossy, which eliminates the common problems associated with glossy business cards such as fingerprinting, streaks, smudges, and the cards sticking together.  Non-shiny silk lamination eliminates these types of problems.

Additionally, the non-shiny look is more upscale and elegant.  Many people correctly perceive glossy UV business cards to be a relatively low end business card product.  The non-shiny look seems to be “in” these days, which positively influences people’s perception of quality. 

Finally, the durability and composition of the silk cardstock make it the best choice for business card enhancement features like spot UV, embossing, and foil stamping. 

Spot UV business cards in particular offer a unique look, as the areas treated with the spot UV are slightly raised and shiny compared to the non-shiny silk cardstock.  Thus, the treated areas “jump off the page” and provide a striking visual impact.  It would not be possible to produce spot UV business cards on an inherently glossy cardstock.

Embossing also works better on silk business cards.  Embossing is the process of raising certain design elements by virtue of them getting “pushed through” from the backside.  The net effect is similar to the account number on a standard credit card, where the numbers are raised on the front and recessed on the back.  As you can probably guess, embossing is a delicate process that puts much stress on the cardstock, and thus is a more appropriate enhancement feature for durable business cards like silk.

To sum it all up, silk business cards are laminated, durable, writable, non-glossy, and support enhancement features.  Outside of metal business cards or plastic business cards, silk cards are generally considered the highest-end business cardstock in the market today.  They have an elegant look and feel, and do not have the same inconveniences as glossy business cards.

I celebrate Christmas, and it is truly my favorite time of the year.  But hey, this blog is about business cards, right?  So I thought I would combine the two topics and list 10 things you could do with your custom business cards this holiday season…

1. Include a business card with your holiday business correspondence (for example, put your business card in any Christmas cards you send to your clients).
2. Distribute your card at any and all holiday functions you happen to attend.
3. Use your glossy business cards as gift labels.
4. Print silk business cards with coupon codes in order to facilitate a holiday promotion.
5. Find places within your local mall to distribute your business cards.  You may even be able to partner with a few stores to put a stack of your cards on the checkout counter.  All malls are packed with people this time of year, so think about ways to tap into this mass of humanity.
6. If you are in a business that encourages holiday gift-giving to clients, a nice touch is to give out a small box of candies – about the diameter of a standard business card, just enough to fit a few pieces of chocolate – and use a graphic of your custom business cards as the lid.
7. If you have metal business cards, think about transforming them into Christmas tree ornaments and hand them out to clients as holiday gifts.
8. Going to a family function?  Why not descretley pass out your card to everyone in attendance? 
9. Expand your silk business cards to the size of a holiday greeting card, and mail them to clients. 
10. Use your glossy business cards as kindling to get the ‘ole Yule Log started! (ha, ha…I just had to end with some humor).

So there you have it, an imprompteu list of things to do with your custom business cards this holiday season.  Whether you have glossy business cards, silk business cards, or metal business cards, I hope you found this blog post both enjoyable and useful. 

Happy Holidays!

1.  Pantone or Spot Colors

Consumer research has shown that accurate color reproduction is by far the most common problem throughout the printing industry.  The biggest culprit is usually the presence of “Pantone” or “spot” colors in your business card design files.  These are typically highly customized colors that fall outside of the industry-standard CMYK 4-color printing process. 

CMYK is a process whereby thousands of colors can be created by mixing various percentages of cyan (“C”), magenta (“M”), yellow (“Y”) and black (“K”).  NexCards.com, as well as the VAST majority of printers in the market today, utilizes a CMYK process that is not compatible with spot colors. 

A color shift often occurs when a CMYK business card printer attempts to print a spot color.  Stick with CMYK colors, or if you absolutely must have Pantone colors on your cards, attempt to locate a printing company that specializes in this.

2.  Black Backgrounds

A business card with a black background, if not set up properly, can turn out gray, blotchy, or over-saturated.  Luckily, this problem has an easy solution – simply convert the black background within your design file to a “rich black.”  Rich black appears the same as any other black, but it is much better for printing purposes.

