Isn't it shocking that within 15 seconds of handing over your business card to one of your clients, he builds up a lasting opinion on you and your company? Well, it does sound a little bit harsh but there are people who still judge a book by checking out its cover and hence you only get a few seconds to make a great first impression. Your business card is most probably the first contact of the customer with your company and it is your way of engaging with them and encouraging them to know more about you, your company and how you serve them through your products and services. One of the best ways of doing this is by designing a professional business card which packs a punch in itself!

You must be wondering about the requirement and need of such business cards during an era when we are working in paperless offices. Although it is true that we all have adopted to the green business mode, yet the humble business card is still a prevalent and effective part of a business. In fact, if you still don't have a business card for your company, you're actually missing out on a key marketing opportunity. All business cards are not created equally and nowadays most small business owners design their cards from online printers as they find it cost-effective. Nevertheless, you should know some of the best tips and advice before printing your first business card. Check them out.

Solve the issue of color and size

You need to decide about the business card printer when you start off with the designing process. You have to look for the perfect size of the cards and the file types which support them. The most common size of your card is 84mm*55mm and hence the best document size which looks perfect would be 1039*697 pixels. When it comes to choosing the colors, it's better to work on CMYK rather than RGB. CMYK is the abbreviation of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black which is utilized in color printing. Black is referred to as the Key color and hence the letter 'K' is associated with Black.

Design the bleed area

Unless and until the background designing color is white, you won't be able to prepare the area called the 'Bleed' area. This involves featuring the area that surrounds the written document on your card, which should be around 3 mm thick and make sure you do this with the same color as that of the background. By doing this, you can prevent an ugly border from showing up around the edges of your business card.

Don't make the blunder of using borders

Experts suggest that it's best when you avoid using borders while designing your cards. You might think that they look good but when the cards are cut, it will again give you lop-sided edges. Printers usually have a margin for errors while they cut the cards and they can be few millimeters. Do expect some difference in the area where your card is cut. If the card is not cut at the right place, you will soon find your borders disappear.

Use colors which complement each other

Select only those colors which are aesthetically gratifying. If you include a mix and match of bold and bright colors that might make your business card stand out in the crowd but for all the wrong reasons. When you choose the colors, think beyond just designing your business cards; you should rather try to maintain a consistent color scheme through the media in order to develop a professional brand image for your company. You can encourage other people to vote for your chosen colors through communities like COLOURlovers.

Text should be legible

This is one of the most vital tips with regards to business card designing. Would you want your clients to strain their eyes while reading the email or address? Ensure that your text is at 8 pt, written in a comprehensible font and also in bold. If you have anything that is less than 8 point, that might look okay when you see it in the monitor but when you get the printed form, you will see a smudged-out line. You could even emphasize some vital information and make it slightly bolder and bigger than the rest of the text.

Hence, if you want to strengthen your company's marketing tactics by designing a business card, you can keep the above mentioned things in mind. They are tips and advice from the professional experts who are into designing business cards. An expert from City Print Design also reminds you to save the final design in a vector based PDF to make sure you get high quality print and crisp lines.