Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Concepts In Business Card Design

By Chris Channing

Business cards make the commerce and industrial world go round- meaning there is a large emphasis put on their use. If business owners and tradesmen are to be successful, more thought should be put into the composition of their business card.

Only a decade ago it was common to have only a few colors when considering the composition of a business card. This was due to the simple fact that printers were limited in what they could do, not to mention that printing costs could be quite high in older times. But today, printers are much more advanced and can produce true color images on business cards with little cost- something all businesses should take advantage of.

It is always important to take advantage of any inexpensive tricks of the trade- and thermography is one of them. Through this process, the lettering on a business card can be raised so as to give a special texture to the business card. And because it is indeed expensive, it's a very cost effective way to grab attention.

In addition to color, other effects such as gold and gloss effects have been proven to grab the attention of the recipient more so than cards without the effects. This is not always a cheap route to go in business card design, but it does give a better sense of professionalism and prestige that clients will both remember and appreciate. In that sense, the extra money is often worth it.

The classic rectangle shape that the business card has came to be is also starting to become history. Newer and flashier designs will use bevels, grooves, and even entirely different shapes in order to attract the attention of recipients. These reshaping techniques will likely cost more on average as well, but again, sometimes the price is more than worth it.

Sometimes it isn't always about sticking with paper based business cards- sometimes it is better to shatter the mold and instead opt for different business card materials that are a bit more exotic. Using wood, cloth, magnets, and metal have proven to be better at grabbing one's attention- but also will cost more money as well. In the end, it comes down to how flashy the business card should be and what one can afford.

Sometimes it is about breaking the established norms that society has deemed casual. Some business cards have begun to take advantage of technology, and instead circulate the name of a business through tools such as CDs or even wirelessly through digital signals. These are less used, however, and are still considered unconventional by today's standards.

Overall, the business card world hasn't changed much since its inception. Newer technologies are seeking to change that, however, and it might not be long before all the print and ink business cards are a thing of the past. But until that happens, always consider the extra design effects that come from shaping, coloring, and even deforming business cards as we know them in order to receive extra attention from potential customers. After all, the extra attention can go a long way in the world of business.

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