A black background consisting of 100% black (C=0%, M=0%, Y=0%, K=100%) will most likely produce unexpected results.  Instead, utilize a rich black, which incorporates other CMYK percentages into the mix.  Our preferred CMYK mix for rich black is C=40%, M=30%, Y=20%, and K=100%.

3.  Borders

Artwork with borders is generally not recommended because a slight shift could occur during the trimming process.  This could result in uneven or off-centered border lines. 

This shifting possibility is an industry-accepted standard so basically, any artwork containing borders is a bit of a gamble.  If you don’t like to gamble, remove the border from your custom business card files.

4.  Too Many Enhancement Features

Spot UV, embossing, foil stamping, scoring, perforation, and other bells and whistles fall into the “enhancement feature” bucket.  Putting more than one of these features on a single card can cause flaws.  Spot UV could bubble, foil could flake, or embossing could become fuzzy.  It simply puts too much stress on the card stock.  Always stick with a single enhancement, my favorite of which is spot UV.

5.  Hidden File Problems

Pay careful attention to the printer’s file specs.  Here at NexCards.com, we check every single file that is uploaded to confirm that everything is in-spec and print-ready, but I’m sure there are plenty of printers out there who don’t bother. 

Hidden problems include things such as transparencies, overprint, and embedded fonts.  No matter where you go to have your business cards printed, always flatten your files, turn off overprint, and outline any embedded fonts.

Conclusion

Hiring a business card printer (especially us!) for your custom business cards is an excellent idea, and following my advice will eliminate 99% of any and all potential problems that might creep up during the production process.

Generally speaking, your business card stock options can be broadly segregated into 3 categories: paper stock, card stock, and other stock.

Paper, or “matte,” stock is always the least expensive and lowest quality option. It stands to reason that paper cannot be as durable, elegant, or “awe-inspiring” as the other 2 types. Paper stock is generally the most common business card medium out there, but that is mostly due to the fact that it is by far the cheapest option. The major downside is that this cheapness applies to the look and feel as well as the price, and utilizing bottom-of-the-barrel matte business cards can be expected to generate little more than a “ho-hum” first impression among clients and customers.

A much better option is actual card stock. Simplistically, this stock is akin to cardboard as opposed to paper, and thus by default can be expected to last longer and generate a higher perception of quality. Card stocks come in a variety of flavors such as glossy UV, silk, ivory, and synthetic materials.

Glossy business cards are usually the least expensive option. This option is appropriate for small businesses on tight budgets, and their shiny coating helps them stand out from traditional paper stocks. The primary downside is that glossy stock is not writable, and is prone to fingerprinting and glare.

On the other end of the spectrum, probably the highest quality card stock is silk. Silk business cards are non-glossy so they are fully writable and are not prone to finger smudges like glossy business cards. Also, this card stock is silky smooth, possessing an almost nylon-like look and feel. Silk business cards are definitely unique and are appropriate for businesses looking to exude class and elegance. And, while more expensive than glossy business cards, silk business cards are still very cost-effective.

The final category, “other stock,” encompasses “super premium” options like metal business cards, plastic business cards, translucent poly frost business cards, and magnetic business cards.

Of course a metal business card or plastic business card will wow your clients, but these tend to be at least triple the cost of any other type of card. Magnetic cards are useful because they have a functional purpose that will ensure a longer “shelf-life” once given to clients, but they too tend to be on the pricey side.

The product that represents the best compromise between uniqueness and cost is probably translucent poly frost cards. The thin plastic stock coupled with the inherent translucency offers class and elegance, and is typically priced similarly to standard card stocks.

To sum it all up, stay away from paper stocks unless you do not care about your customers’ perception of you and your company. If you are looking for an elegant business card at a reasonable price, opt for silk business cards. If you are looking for extreme uniqueness at a reasonable price, opt for translucent poly frost plastic business cards.

This product is so new that it was only added to the website yesterday. Please view the product page for more details, or you fill out our custom quote form for more specifics.

For now, the Poly Frost Business Cards are priced at the same level as our Luxury Business Cards. However, since this is a new launch, the specific pricing is subject to change at some point down the road.

When creating your poly frost plastic card design file, note that any white color areas will NOT get printed with white ink – the white areas will be completely translucent. So for example, if you want your card’s background to be “see-through,” the background in your file should be 100% white (C = 0, M = 0, Y = 0, K = 0). Please also remember that these are translucent business cards, and therefore we can only accommodate artwork on one side of the card.

Please be on the lookout for our press release! Also, we are currently working on the ability to add spot UV to this cardstock, so stay tuned!

Embossing

Embossing is the process of pushing design elements “through” the cardstock from the opposite side of the card. Whip out your credit card, and you will see this effect on the card’s account number. The embossed elements are raised on one side, and indented on the other.

Although embossing sounds cool, it does have some serious limitations. For one, it is relatively expensive, often adding $75-$100 to a typical business card order.

Second, embossing limits your business card design flexibility, as the embossed areas must be clear of artwork on both sides. You do not want embossed elements to intermingle with your card’s “non-embossed” artwork, as this would produce a jumbled mess.

Finally, it is almost impossible for printers to line up embossed areas down to the millimeter. Generally speaking, this means that areas with printed ink cannot be embossed because the embossing and ink will be misaligned the majority of the time. Therefore, your embossed areas must be the same color as the background color of your card.

Foil Stamping

This is where a metallic layer of foil is applied on top of your card design, on areas you choose. Most printers provide a small handful of color options for this.

The upside of foil compared to embossing is that foil provides some “non-background” color flexibility (although you are usually limited to 3-5 color options).

The major downside is that foil stamping can shift slightly, much like the embossing process. Additionally, the nature of the foil material is such that the foil could flake over time, especially after pulling the card in and out of your wallet repeatedly.

Spot UV

Spot UV is where specific areas of your card are treated with a glossy coating. This effect makes the treated areas slightly raised and shiny relative to the non-glossy cardstock.

Spot UV has one huge advantage over embossing and foil stamping. Spot UV does not have the same alignment problems, which means that specific ink areas can be treated, thus retaining the underlying color. So for example, if you have a blue card with red text, you could apply spot UV to the text, making it not only shiny and slightly raised, but also allowing the underlying red color to be retained.

Conclusion

If you’ve read this far, then you already know that spot UV is usually the best option of the three. It is the least expensive, provides the greatest color flexibility, and has the sharpest look.

Spot UV, like the other 2 enhancements discussed, works best on silk cardstock due to its non-glossiness and durability. Check out our Spot UV Business Cards and our Luxury Business Cards for products featuring spot UV.

1. Include sales info on the back of the card

If you’re getting glossy business cards, silk business cards, or even metal business cards, this can easily be done. As long as the business card product you are buying offers full color on both sides, you can put whatever you want on the backside.

For example, you could list your company’s competitive advantages, show impressive company data, list awards you or your company have won, or plop a few testimonials down. Be creative and view your card like a sales tool, as just a little extra confidence boosting can be a boon to your business.

2. Use the back of the card as an appointment card

Are you a service-oriented professional of some sort? If so, then why not use the back of your card to log appointments. Silk business cards are an excellent choice for this, as these are easily writeable with pens, markers, and even pencils.

The added functionality of allowing customers to keep tabs on their appointments via your business card will help ensure that they keep your card close by (at least until the appointment!). More card views = greater brand awareness for your company.

3. Use the back of the card as a map to your store

If you have a physical location, consider putting a map on the back. The easier it is for people to find your business, the more customers you will have. One word of caution here is that a map image may not come out perfectly on metal business cards or plastic business cards because it tends to be too detailed for the printing processes associated with these heavy-duty cardstocks.

4. Place a 52-week calendar on the back of your card

Believe it or not, a 12-month calendar fits perfectly on the back of a standard 2” x 3.5” card. This is a terrific technique that helps keep your card in front of your potential clients, as it is more convenient to glance at a calendar card than to flip through a wall calendar. Plus, it’s now a calendar that fits neatly in your wallet.

Summary

These are just a few ideas that can transform your business card into a useful tool, thereby prompting people to hold on to it longer and look at it more. None of these ideas will break the bank, so it is definitely worth giving one or more of them a try.

We are very excited about the new shopping cart functionality because it further supports our core mission to provide customers with maximum customization options. Previously, customers were forced to inquire about “fringe” business card customization options by requesting a custom quote. Now, once customers click on a custom card “buy now” button, they can clearly see all the available add-on options and their associated price points.

You can now add multiple bells and whistles to any business card product to make it as unique as you wish – including rounded corners, custom cuts (starts at 1.5 x 1.5 and goes up from there in quarter-inch increments), perforation, embossing, and foil stamping (gold, silver, red, blue or green). You can even select professional graphic design services to, for example, recreate artwork in a print-ready format or even design your entire card!

These options can be added to any business card requiring you to upload your own design file. Products include silk business cards, glossy business cards, advanced business cards, luxury business cards, and more.

Our entire company is positioned around uniqueness and customization, so the new shopping cart is a natural fit. Not only can customers now see ALL the optional add-ons and each one’s price point, but any or all of them can be added to any “upload your own design” product. More options, upfront pricing, and pricing visibility – these are the true benefits this new functionality brings directly to our current and potential customers.

We hope our customers like the new functionality. Your feedback is critical, so please send us an email and let us know what you think! Our hope is to continuously refine the shopping cart over time so that it becomes more and more powerful and intuitive, and we can only do this with your help – so, don’t be shy and let us ‘have it’!

After thinking about her question, I thought it would make a great topic for this week’s blog post (even though business cards are only a small piece of the overall marketing puzzle). The key, obviously, is leveraging “free” forms of advertising to flood the local market with your marketing message.

One such tactic is Craigslist. Craigslist.com is ranked in the top 30 of all websites according to Alexa.com. In terms of potential traffic, that number is absolutely HUGE. However, you still need a well written ad & title for it to be effective, and your ad must have staying power so that the message is seen repetitively. For example, in one recent scientific study, it was noted that most consumers do not fully notice or react to an ad until they see it for the 3rd or 4th time! The bottom line is that your ad must be reoccurring to be effective.

Craigslist also lets you post pictures on your ad, and this is something you will definitely want to do. Think of it this way…when you are searching for a car on autotrader.com or browsing through MySpace or even a dating website, do you ever click on a profile with no photo? Generally speaking, 99% of the time you will click the profile with a photo.

While not as effective as Craigslist, there are also other free classified ad services that you may want to pursue, such as backpage.com, listsomething.com, or plugstar.com just to name a few.

From the low-tech side of the equation, if you are planning to physically distribute flyers or brochures within your local area, you would probably be better served simply distributing your business card. Why? For one, biz cards are significantly cheaper and lighter than flyers.

Another reason is – believe it or not – business cards are more effective. While it is true that far less information can be placed on a biz card compared to a flyer simply due to the relative size of each medium, in effect that’s why it’s better. Although people are more likely to be initially attracted by a large colorful flyer, there is a far greater chance that the flyer will be discarded compared to your card, which is obviously smaller and can easily be “put away” in a pocket for future reference.

You could distribute your business cards yourself by leaving them on windshield wipers, mailboxes, store bulletin boards, etc. However, given that time is money, a more efficient distribution method would be to hire someone. The typical rate is $10 an hour or $10 per 1000. Of course, this tactic is only worthwhile if you are located in a highly populated area. Otherwise, focus your distribution efforts on commercial businesses or other venues that attract a lot of walk-in traffic.